Beetroot is one of those vegetables that people tend to either love or hate. But even the most reluctant may be converted if you find the right way to prepare or cook your beetroot. This is a root veggie that is a lot more versatile than you might think. 

Pickled beetroot that you might be most familiar with from the store shares little in common with the fresh vegetable. Here are some recipe ideas to help you make more of this oft underrated crop.

Raw Beetroot Recipe Ideas

My favourite way by far to eat younger beetroots is raw. I really like them in salads, and grated to make a slaw, for example. Even those who do not enjoy boiled or pickled beetroot will often very much enjoy them in this way. You can also juice beetroots and add them to blended juices.

Boiled Beetroot Recipes

Beetroots can be cooked, too, and used in a wide range of different ways. Boiled beetroot can be added as an ingredient in a huge range of warm salads, soups, stews, casseroles etc... I also like to use boiled beetroot as a layer in a vegetable bake – layered alongside carrots, green leafy vegetables and other veg, pulses  like lentils, and herbs . Boiled beetroot can also add colour and moisture to another vegetarian dish – such as a nut roast, for example. I also love a beetroot hummus, with pureed boiled beetroot mixed in. 

Boiled and mashed or pureed beetroot can also be used in sweet recipes – such as in a beetroot and chocolate cake, for example... or beetroot muffins.

Roast Beetroot Recipes

Roasting beetroot brings out their sweetness, and can convert even those who are not necessarily the biggest fans of this root crop. I like to create a roast vegetable medley, with beetroots, carrots, potatoes, onions, garlic and whatever other vegetables are on hand, drizzled with olive oil and seasoned with salt and herbs like thyme, oregano and rosemary, for example.

Beetroot Crisps

If you have never made your own vegetable crisps at home then you are really missing out. Potatoes are not the only crop that can create crisps. I make vegetable crisps using a range of crops from my garden, including beetroots, as well as carrots, parsnips and kale.

Beetroot Preserves

You can also preserve cooked beetroot for longer by turning them into a range of preserves, which can be canned for long-term storage. For example, you can find some great recipes for beetroot jams, chutneys and relishes. And can combine beetroots with other homegrown crops to enjoy throughout the whole of the year. 

As you can see from the above, there are a range of different ways to make the most of a beetroot crop, and to encourage everyone to eat this healthy vegetable. So don't right off beetroots until you have sampled them in these very different ways, as even if you don't enjoy them in one particular way, that does not mean that you won't love them when you find the right recipes for you.