Jamie Oliver's Smoked Beets Recipe on Food52 (2024)

Fall

by: Genius Recipes

September29,2011

4

4 Ratings

  • Serves 4 as a side dish

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Author Notes

A genius recipe adapted from Jamie at Home: Cook Your Way to the Good Life (Hyperion, 2008) by Jamie Oliver.

You can stop at the smoked beets portion -- keep them in the fridge and slice them up for salads or burgers all week long. But we recommend you proceed to the second part of the recipe: a dressing that could make a cottage cheese lover out of anyone. —Genius Recipes

  • Test Kitchen-Approved

What You'll Need

Ingredients
  • For the smoked beets
  • 8 small beets, with greens if possible
  • 1 small bunch fresh rosemary
  • For the salad
  • 1 tablespoonred wine vinegar
  • Extra virgin olive oil
  • Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 small bunch fresh flat-leaf parsley, leaves picked and roughly chopped
  • 1 small bunch fresh tarragon or basil, leaves picked and roughly chopped
  • 4 heaped tablespoons cottage cheese
  • juice and zest from 1/2 lemon, plus more to taste
  • A few sprigs of fresh thyme, leaves picked
Directions
  1. First, light your charcoal barbecue or fire. Wash the beets and snip off the greens, reserving them. Fold a large piece of foil -- about 12-18" (24-36" unfolded), depending on the size of your beets -- in half to form a double layer. Lay the greens, then the beets, then the rosemary on top of the foil. (Note: if you don't have greens with your beets -- or want to save them to cook separately -- that's okay, just make sure the coals are at medium heat, not flaming, when you add your packet of beets.)
  2. Roll up the foil, folding in the edges and twisting the ends together. Stab the foil a few times all over with a knife to allow the smoke to get inside and flavor the beets. Lift the rack of your barbecue with tongs and carefully insert your foil package among the coals, making sure you place some coals on top too.
  3. Leave it to cook for 30 to 40 minutes, or until the beets are tender, then remove the package and allow it to cool down. Unwrap it and remove the beets, discarding the greens and rosemary sprigs.
  4. Once cooled slightly, peel the beets and discard the charred skin. The skins should slip right off, but if they don't, gently scrape them away with the back of a paring knife. Cut the beets into irregular chunks and place in a bowl. Add the vinegar, 3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil, plenty of salt and pepper and half the parsley and tarragon. Toss, have a taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary.
  5. Put the cottage cheese into a bowl and add the juice and finely grated zest from half your lemon. Stir in 2 glugs of extra virgin olive oil, the thyme leaves and some salt and pepper and gently fold it all together, so the oil and lemon marble through the cottage cheese. Taste the dressing and squeeze in a bit more lemon juice if you like.
  6. To serve, divide the dressed beets between four salad plates. Top each plate with a spoonful of cottage cheese dressing. Scatter over the remaining herbs and enjoy!

Tags:

  • American
  • Tarragon
  • Vegetable
  • Vinegar
  • Beet
  • Cottage Cheese
  • Parsley
  • Thyme
  • Winter
  • Fall
  • Vegetarian
  • Side

See what other Food52ers are saying.

Recipe by: Genius Recipes

Popular on Food52

5 Reviews

Fraggle January 24, 2021

So fresh and light tasting! The lemon really brings the cottage cheese to another level!
I had leftover beets from the instant pot so I didn’t smoke them. The mix of herbs were delicious! Even my husband gobbled this one up!

Selma |. January 31, 2014

I love the idea of smoky beets but lacking a garden/patio/balcony and thus a barbecue, I shall have to try roasting instead. The cottage cheese topping is inspired. And Merrill's tip for zesting the lemon is genius. Can't wait to try it out!

Regine October 18, 2011

Very nice. But hey I am a miss shortcut so I replaced the smoked beets with 2 cans of sliced beets which I rinsed, patted dry and chopped into irregular pieces. So for those of you who want to continue to enjoy the nice dressing but in a quick fast food type of way, use 2 cans of beets. Also you don't need to buy all these herbs. Next time I may try to just use thyme which I love and parsley and/or cilantro. I could easily do without the tarragon! I will make this again soon. Tastes really good with grilled and/or jerk chicken.

The F. October 7, 2011

This, with the macaroni cheese, sound like a dream team.

LoisonMaui October 3, 2011

I'm shocked at not finding a host of great comments re: this beet recipe. We made this recipe just as instructed but used banana leaves because we couldn't find fresh beets with the greens left on - here on Maui. The beets were awesome. You can make ahead. It was creative to plan to put the cottage cheese drizzle on top as that way they don't turn RED. We've decided this is a must when serving guests.

