Beet greens: Boost your health with vibrant recipes
As soon as the first young beets appear at the farmer's market, I immediately buy a few bunches to satisfy my craving for beet greens. I serve them warm or cold as a chilled soup—always with dill and a semi-soft boiled egg. After enjoying a healthy portion, I feel like I'm regaining my vigor.
The crisp stems and leaves of young beets are a true treasure trove of vitamins and minerals. They provide the body primarily with a powerful portion of vitamin K, essential for proper blood clotting and bone health. In 3.5 oz of young beet leaves, there is about 400 µg of vitamin K, which significantly exceeds the recommended daily allowance. Beet greens are also full of vitamin A, supporting vision and skin health, as well as potassium, which regulates blood pressure and supports heart health.
How to cook beet greens so they don't lose color and vitamins
First and foremost, stick to the recommended cooking time. The leaves of young beets don't require long processing. Just a few minutes are enough for them to impart flavor to the soup while remaining slightly crunchy and resilient.
In the pot, include not only the leaves but also the beets themselves—of course, wash them thoroughly beforehand to ensure there's no sand floating in the beet greens. Cut off the root and chop into small pieces. If you like, you can also add other vegetables, such as carrots or potatoes, but really just a few spices and good vegetable broth will suffice.
Additions that enhance the color of beet greens
To help the beet greens maintain their intense color, it's worth adding a bit of lemon juice or apple cider vinegar to the boiling soup. Their acidity will help preserve the color of the leaves and also enhance the flavor of the dish.
A clever solution is also a small addition of pickled beet juice, which will not only add more color and flavor but also enrich the soup with probiotic bacteria, so crucial for the body's immunity and proper intestinal function.
