By Martha Rose Shulman
- Total Time
- 50 minutes
- Rating
- 5(222)
- Notes
- Read community notes
I usually roast beets, but I decided to steam them for this dish. I then added some water to the steamer and blanched the greens – though you could also steam them. Beets take about the same time to steam as they do to roast, and it’s a good option if you don’t want to heat up your kitchen with the oven. But I find that roasted beets have a richer flavor. Here, the flavor of the tahini sauce is so pungent that it doesn’t matter if the beets are muted.
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Ingredients
Yield:Serves 4 generously
- 1bunch medium or large beets (3 to 4)
- 1large bunch or 2 smaller bunches beet greens (about ¾ pound)
- Salt to taste
- 1plump garlic clove, cut in half, green shoot removed
- ¼cup sesame tahini
- 2 to 4tablespoons fresh lemon juice, to taste
- 2 to 4tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)
173 calories; 8 grams fat; 1 gram saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 3 grams monounsaturated fat; 4 grams polyunsaturated fat; 22 grams carbohydrates; 9 grams dietary fiber; 10 grams sugars; 7 grams protein; 597 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Preparation
Step
1
Cut greens away from beets, leaving about ¼ inch of stems. Scrub beets with vegetable brush. To steam beets, place in a steamer above 2 inches water. Bring to a boil over high heat and cover. Turn down heat to medium. Steam small and medium beets for 30 minutes and large beets for 40 minutes, until you can pierce the beet to the middle with a knife or skewer. Remove from heat and allow to cool. To roast, preheat oven to 425ºF and place beets in a baking dish (or lidded ovenproof casserole). Add ¼ inch water to the dish. Cover tightly. Place in the oven and roast small beets (3 ounces or less) for 30 to 40 minutes, medium beets (4 to 6 ounces) 40 to 45 minutes, and large beets (8 ounces) 50 to 60 minutes, until they are easily penetrated with the tip of a knife. Remove from the oven and allow to cool in the covered baking dish.
Step
2
When beets have cooled, cut away ends and slip off skins. Slice in rounds or cut into wedges or half-moons.
Step
3
Blanch greens in salted boiling water for about 1 minute, just until they wilt. Transfer to a bowl of cold water, then drain and squeeze out excess moisture, taking up the greens by the handful. Alternatively, steam for 2 minutes, using tongs to flip the greens over top to bottom halfway through, for 2 minutes, or until wilted. Rinse with cold water, squeeze out excess water and chop coarsely.
Step
4
To make sauce, purée garlic cloves with a generous pinch of salt in a mortar and pestle, or put through a garlic press. Transfer to a bowl or measuring cup and whisk in sesame tahini. Whisk in lemon juice, beginning with smaller amount. The mix will stiffen up. Gradually whisk in up to ¼ cup water, until sauce has consistency of thick cream or runny yogurt. Taste and adjust salt and lemon juice.
Step
5
Line a platter with the beet greens and arrange beets on top and around greens. Drizzle on tahini sauce, sprinkle with parsley and serve.
Tip
- Advance preparation: Steamed or roasted beets and blanched or steamed greens will keep for 3 or 4 days in the refrigerator. Keep separately in covered bowls. Do not dress until just before serving as the tahini sauce will stiffen up over time.
Ratings
5
out of 5
222
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Cooking Notes
Ann
This is great, greens or no. Make extra sauce because it's great on all kinds of stuff!
Es
Excellent. I too usually roast my beets. They steamed in less time than I thought they would, so check them after a half hour. You don't want them too soft. I made double the amount of beets but the same amount of dressing in the recipe. I like salads underdressed. This is a great way to use beets from the garden as you use the greens also.
Zarana
Wow, that dressing is so good.
Zarana
I wanted to mention that I only had steamed beets a friend gave me. I dressed them cold & they were wonderful with the tahini/lemon.
JS1
Really good. Suggestion for plating: Put the sliced beats over the greens and then stack the stems. Put dressing on beats and greens only.
cs
Delicious overall but I think I just don't really like beet greens. I'll make with kale next time. I would recommend a sweeter beet for this recipe.
Elizabeth in Santa Cruz
great beet dish!
Diana
It’s September before I start eating the beets from my garden. Then it’s time for heft and color - and sweetness. I used one big guy for this dish, 6” in diameter, roasted in a foil packet at 375 for an hour and a half. The packet opening should be on top or juices fall out into the oven, making a mess and losing that lush flavor. Advice: only sauce the portion you’re about to eat or the dish gets mixed and murky looking. I’ve had this for breakfast, lunch, dinner - & more than a few snacks.
Melissa
Agree with all the comments that the sauce is the best part! To add more flavor layers to the sauce, I added miso paste and tarragon. It's delightful!
rammooreguss
As others noted, the tahini dressing is what makes this recipe delicious and it can be repurposed for other dishes. I am part of a CSA and found myself with lots of beets and a bag of pea-shoots (seemed a little early) this week, so I put the beets on a bed of peas shoots with slivered almonds and drizzled the tahini over. Very good and would make the recipe again.
SirFreddy
Very good and added chopped celery for textural interest.
Food Lover
So good! Opted to roast the beets, each in a packet of foil. So easy and so good. This is a keeper recipe!!
Debby
I have made this several times in the last 5 months. Delicious and I always make extra sauce to use on other vegetables. I accidentally boiled the beets for a long time and skipped roasting last time I made it and it was still great.
Paige S
Great garden-to-table recipe but with no tahini in the house, borrowed inspiration from another recipe and dressed with thinly sliced onion briefly marinated in apple cider vinegar and blue cheese crumbles. Delightful and beautiful on the table!
Margaret in Dallas
A solid sauce for the beats here. Omitted greens instructions and used fresh spinach instead. It was great
JenHa
This sauce is my favorite thing in the entire world.
Pegeen
I used power salad greens instead of beet greens.
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