Recipe: Beet Greens

I haven’t eaten beets since I was a kid because I didn’t like them.  However, I got some from our organic farm, Three Rivers Community Farm, to try.  I knew I’d like the greens because we eat other greens; however, the beets turned out to be very good, too.  See Roasted Beets with Orange-Herb Butter.

I’ll be substituting Swiss Chard and kale for the beet greens tonight since I used up my beet greens.

Ingredients

  • 1 strip of thick-cut bacon
  • 1 pound beet greens, remove the tough stems
  • 1/2 cup chopped onion
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1/4 cup of water
  • 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
  • 3 tablespoons of cider vinegar

Cooking

In a large skillet or 3-qt saucepan, cook bacon until lightly browned on medium heat.

While the bacon is cooking, wash the greens several times in cold water. Drain and set aside.

Remove the lightly browned bacon and add onions, cook over medium heat 5 to 7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until onions start to brown.  Stir in garlic and cook for one minute. Add water to the hot pan, stirring to loosen any particles from bottom of pan. Stir in red pepper.  Mince the bacon and add to the pan.

Add the beet greens, gently tossing in the onion mixture, so the greens are well coated. Reduce heat to low.  Cover and simmer for 5 to 15 minutes until the greens are tender. Stir in vinegar. (For kale or collard greens you may need to cook the mixture another 20 or so minutes, until it reaches the desired tenderness.)

Serves 4.

Calories: 55.1; Protein: 3.9g; Carbs: 7.4g; Fat: 1.6g; Sat. Fat: .6g; Omega-3: 20.6mg; Omega-6: 368.7mg; Cholesterol: 2.5g; Sodium: 300.3mg; Fiber: 4.6g; Potassium: 906.8mg; Calcium 141.6mg