Beetroot
Earthy, sweet, and strikingly crimson, beetroot is one of the most versatile vegetables in the home kitchen.
In a nutshell
Beetroot is a root vegetable prized for its deep ruby color, naturally sweet flavor, and remarkable nutritional profile. Raw or cooked, it adds bold color and earthy sweetness to everything from salads to soups. It’s equally at home pickled in a jar as it is roasted alongside a Sunday roast.
Nutrition
≈ 6 Calories and 0g fat per tablespoon.
Beetroot is impressively nutrient-dense for a low-calorie vegetable, delivering a meaningful hit of dietary fiber that supports digestive health. It’s a standout source of folate, a B vitamin critical for cell growth and especially important during pregnancy. Beets are also rich in dietary nitrates, compounds the body converts to nitric oxide, which research associates with improved blood flow and lower blood pressure. The pigments responsible for that gorgeous red-purple hue are betalains, which function as antioxidants and have been studied for anti-inflammatory properties. Manganese, potassium, and vitamin C round out a solid micronutrient package, all with virtually no fat and a moderate, naturally occurring sugar load. Nutrition per 100g via Spoonacular.
Culinary uses & pairings
Roasting is the most popular way to cook beetroot in American kitchens — wrap whole beets in foil, roast at 400°F (200°C) for 45 to 60 minutes, then slip off the skins. Roasted beets are wonderful sliced over arugula with goat cheese, stirred into grain bowls, or blended into a silky borscht-style soup. They can also be spiralized raw into noodles or grated directly into slaws and salads for crunch and color.
Beetroot shines in pickling and fermentation, and a jar of pickled beets is a classic American pantry staple. Juice the raw roots for a vivid, nutrient-packed drink on its own or blended with apple and ginger. Beet puree folds beautifully into hummus, pasta dough, and even chocolate cake, adding moisture, color, and a subtle earthiness without tasting overtly ‘beety’ once baked.
Pairs well with
Substitutions
Buying & storage
Choose beets that feel firm and heavy for their size, with smooth, unblemished skin free of soft spots or shriveling. Smaller beets (under 3 inches / 7.5 cm in diameter) tend to be more tender and sweeter; very large beets can be woody at the core. If the greens are still attached, look for crisp, bright leaves — they’re a freshness indicator and are delicious sautéed in their own right. Avoid any beets with rubbery skin or an overly dry stem end.
Varieties
- Red (Detroit Dark Red): The classic supermarket beet — deeply crimson, sweet, and earthy. The most widely available variety across the US.
- Golden Beet: Yellow-orange flesh with a milder, less earthy flavor and no red bleeding. Great raw in salads.
- Chioggia (Candy Cane): An Italian heirloom with stunning concentric red and white rings. Mild and sweet; rings fade when cooked, so use raw for visual impact.
- Cylindra: An elongated variety that’s easy to slice into uniform rounds. Rich flavor similar to standard red beets.
- Baby Beets: Any variety harvested young and small. Exceptionally tender with delicate flavor; often sold with greens attached at farmers markets.
Recipes using beetroot
21 recipes across our recipe sites use beetroot. A few favorites:
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History & origin
Beets were first cultivated for their leafy greens along the Mediterranean and Middle Eastern coasts, with evidence of use stretching back to ancient Babylon and Egypt. The swollen root we eat today was selectively developed over centuries, becoming a staple in European cooking by the Middle Ages. Borscht, the iconic Eastern European beet soup, helped cement beetroot’s identity as a hearty staple across Russia, Ukraine, and Poland. By the 19th century, sugar beet cultivation — a close cousin bred for maximum sucrose — had become a massive agricultural industry across Europe and North America. Pickled beets arrived as a beloved American tradition through German and Eastern European immigrant communities, and the vegetable has enjoyed a strong culinary revival in the US since the early 2000s as chefs and home cooks rediscovered its bold flavor and nutritional depth.
How it’s made
Beetroot is a biennial plant grown as an annual cool-season vegetable, thriving in loose, well-drained soil when temperatures sit between 50°F and 65°F (10°C and 18°C). Seeds are direct-sown into garden beds or farm rows, and the plant develops a taproot that swells with sugars and pigments over roughly 55 to 70 days. Thinning seedlings to about 3 to 4 inches (7.5 to 10 cm) apart is essential for good root development. Commercial beet farming in the US is concentrated in states like Wisconsin, New York, and California. After harvest, roots are topped, washed, and graded. Those destined for fresh markets are packed with tops on or off, while processing-grade beets are canned, pickled, or juiced at scale shortly after harvest.
Good to know
- The deep red pigments in beets — betacyanins, a subclass of betalains — can turn urine and stools red or pink in some people, a harmless phenomenon known as beeturia.
- Beet greens are entirely edible and highly nutritious, containing notably more calcium per serving than the root itself, as well as iron and vitamins A and K.
- Ancient Romans valued beetroot and associated it with vitality; it does contain boron, a mineral involved in hormone metabolism, though the aphrodisiac claims are largely folkloric.
- The sugar beet (Beta vulgaris subsp. vulgaris) is the same species as table beetroot and today accounts for roughly 20% of the world’s sugar production.
- Competitive endurance athletes sometimes drink concentrated beet juice before events because the dietary nitrates measurably improve oxygen efficiency in muscles.