Jamie Oliver's Smoked Beets Recipe on Food52 (2024)

FAQs

Why add vinegar to beets? ›

Usually we boil them and toss them in a sweet sour vinaigrette and keep them in the refrigerator to eat all week. The vinegar in the dressing "pickles" the beets, helping them last longer in the fridge.

What makes beets taste better? ›

Steaming will retain more nutrients than boiling. Slow-roasting beets in a foil packet or covered baking dish takes away much of the earthy taste and intensifies the flavor, but you will still have a bit of bleeding and nutrient loss.

Why not peel beets before roasting? ›

No need to peel before or after baking. The skin, which is perfectly edible, just seems to disappear during the baking process. The trick to pan-roasted beets is to drop the temperature a bit. I always roast potatoes, Brussels sprouts, carrots, and pretty much all the other veggies at 425 degrees Fahrenheit.

Which is better roasting or boiling beets? ›

My favorite way to cook beets is to roast them, which gives a sweeter, richer, and deeper flavor than boiling does. Another advantage is that they don't bleed as much, especially if they're roasted whole. Incidentally, to get beet stains off your hands, wet them, rub them with coarse salt, then wash with soap.

Do beets raise blood sugar? ›

Beetroots help insulin resistance: Beetroot helps improve insulin sensitivity in people with diabetes and reduces blood sugar. Your body releases metabolites in the process of breaking down food or other substances. The high concentration of this metabolite (nitrate) in beetroot may reduce insulin resistance.

How do you take the bitterness out of beets? ›

Roasting beets deepens their natural sugars while tempering bitterness. Bake whole, wrapped beets at 400°F for 60-75 minutes until easily pierced by a fork. Allow to cool before peeling and juicing. Incorporating roasted beets creates a smoother, mellower, almost nutty-flavored blended juice.

What is the most delicious way to eat beets? ›

You can use cooked beets in salads, to make hummus or to blend into smoothies. They can be diced for slaw, quartered for a grain bowl or mashed to make a dip or spread. Their thick and chewy texture is even great in a galette or quesadilla.

Why do I feel better after eating beets? ›

Anti-inflammatory properties

Ongoing inflammation in the body is linked to several diseases, including Type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, asthma and obesity. Luckily, beets have a number of anti-inflammatory benefits, thanks to their high content of betalains.

Can dogs eat beets? ›

Beets are safe for dogs to eat and offer numerous nutritional benefits. They can function as a healthy dog treat for a pet with a taste for human food. Dog owners can safely serve small pieces of beets to their pets, either mixed in with dog food or given separately.

What is the best cooking method for beets? ›

Steaming in the oven rather than baking helps preserve more of the healthy vitamins and minerals in beets. This method also helps beets better retain their beautiful, vibrant color. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Place prepped beets and 3 tablespoons to ¼ cup water in a shallow baking dish.

Is it OK to eat cooked beets everyday? ›

Can you eat beets everyday? It's always best to follow a varied diet. Eating a small amount of beetroot every day is unlikely to do any harm, but a high intake could lead to low blood pressure, red or black urine and feces, and digestive problems for anyone with a sensitivity to the nutrients.

Can roasted beets lower blood pressure? ›

Beets and beet juice are high in nitrates, substances that turn into nitric oxide inside your body. Your body naturally produces nitric oxide, which is crucial for blood vessel health. Nitric oxide relaxes and widens your arteries, allowing more blood to flow through and significantly lowering blood pressure.

Why is vinegar added in water for boiling beetroot? ›

Directions. Place the beets in a large saucepan and add water to cover and the lemon juice or vinegar. This will help to keep the beets from bleeding. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until tender, about 45 minutes to 1 hour.

Why might you add vinegar to red beets before simmering them? ›

By adding vinegar to the boiling process, you can elevate the flavors of beets and give them a delightful tangy kick. The vinegar helps balance the sweetness of the beets and brings out their natural richness.

Is beetroot soaked in vinegar good for you? ›

That said, there is evidence that eating pickled beets positively affects your health. The vinegar used to pickle beets might help with blood sugar management. Vinegar reduces blood sugar levels after meals. Some studies have shown that pickled beets may help protect against cancer.

What happens when beetroot juice is added to vinegar? ›

Expert-Verified Answer

After carrying out the experiment, u would see that the vessel with beetroot juice and vinegar will turn the whole solution red. This is because beetroot performs as an indicator of acids and bases. It turns all acidic solutions red.

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