Easy Sautéed Beet Greens

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Tender beet greens are an excellent side dish! Simply cooked with a handful of ingredients, it’s a great way to reduce food waste and incorporate more veggies into your meals.

If you eat a lot of root vegetables or grow your own garden, chances are you’ve pondered what to do with the “excess” part of the vegetable. Don’t throw it away!

While many of us tend to stick with what might be considered the good part of the vegetable, many of them have wonderfully tasty leaves, whether that means the leaves on your broccoli plant or the tops of carrots (I use those to make carrot top pesto).

This recipe for sautéed beet greens makes the most of the tender leaves and stems that might otherwise be thrown away. They’re cooked simply with garlic and lemon and take just minutes to prepare.

Plus, you can use this same method to cook other greens like Swiss chard, kale, or turnip greens, which means less waste and more tasty vegetables on your plate!

Ingredients for sautéed beet greens

Full list of ingredients with quantities is located in the recipe card.

You’ll need:

• Beet greens and stems
• Olive oil
• Garlic cloves
• Crushed red pepper flakes
• Lemon
• Salt

This recipe is easy to adjust based on how many beet greens you have on hand, so if you’re working with less than a pound of beets, consider reducing the recipe by half and adjusting seasoning as needed.

We’ll use both the stems and the leafy greens—make sure they are crisp and not overly soft or wilted. You can refresh them by soaking in a bowl of cold water.

They will also need to be well cleaned, as dirt and other bits from the garden can get stuck between the leaves or in the little hollow of the stem. I usually fill half my sink with cold water to wash greens, which works better than simply rinsing.

Not sure what to do with the beets themselves? Make pickled beets or a gorgeous beet salad.

How to make this recipe

Wash the greens and stems well, then cut the stems from the leaves. Chop the stems into small pieces, and roughly chop the leaves. 

Zest and juice the lemon. You’ll need all of the zest and half of the juice, so save the rest of the juice for another recipe (like lemon orzo) or squeeze into tea.

Heat olive oil in a large skillet set over medium. The greens will reduce in size quite a bit, but the pan should be large enough to contain them all.

Once the oil is hot, add the garlic and pepper flakes and cook for just 30 seconds, until nicely fragrant. Stir in the stems and cook for 2-3 minutes. You want them to soften a bit before adding the leaves.

Add the leaves and the salt, stirring as they cook down and start to wilt. Cook the greens for 3-5 minutes, just until they are tender but still bright in color.

Remove from heat and stir in lemon juice and lemon zest. Taste and adjust any seasoning, then serve!

Serving suggestions

Cooked beet greens are wonderful to eat on their own as a side dish, but if you’re wondering what other ways to enjoy them, here’s a few ideas.

Stir into any rice or pasta dish—they’re an excellent stand-in for the spinach in lemon ricotta pasta. The lightly earthy flavor is great with the bright lemon.

Add to your breakfast and mix into scrambled eggs, roasted potatoes, or quiche.

Use as a filling for stuffed pork loin or spinach lasagna rolls.

Beet greens are much more versatile than you might expect, so give them a try!

Sautéed Beet Greens

This easy recipe is a great way to prepare beet tops, or any other leafy green like chard or kale.

Author : Megan Myers

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Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 10 minutes mins

Total Time 20 minutes mins

Servings 2

Calories per serving 83 kcal

Ingredients

  

1/2x1x2x3x

• 1 bunch beet greens
• 1 lemon
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt, use to taste

Directions

• Wash beet greens thoroughly to remove grit. Separate stems from leaves. Chop stems finely and roughly chop the leaves.
  1 bunch beet greens
• Zest the lemon, then juice half, removing any seeds. Save the remaining half for another use.
  1 lemon
• Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Stir in garlic and red pepper flakes and cook for about 30 seconds, just until fragrant. Add chopped stems and cook for 2–3 minutes until slightly softened.
  1 tablespoon olive oil, 2 cloves garlic, 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• Add beet leaves and sprinkle with salt, stirring as the greens wilt. Cook 3–5 minutes until tender, but still vibrant.
  1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
• Finish with lemon juice and lemon zest. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.

Notes

• If you prefer less heat, swap the crushed red pepper flakes for a few cracks of black pepper.

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Nutrition

Calories: 83 kcalCarbohydrates: 6 gProtein: 1 gFat: 7 gSaturated Fat: 1 gSodium: 298 mgPotassium: 95 mgFiber: 2 gSugar: 1 gIron: 0.5 mg

Nutrition information is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate based on online calculators. Any nutritional information found on Stetted should be used as a general guideline only.

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Photos by Sam Ellis Photography.