Sautéed Beet Greens
Beet greens are delicate in flavor and can be prepared similarly to other leafy greens. This sautéed beet greens recipe uses only a handful of pantry staples!
In keeping with last week’s guide on How to Cook Beets, I wanted to come back and share a simple recipe for Sautéed Beet Greens. We’re not letting anything go to waste!
If you’ve never tried beet greens, they are mild in flavor like spinach, but have a slightly heartier texture. They’re also incredibly good for you.
While this recipe is simple and straight-forward, you can use the same basic technique for any delicate green such as Swiss chard or Lacinato kale.
For this recipe, you’ll need only a handful of ingredients:
- Fresh Beet Greens – when you’re picking out beets, be sure to grab a bunch with robust, healthy looking greens. Discard any tough chewy stem ends and wash well to remove any dirt. Using your fingers, strip the thicker stems from the delicate leaves. We will dice and sauté the stems first, before adding the chopped greens.
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- Fresh Garlic – finely diced garlic gloves add great flavor. You can also substitute diced shallot or onion.
- Dried Red Pepper Flakes – for a touch of heat!
- Lemon Zest – adds brightness and a hint of citrus.
Don’t waste those stems! They’re flavorful and full of healthy fiber. The trick is to separate the stems from the delicate greens and sauté them first, as they require a longer cook time.
How to Cook Beet Greens:
- Rinse the beet greens in a colander to remove any grit or dirt. Strip the thicker stems from the leaves (trimming and discarding any tough parts).
- Finely dice the stems and set aside. Roughly chop the tender leaves. Heat the olive oil in a medium skillet over medium-low heat.
3. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes. Sauté, stirring constantly, until just sizzling and fragrant, do not allow the garlic to gain color. Add the diced stems and sauté, stirring frequently, for 2 to 3 minutes or until tender.
4. Add the chopped leaves to the skillet, a pinch of salt, and toss with tongs to coat in the garlic olive oil mixture. Sauté over medium heat, tossing occasionally, until the greens are wilted and tender.
5. Season to taste. Garnish with freshly grated lemon zest (*I recommend using a microplane) and serve immediately.
How to Serve Beet Greens:
- Serve as a simple side dish or use as a substitute for other delicate greens in your favorite recipe!
Sautéed Beet Greens
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 bunch fresh beet greens washed well (roughly 2 cups greens)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 large garlic cloves roughly chopped
- pinch dried red pepper flakes
- kosher salt
- finely grated lemon zest for garnishing
Instructions
- Rinse the beet greens in a colander to remove any grit or dirt. Strip the thicker stems from the leaves (trimming and discarding any tough parts). Don't dry the beet greens.
- Finely dice the stems and set aside. Roughly chop the tender leaves. Heat the olive oil in a medium skillet over medium-low heat.
- Add the garlic and red pepper flakes. Sauté, stirring constantly, until just sizzling and fragrant, do not allow the garlic to gain color. Add the diced stems and sauté, stirring frequently, for 2 to 3 minutes or until tender.
- Add the chopped leaves to the skillet, a pinch of salt, and toss with tongs to coat in the garlic olive oil mixture. Sauté over medium heat, tossing occasionally, until the greens are wilted and tender.
- Season to taste. Garnish with freshly grated lemon zest and serve immediately.
3 Comments on “Sautéed Beet Greens”
These were surprisingly delicious! I loved how mildly flavored they are and really do taste similar to spinach but, as I mentioned, much more mild. Your recipe says to finely chop the garlic but all the images shown appear to have slices or roughly chopped chunks of garlic. Which is the suggested size/method for the garlic? Thanks!
Hi Lisa, you’re correct, that was a good catch and I have fixed the typo. Honestly, whether you roughly chop or finely chop the garlic is more of a user preference than anything else. It might take a few more seconds to sauté if roughly chopped, and if you prefer it more integrated with the greens, finely chopping might be preferable. I like all methods and it really just depends on my mood, sometimes finely chopping garlic can bring out more of its intense flavor, which some people don’t enjoy. You could also smash 1-2 cloves, caramelize them slightly to infuse the oil and remove if you prefer a more delicate flavor. It’s really up to you!
don’t know if I’ve ever had beet greens, but thank you for this recipe good excuse for the whole beet, I like beets anyway and also good tip about the fibrous stems too, much appreciated!