Don’t Drop the Beet (Greens)! [A not-so-lyrical ode to my favorite greens]

Around here, beets are a farmers market staple. They pretty much grow year ’round. And so we buy a lot of beets, which suits me just fine. But, I’ll be honest, it’s not really because of the beet itself. Oh sure, beets are very pretty, and quite good. They’re necessary for borscht, great for use as a natural dye, and excellent for staging a faux-crime scene (a friend of mine has a hilarious story about her firefighter/EMT husband coming home to her wielding a large knife, just finishing up chopping a large number of beets… he freaked out, thinking she’d accidentally removed a limb!). While beets are yummy, and a great source of B vitamins, antioxidants, folate (if eaten raw), and potassium, I really buy my beets for the greens…

freshly picked beets

Yep, you read that right. The beet greens. The part most people probably chop off and throw away! Perish the thought (seriously… sometimes I rescue them from the compost bins at farm stalls in the market)! Now, I am a kale lover through and through, as are my kids.  Kale is a staple in my house and something I know I can make that everyone will eat without complaining. It is often even requested on a regular basis. But oh… the beet green.

beautiful beet green

Beet greens are easily my favorite green. And I have yet to meet a leafy green that I don’t like. They are an amazing source of vitamin A, vitamin K, Potassium, Magnesium, and Manganese. Like all greens, they are also a good source of calcium and iron. Beets are in the same plant family as chard, and the taste of the greens is similar. Though, the ribs are much smaller and do not need to be removed at all for cooking (I simply remove the stalk extending past the leaf and then chop the leaves).

chopped beet greens

The greens are delicious in salads (add some of the cooked beet!) and are commonly added in salad green mixes. I have also roasted them beneath the beets themselves (tossed with some oil, garlic, and a pinch of salt). But my favorite way to cook them is sautéed with some onion, garlic, and some chopped bacon (or without the bacon). Yum! Have you tried beet greens? What is your favorite way to prepare them?