The Best Way To Cook Beets To Bring Out Their Sweet Flavor

The beet is an often-maligned ingredient. Admittedly, they are a bit odd — these earthy crimson bulbs are often a nightmare for kids (and anyone wearing white). A lot of the time, they're thought of as more of a health food than anything else — and while it's true that they are packed with nutrients, when prepared with a little tenderness and care, they can transcend their boring reputation and become absolutely delicious.

Most people prepare beets (if not eating them raw) by boiling or steaming them. But there's another classic preparation that works wonders: roasting. There's no peeling involved either — in fact, all you need is an oven. Simply roasting your beets, skin on, will bring out a gorgeous and surprising sweetness, intensifying their flavors and balancing out their earthiness. It's not just the easiest way to cook beets, either — it's the most efficient. No monitoring them to see when they're boiled correctly, no steamers, no drying off, no peeling. What's not to love?

This might be the easiest method you'll ever follow. All you'll need is a sharp knife, some kitchen foil, and a sheet pan. Cut the tops off the beets, wrap them in foil, and roast them at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 50 to 60 minutes. Make sure you check them relatively frequently (every 20 minutes or so) to ensure the bottoms aren't getting scorched, and if they're starting to dry out, you can add a little water over top to ensure they're perfect inside. Remove from the oven and let them cool until you can handle them, and with a little pressure, the skins should just slide right off!

The roasting process draws moisture out of the beets, which in turn concentrates the sweetness — it's the same principle as reducing a sauce, for example. Less water equals more flavor. You'll see the same effect in lots of root vegetables: carrots and parsnips, for example, have a palpable sweetness when roasted, but beets contain even higher levels of natural sugars, so their sweetness is even more intense!

Once those beets are out of the oven, the world is your oyster. Use them as the core of a dish, or as a subtle way to add sweetness and body to your cooking. They work fantastically in a beet salad with soft-boiled eggs, capers, and parsley. The bright, tart, salty capers and bitter parsley are tempered by the beets — together, they form a perfectly balanced dish.

Roasted beets pair particularly well with the salty and the acidic. Goats' cheeses, like chèvre or even feta, are your friend here. Combine them with your beets in shortcrust, and you've got a delicious savory roasted beet and feta tart on your hands. You could serve them with a roast dinner, jumbled in with carrots and parsnips, cooked off with honey and rosemary. Or toss them with arugula, pine nuts, and balsamic for a peppery, nutty, tangy salad. If you want to go all out, use the world's most expensive balsamic vinegar — Aceto Balsamico Tradizionale — if you can. Just try to avoid balsamic vinegars or glazes that are loaded with sugar — they'll throw the delicate sweetness of the roasted beets out of balance.

So if you would usually turn your nose up at the mention of beets, why not give roasting them a try? You might be surprised at how such a simple technique can yield such a delicious result!