Roasted Yellow Beets

Why This Golden Beets Recipe Works

Oven roasting is a wonderful way to cook yellow beets - they develop a tender texture and an appetizing, thin crust on the surface of each piece. With our recipe their nutritional value is largely maintained and their earthy sweetness is complemented by the flavors of the spices and the oil they are coated with.

• You can roast golden beets with a variety of herbs and seasonings, including Parmesan cheese.
• The method remains the same - simple and effective every time.
• The process is simple and mostly hands off, apart from the initial preparation.

TIP: Because both the beetroot and the beet greens are edible, if the leafy parts of the beets you bought are in good shape, consider sauteing them in olive oil with some garlic and add them to the roasted root vegetable at the time of serving. The beautiful orange beets in combination with the sauteed greens offer a more complex flavor, not to mention a visual feast.

Roasting Beets Whole vs Peeled & Cut

Roasting golden beets cut into wedges works better because of the increased total surface area coated with the flavors of the sesonings and the olive oil. The beets do not dry out - their inside simply becomes tender as the outside forms a thin crust. (Only if you roasted them for too long could they dry out.)

Roasting beets whole is better suited for red beets. Since their tendency to stain profusely creates much frustration for many while attempting to peel them, roasting them whole with the skins on is effective. It is much easier to peel the skin off of a roasted whole red beet and the bright red staining is minimal in comparison to the raw root vegetable.

Ingredients

Yellow beets. Also known as golden beets or orange beets, yellow beets tend to be slightly thinner skinned than red beets. They are also easier to peel raw because their juice does not have the staining intensity of red beet juice. We encourage you to peel the whole beetroot before cutting them into wedges for roasting or at least the thickest parts.

Olive oil. To coat the yellow beet wedges for roasting and help them develop a delicious fine crust on the outside as their natural sugars caramelize.

Seasonings. For this demonstration we use kosher salt, black pepper, onion powder, garlic powder and picked fresh thyme leaves. So many other options are available to you - sage, rosemary, maple powder, finely grated Parmesan cheese (a generous dusting of it, adhered to the yellow beets with the help of the olive oil will enhance the crust), cayenne pepper if you would like some heat, Za'atar seasoning etc.

Oven Temperature and Preserving the Nutrients of Yellow Beets

The total roasting time for yellow beets depends on how large the pieces are, the desired tenderness and the oven temperature. At 400 F roast for approximately 35-40 minutes.

You can roast golden beets at temperatures both lower and higher than the 400 F guideline of this recipe.

Roasting at lower temperatures such as 350 F is thought to preserve more of nutrients such as the heat-sensitive vitamin C, antioxidants and minerals. On the flip side, it does take longer to achieve the desired tenderness.

Roasting at 425 F or even 450 F will take less time at the expense of some nutrient loss. You should also cut the beets in slightly larger wedges to avoid excessive drying out by the intense heat of the oven.

Ways to Enjoy

Roasted beets are delightful on their own, flavored solely by the simple seasonings of this recipe. You can serve them as a side dish alongside protein entrees. Their sweet earthiness is very complementary to pork roasts.

To serve them as appetizer - plate in small portions topped with crumbled feta cheese or grated Parmesan cheese and a bit of thyme or chives. A drizzle of balsamic reduction is very complementary.

Add the roasted yellow beets to salads. They work really well with arugula, spinach or other dark leafy greens such as kale. Of course, as already mentioned above, the beet greens themselves are delicious when lightly sauteed. Other complementary ingredients for salads including yellow beets are: goat cheese, feta cheese, blue cheese, orange slices (skins removed), thin apple slices (tart like Granny Smith), shaved red onion, pine nuts, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds and more.

Storage and Reheating

Store roasted yellow beets in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

To reheat add a drizzle of olive oil to a pan over medium heat stove. Add the beet wedges and a tablespoon of water. Allow to heat throuhg, moving them around occasionally.

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