I always love recipes that utilize the outcast part of an ingredient. When you realize you can make something delicious out of something you thought was useless it’s like discovering a whole new ingredient. I was first experienced this when I discovered carrot top pesto. It was kind of mind blowing for me, and exciting to tell the grocery store cashier not to remove the tops (it’s the little things). That is how I feel about this recipe. I never really thought of using these parts when I buy beets. As you can imagine the stems and leaves are slightly bitter, but don’t let that deter you. It’s really good, and we added citrus and champagne vinegar to balance out the taste. The result is a refreshing dish that is a really perfect side for almost anything. Hope you guys like it!
♥ Teri
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Citrus Sautéed Beet Stems
INGREDIENTS
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 bunch beet stems, cleaned and chopped
- 1 shallot, diced
- 1 bunch beet leaves, cleaned and torn into pieces
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1 ½ tablespoons champagne vinegar
- zest and juice of 1 orange
- salt and pepper to taste
INSTRUCTIONS
- Place oil in a medium skillet, over medium high heat. Add stems and shallot and sauté for 4 to 5 minutes. Add beet leaves and continue to sauté for 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
- Add garlic, champagne vinegar and orange juice and simmer until all juice has evaporated, 2 to 3 minutes. Adjust seasonings.
- Top with orange zest and serve.
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Delicious, and the best recipe for beet stems and greens I have come across. This recipe has the perfect amount of savory, tang, and sweet. Works great as a side, or served on plate as color next to the meat entree. Even works as a nice relish inside a tortilla.
I just made this tonight – it was delicious. I cooked the chopped stems in a fry pan with bacon and garlic. I cooked the torn leaves in water with about 1 tsp of chicken bouillon. Drained the leaves and added it to the stems and bacon. Then added about 1/2 cup of the liquid I cooked the leaves in, and finished off with the orange zest which was a very nice addition. I’ll boil the beets tomorrow and perhaps use a part of one in a spinach smoothie. I’m thinking I will boil beets in the the leaves/chicken bouillon mix. Butter and salt is all I need on boiled beets.
In Portugal, unless you grow them yourself, you have no access to the beet’s stems or leaves, or carrot tops. Anyway, it sounds like a great ideia for when I start growing my own veggies! :)
Joana – Have you started growing your beets yet? They are the easiest vegetables to grow. Just plant the seeds and let God and nature handle the rest. I highly encourage growing beets, because they are expensive to buy, are very healthy, and last a long time in your refrigerator if you steam or roast them, and then store them, cut in cubes or sliced, in a jar with a mixture of heated and combined vinegar, sugar, water (use beet water if you steam them) and cloves. I like to serve the pickled beets cold with chopped onion, or as a salad on lettuce and/or spinach and some fruit, such as orange or grapefruit sections in the fall, or with summer fruit (berries, peaches, even watermelon) in the summer. Good luck!
I normally give the greens to my parrots. I tired this today and it came out wonderful! Thank you!
I love this recipe! I tried beet greens for the 1st time this evening and they are better than I expected! I was pleasantly surprised. I substituted not from concentrate orange juice for the juice from an orange. I didn’t have shallots or the champagne vinegar on hand and just used garlic salt and it was great! Thanks for the recipe. My 11 year old daughter enjoyed them too!
Bought a bunch of beets at the farmer’s market today with a lovely head of leaves and long stems. At home washed and diced all the stems, some diced onion and garlic and sautéed all in a bit of butter/water for 5 min. Sprinkled Montreal steak spice on the soft veggies, then squeezed 1/2 lime on top. Delicious. The tops will be used up another day. Then I came across this recipe and will definitely try it somtime.
I have always loved beets, but today followed your recipe for stems and leaves! It was wonderful and I will definitely make i bargain! Thank you!
Didn’t have shallots so used onion. Orange rind looked dry so didn’t add zest. I ate it as if it were the main course.
I made this and had no oranges but I had mandarins and kumquats. it was wonderful and my friend and I decided we will make this often.
Made this tonight as I didn’t want to waste the stems. Tasted the stems raw and thought they were quite earthy. But after cooking them with the ingredients of this recipe and serving them up with baked chicken breast stuffed with spinach, feta and cream cheese, I have changed my mind. This recipe is one I will keep.
This is so simple and tasty! I didn’t have a shallot, so I used a little minced onion.
We made this last night. It was so yummy! I had white wine vinegar on hand and a couple of clementines, so that’s what I used. I also sprinkled a few pine nuts on top. Great way to use up the stems and leaves. Thanks for the recipe.
Made this for supper tonight…cooked it a little longer, it was awesome!
ROCKin’!
I subbed finely diced apples (no orange about) and some beet-water from boiling the actual beets…arugala thrown in at end.
Much better than I expected.
KUDOS!
Absolutely delicious! I had used the leaves before but never the stalks.
It feels like such a healthy dish to eat.
What does moderation mean?
Just made this, just as written! Delicious! Thanks for your wonderful website!!