Recipe Ideas to use Leftover Beetroot
Fed up of tropical mango? Then try this pink beetroot smoothie, full of earthy sweet flavours, and some citrus to balance. This recipe is from Laura Wright’s fabulous book The First Mess, packed with seasonal plant-based recipes.
Beetroot contains oxalates, so speak to GP before taking if you have kidney stones or blood pressure issues. Beets also (temporarily) turn your pee pink! Keep mushrooms, onion & garlic away from pets. Read more on food safety for people & pets.
How to Buy & Store Beetroot
Cut the stalks and leave the root at the bottom (no need to peel) and they do take a couple of hours baking at least (in a lidded casserole with a little water). You can also grate raw beetroot into salad, and use the salad leaves to garnish.
Fresh beetroot keeps for a few weeks in a cool dark place (it’s in season from July to January) and if you do freeze it, boil or steam first, cool and then pop into sealed containers. Defrost it overnight in the fridge (not at room temperature).
Beetroot & Mushroom Bolognese Recipes
This lovely beet & mushroom bolognese (The First Mess) calls for roasted beets (find them at greengrocers that sell them warm in the morning) with filling lentils. Use pasta in plastic-free packaging. Serve with plant-based Parmesan (conventional Parmesan contains calf rennet).
Earthy Beetroot & Chocolate Cake Recipe
This beetroot & chocolate cake (Rainbow Nourishments) is super-simple to make, and makes use of beetroot, an English favourite vegetable (its natural sweetness lends itself beautifully for cakes). This is an Aussie take on the popular ‘red devil’ combination in the USA of chocolate and beetroots.
This is a classic wet vs dry recipe, though you have to cook and blend the beets beforehand (don’t use vinegared beetroots, it won’t work!) If you don’t fancy cooking them yourself, most indie greengrocers sell them warm and freshly-cooked, if you get there early mornings.
Wait until the plantmilk and beetroot are cool before blending.
The chocolate is given an added kick with espresso coffee. So the earthiness of the beets helps to bring down your ‘mental temperature’ with all that caffeine!
While the cake is cooling, make the chocolate ganache, and chill for a couple of hours. You can make this cake extra colourful by adding the beetroot water to vegan butter (Flora is free from palm oil) and icing sugar, then swirl them together.
Leftovers can be stored in the fridge for a few days, in an airtight container. The cake is more ‘pink’ the day of making, but will still taste as good, if not eaten straight away.
Homemade Vegan Beetroot Cupcakes
These beetroot cupcakes (Rainbow Nourishments) are so simple to make, and pretty too! Beetroot is one of nature’s sweetest vegetables, so great to use as an ingredient in puddings, cakes and bakes.
Beetroot can turn your pee pink temporarily, so unless there’s a medical reason behind it, don’t worry about it! Keep away from pets due to cocoa powder. Before cooking, read up on food safety for people and pets.
Read our post on zero waste baking tools, to learn about silicone baking sheets and cupcake liners.
Beetroot alone won’t make these cupcakes their pretty pink colour, you’ll have to use beetroot powder to do this. Avoid using most red or pink food dyes, as most are either from carmine/cochineal (red beetles) or nasty chemicals.
The frosting is made from a blend of vegan cream cheese, vegan butter (Flora has no palm oil) and icing sugar (Suma is egg-free) and a little vanilla (use real, as fake vanilla is vile and sometimes is made from castoreum (beaver extract).
If you’ve never come across the flavour combination of beetroot and chocolate, you’re missing out! In the USA, it’s a very common flavour named ‘red velvet’, named originally in the Deep South as ‘red devil’ as a contrast to the lighter angel cake! Then as the cake density grew softer, it transitioned from ‘devil to velvet!’
How to Grow Your Own Organic Beetroot
If you have never tried a beetroot straight from the earth, you are in for a treat. Homegrown, organic beetroots burst with natural sweetness (along with carrots, one of nature’s sweetest veggies) and vivid colour. Packed with vitamins and minerals, this humble root vegetable delivers a powerful boost to your heart and immune system.
Read our posts on no-dig gardening (to avoid harming earthworms and stag beetles). And learn about pet-friendly gardens and wildlife-friendly-gardens. If growing or displaying plants indoors, never face them to outdoor gardens, to help stop birds flying into windows.
A few people can’t eat beetroot, you’ll likely know already (check medication inserts). Usually this is people with risk of kidney stones and low blood pressure, and should be limited for people with digestive issues, due to high oxalates.
Some greengrocers sell fresh warm cooked beetroots, and these are far nicer than those plastic-wrapped pickled beetroots you find in shops. If you grow your own, of course you’ll have to cook them yourself.
It’s Easy to Grow Your Own Beetroot
Choose good organic beetroot seeds, and plant in good soil. Beetroot like at least six hours of sun each day, so try to choose a sunny spot, with good drainage (avoid waterlogged ground). Use a soil test kit from a garden centre to check PH and nutrient levels, before sowing.
- You can buy bolt-resistant beetroot. This does not mean it’s to stop it running off! It simply means it can cope with the unpredictable British weather!
- Sow your seeds direct into prepared soil from April to July, or in late summer for an autumn harvest. In mild climates, you can sow in late August for a spring crop. Each seed creates a cluster, so you’ll get several shoots from each one.
- Keep the soil moist, but not soggy. Water regularly in dry weather and use seaweed extract every few weeks, especially for light sandy soil.
- You can protect young crops from birds and leaf miners using fruit protection bags, especially in the first few weeks. Never use netting, it traps birds and wildlife.
Harvest and Use Your Beetroot
Once the roots are 2cm to 5cm wide with wide glossy leaves, it’s time to harvest. Water the area to loosen the soil, then gently pull the beetroot up by the base of the stems. Remove the leaves, leaving 2cm of stem (and don’t peel before cooking), to prevent bleeding when cooking. Otherwise someone may come home, and think you’ve murdered someone!
Storage tips:
- Brush off soil but do not wash until ready to eat.
- Store in a cool, dark place (around 5-10°C), either in sand or wrapped in damp cloth.
- Beetroot keeps up to a month if kept damp and cool. Do not store near apples or potatoes, as they release gases that speed up spoilage.
Ways to use your beetroot:
Before cooking, read our post on food safety for people and pets. Just bin allium scraps (onion, garlic, shallot, leeks, chives) as like tomato, citrus and rhubarb, acids could harm compost creatures.
Note that beetroot has a tendency to turn your pee pink! So unless there are medical concerns, don’t worry too much. It will go back to normal soon enough!
- Bake this delicious vegan beetroot chocolate cake! (Rainbow Nourishments)
- Roast whole beetroots with olive oil and sea salt.
- Slice raw into thin rounds for vibrant salads.
- Pickle in vinegar and spices for a classic British treat.
- Juice with carrots or apples for a bright, healthy drink.
Simple beetroot soup:
Dice two beetroots and simmer with onion, carrot, and stock for 30 minutes. Blend, season well, and serve with plant-based yoghurt and dill.
Easy salad:
Grate raw beetroot, toss with lemon juice, olive oil, vegan goat cheese, and walnuts.
