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Beet salads


Lochina

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I'm planning on making a beet, green bean and goat cheese salad with walnuts. I was wondering which method of cooking is best for the beets in this application - boiled or roasted? I tend to prefer roasting, which imparts more flavor/doesn't leave the beets wet. If I am to roast the beets, should I peel them first? If I boil do I peel them before or after?

Thanks-

Lauren (who doesn't cook beets all that often)

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ABSOLUTELY ROAST! Sorry for shouting but roasted beets are so good. I have a bunch in the oven roasting right now - found them at a Farmer's Market in Peterborough, Ontario and couldn't resist - teeny weeny baby beets.

Anna Nielsen aka "Anna N"

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Agreed - roast and peel after. Just remember you will need something quite tangy/tart to counter the beets sweetness (roasting them makes them VERY sweet... think roasted bell peppers).

i make a beet and goat cheese salad from the nytimes where you quarter them, put them in water and olive oil, boil then simmer 20 min. the juices are reduced and mixed with balsamic, s& p and tarragon == very good indeed. i love roasted beets but this salad is delicious and a textural change.

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Quick question about roasting beets: I have only ever done a few at a time wrapped in foil. If I am doing, say, 15 bunches of beets should I do them about 3 to a package, or should I do them all in a baking dish (or 2) covered with foil? Or is there a better way to do that many beets?

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I would say the best way is to wrap individually because the more you have in a package, the more chance you have of the beets on the outer sides of the package cooking before the ones in the middle. Alternatively, just toss them all with olive oil and roast them uncovered in a big baking dish.

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what you want to do is put some kosher salt in a square of foil and wrap each individually. then put a layer of kosher salt down in a pan, and place the beets in the salt. put them in an low oven, 250 maybe and leave them alone for a few hours (if they are big).

those are the best beets ever.

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  • 15 years later...

 I have been tapped to bring a beet salad as a starter for a Thanksgiving luncheon for 10 people on Sunday.  I thought a mix of yellow, candy cane striped and red beets would be nice.  My question is, what is the best way to cook the beets, particularly the candy cane and yellow ones so they retain their colour?  Of late I have been using the Instant Pot to cook the beets but it washes out the colour.  Is roasting better?  Microwave?

 

I don't have a recipe but I'm thinking of serving it on spinach leaves and adding goat cheese and nuts.  Pecans maybe?  Maybe crispy deep fried onions for those who don't like nuts?  There are at least two of those.  If anyone wants to pass along their recipe I'd appreciate it.

 

Thanks for your help.

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@ElsieD 

 

if you have an iPot :

 

wash the beets , not too vigorously 

 

take outage '' spots '  the do n to look appealig

 

and cut in large chunk , skin on

 

and iP  in s basket love the 1 cup water

 

pull out when done

 

possible use cold water to

 

chill en9ugh so you can handle

 

peel off the skin

 

and use as is

 

orr chill fnurthernfor the future

 

My RedBook  w the times

 

has moved on

 

so I can't give you the times

 

but those times are here on

 

eG

 

next to most everything else that

 

works is well

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40 minutes ago, ElsieD said:

 I have been tapped to bring a beet salad as a starter for a Thanksgiving luncheon for 10 people on Sunday.  I thought a mix of yellow, candy cane striped and red beets would be nice.  My question is, what is the best way to cook the beets, particularly the candy cane and yellow ones so they retain their colour?  Of late I have been using the Instant Pot to cook the beets but it washes out the colour.  Is roasting better?  Microwave?

 

I don't have a recipe but I'm thinking of serving it on spinach leaves and adding goat cheese and nuts.  Pecans maybe?  Maybe crispy deep fried onions for those who don't like nuts?  There are at least two of those.  If anyone wants to pass along their recipe I'd appreciate it.

 

Thanks for your help.

Who needs the stress of color bleed on a holiday ;) I refer the regular red tossed with a nut oil if no allergies, olive if allergies. Tart orange juice as the acid. Toasted nuts are nice but I'd avoid the onion (you mean the canned fried?) as they will sog out on you. Toasted pepitas are also seasonal for crunch/contrast. Dress while warm for best absorption. As for beet cooking - I roast by preference, but nuked works. Just a touch of water lends a beet that is nicely of itself and not waterlogged at all. Covered. We like garlic but maybe not for a gathering.

Edited by heidih (log)
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2 hours ago, ElsieD said:

 I have been tapped to bring a beet salad as a starter for a Thanksgiving luncheon for 10 people on Sunday.  I thought a mix of yellow, candy cane striped and red beets would be nice.  My question is, what is the best way to cook the beets, particularly the candy cane and yellow ones so they retain their colour?  Of late I have been using the Instant Pot to cook the beets but it washes out the colour.  Is roasting better?  Microwave?

 

I don't have a recipe but I'm thinking of serving it on spinach leaves and adding goat cheese and nuts.  Pecans maybe?  Maybe crispy deep fried onions for those who don't like nuts?  There are at least two of those.  If anyone wants to pass along their recipe I'd appreciate it.

 

Thanks for your help.

I cook beets all the time and I think for best results in keeping the color you should bake them in the oven or they will bleed.  

wrap in foil and bake for an hour or so depending on size and age.  I think they test better that way too.

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3 hours ago, ElsieD said:

 I have been tapped to bring a beet salad as a starter for a Thanksgiving luncheon for 10 people on Sunday.  I thought a mix of yellow, candy cane striped and red beets would be nice.  My question is, what is the best way to cook the beets, particularly the candy cane and yellow ones so they retain their colour?  Of late I have been using the Instant Pot to cook the beets but it washes out the colour.  Is roasting better?  Microwave?

 

I don't have a recipe but I'm thinking of serving it on spinach leaves and adding goat cheese and nuts.  Pecans maybe?  Maybe crispy deep fried onions for those who don't like nuts?  There are at least two of those.  If anyone wants to pass along their recipe I'd appreciate it.

 

Thanks for your help.

 

This Beet Slaw with Pistachios and Raisins from Six Seasons is really delicious. The beets are not cooked but cut into julienne.  The raw beet matchsticks are dressed and served atop a pistachio butter.  Even raw, the beets do tend to bleed so I'd recommend dressing the different colors separately and then tossing together just prior to plating or serving.  

I posted about this one here in the Six Seasons thread. 

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7 hours ago, ElsieD said:

 I have been tapped to bring a beet salad as a starter for a Thanksgiving luncheon for 10 people on Sunday.  I thought a mix of yellow, candy cane striped and red beets would be nice.  My question is, what is the best way to cook the beets, particularly the candy cane and yellow ones so they retain their colour?  Of late I have been using the Instant Pot to cook the beets but it washes out the colour.  Is roasting better?  Microwave?

 

I don't have a recipe but I'm thinking of serving it on spinach leaves and adding goat cheese and nuts.  Pecans maybe?  Maybe crispy deep fried onions for those who don't like nuts?  There are at least two of those.  If anyone wants to pass along their recipe I'd appreciate it.

 

Thanks for your help.

 

I microwave beets here and haver never had colour loss. I have also roasted, which is my preference, but no oven here.

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