Beet greens have become a favorite side dish of mine. I’d never had them until this year. Every week, I call my maternal grandparents, and my grandma told me about some beet greens she was cooking for dinner. I didn’t even know you could eat them!
The best greens are early-to-midpoint in the beet season. You want them to have been picked just as they sprout up and when they’re small/medium sized. Unfortunately, later in the season, they get too big and began to lose flavor.
Steamed Beet Greens
Ingredients:
Beet greens
Salt, to taste
Beet greens only need to be steamed. They take maybe 8-10 minutes until tender and edible. Add some salt while their still warm to bring out the flavor.
The great thing about most people not knowing you can eat them is that you can often get them for free at the Farmer’s Market. Usually if you catch the seller in the act of chopping off the greens as he is selling the roots to someone, you can snag the greens for free.
If I only got there early enough… I like the greens so much that often I’d rather have them than the beets.
My mom loved to eat these.
They are really yummy and so simple.
Just steamed a pot of beet greens in chicken broth with a couple of bunches of spinach. Used garlic, Goya vegetable seasoning and some butter. Finished with a dash of fresh lemon.