Last Updated on 21st April 2022 by
I think for a lot of people, beetroot is something they know is good for them but they’ve never learned how to make it, so they don’t usually bother to try it.
Once you know how to cook beetroot, you may feel more inclined to use it in your meals. I want to share with you some methods for preparing beetroot you can use for everyday cooking.
This nutritious vegetable is a good addition to salads, soups, vegetable medleys, and more.
Straight from the can, they may not very be very palatable or tasty, but once you know how to handle them, you can find all sorts of uses for them. That’s why I’m going to show you some simple methods for cooking this food.
How to Cook Beetroot in Microwave
Let’s start with the simplest method of all- making beetroot in the microwave. You won’t find a faster way to cook up beetroot, and they can turn out pretty well just by using the microwave.
When you microwave beetroot, it helps the beets keep their flavor, so that’s definitely to your advantage if you’re wanting to use some of the complexity of this vegetable. I would recommend using small or medium sized beets when microwaving, as that will help you get the best texture out of the finished beets.
Larger ones can get kind of tough and rubbery on the exterior when microwaving, if you’re cooking them long enough for the interior flesh to become edible.
How do you cook beetroot if you are using the microwave method?
Directions:
- lean off your beets and put them into a microwave safe bowl. Add enough water to just cover the bottom of the bowl. Then, cover the dish using plastic wrap.
- Microwave the beets on high for about 13 minutes. You want to turn them one time during cooking and keep cooking them until they’re tender enough to pierce with a fork without too much trouble.
- When they’re done cooking, you can let them rest for about 5 minutes and then cut off the skin, stems, and taproot.
How to Cook Beetroot on the Stove
The method most people will use for cooking beetroots is to boil them in a pot on the stove. This is good for keeping the flavor mild, and it does change the color a little bit, so you’ll want to be aware of that.
Directions:
- Start by cleaning the beets and getting rid of the taproot and stem. Then, place them into a saucepan large enough for them to fit and add enough water to cover the beetroots.
- Heat the beets in water until the water starts to boil, and then lower the heat and allow to simmer. Cook until the beets have become tender, which can take quite a while.
- Once the beets are done cooking, you can move them into ice cold water and take the skins off easily at that point.
How long to cook beetroot on the stove? It can take around 30 minutes for medium sized and small beats. Expect a range of 25 to 35 minutes for these beets. For larger beets, you could end up taking a whole hour cooking them.
On the low side, large beets may take about 45 minutes to cook. You know they’re done cooking when you compare them easily with a fork.
How to Cook Beetroot in Instant Pot
You’ll need to cook the beetroot one way or another to make it soft enough to eat. How do you cook beetroot for a salad, soup, or another dish? Let me share this Instant Pot method that’s really simple.
Directions:
- 1. Clean off the beets, trimming the green part off, and leaving behind a stem that’s about an inch long.
- Pour a cup of water into the bottom of the Instant Pot and add the beets.
- Set the instant pot to Sealing, and then cook on high pressure for 20 minutes.
- After they’re done cooking, you can use the natural release for 10 minutes. Then, do a manual release and take out the beets carefully so you don’t burn yourself. At this point, you can remove the skin.
How to Cook Beetroot Leaves
Beetroot leaves are known as beet greens when they are cooked and served up. Let me share with you how to cook these up using a sauteing method.
Ingredients:
- 1 bunches of beet greens, cut and washed
- 1 teaspoon of crushed red pepper flakes
- 2 cloves of minced garlic
- Olive oil, as needed
- 1 teaspoon of lemon juice
- Black pepper, to taste
- Salt, to taste
Directions:
- Add enough oil to a frying pan to cover the bottom lightly and then heat up the pan on the stove.
- Once the oil starts to shimmer with heat, you can add in the garlic and beet greens. Toss them around in the oil and cook for about 6 minutes, until the greens become tender and start to wilt.
- Then, add in the lemon juice, pepper flakes, and salt and pepper to season.
What you’ve created here is a nice side dish that can be served with pasta, bread, meat, or as part of a salad.
How to Make Pickled Beets
Let me leave you with one more recipe that will help you make beets in one of my favorite ways- pickled. If you’re wondering how to cook beetroot with vinegar and pickle them, just follow these simple directions.
Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup of sugar
- 1 cup of vinegar
- 8 medium beets
- 1 teaspoon of cloves
- 1/2 teaspoon of salt
- 1 teaspoon of allspice
Directions:
- Clean off your beets and give the tops a trim to take them down to 1 inch.
- Add the beets to a Dutch oven and add enough water to completely cover your beets.
- Heat until the beets start boiling, and then lower the heat and allow to simmer while covered. Cook for about 30 minutes, until the beets are tender.
- Take them out of the water and allow to cool, and then peel off the skin and slice your beets.
- Separately, mixed together sugar, cloves, vinegar, salt, and allspice. Cook in a saucepan for about 5 minutes after they start boiling. Then, pour the mixture over the beets and refrigerate.
Allow to refrigerate for an hour and then drain off your liquid and serve the pickled beets.
I'm Pauline, a mother of four grown children, my passion for cooking stemmed from the joy i get cooking for my family. I love to try new dishes, especially when dining out but creating and sharing my own recipes is my favourite thing to do!
