Garlic Sauteed Beet Greens

I hope you believe me. I had seen it multiple times but never believed it myself: beet greens taste great. I assumed they would be bitter or taste like dirt. But nope, they are as silky as sauteed Swiss chard and not nearly a strong flavour, almost sweet. Blanching them then tossing with seared garlic was an easy way to make them delicious and an easy way to eat lots of greens.

Sadly, Rob and I have not been able to head out to our favourite Farmer’s Market nearly enough. We went once which was when I was able to grab a handful of beets with the leafy tops. You could also buy them without the greens, but the greens help to show you how fresh the beets have been pulled from the ground. Plus it is a 2-for-1 vegetable deal. Beets and leafy greens.

Once you get home, be sure to remove the greens immediately since it will whisk the water away from the beet root. When I bought them at the farmer’s market, they asked me if they could remove the greens for me. Heck no, give me the greens, I thought, even though I didn’t have a plan for them. Yet.

With my incessant sleep deprivation, it is hard to plan too far in advance so I searched for a simple side dish of beet greens.

I preferred these greens fresh from the pan, so try to eat them all in one go! Lots of greens for you!

I just looked in Jessica Nadel’s awesome Greens 24/7 and she even has a Triple Chocolate Beet Greens Cake with both the root and greens. How awesome is that?

Have you tried beet greens yet?

PS. I am sharing this with Healthy Vegan Fridays and Simple and In Season.

Garlic Sauteed Beet Greens
Adapted from Allrecipes

2 bunches beet greens, large stems removed
1 tbsp oil of choice (I used coconut oil)
2 cloves garlic, mined or pressed
1/4 tsp Mesquite seasoning, or to taste
salt, to taste

1. Blanch your beet greens by boiling a large pot of water. Once boiling, add the chopped beet greens by hand, pushing to submerge in the water. Boil until tender, approximately 2 minutes. Remove from heat and drain in a colander. Run cold water overtop and then immerse in a large pot fill with cold water and ice. Once cold, remove from the water and coarsely chop. Squeeze out any additional liquid.

2. Once the greens are removed from the pot, in a large skillet over medium heat, add oil. Add the garlic and Mesquite seasoning and saute until fragrant, around 30-60 seconds. Add in the greens and stir until evenly dispersed in the skillet. Keep the greens in the skillet until warmed through and hot. Taste and season with additional salt and/or pepper.

Serves 4 as a side.