How to Eat Beet Greens—a Delicious Ingredient That Should Never Go to Waste

Who buys a bunch of beets with greens attached just to use those leaves? We do! (And then we have to find a way to use the beets themselves, but luckily that's easy). Beet greens are the surprisingly under-appreciated treasure attached to those big magenta bulbs; their texture is so luscious. In terms of flavor, we think that beet greens fall somewhere between spinach and collard greens.

Once you know what to do with them, you'll never think of tossing beet greens into your compost pile again. Read on to learn about some of our favorite ways to employ these bonus greens, plus how to buy and store them.

How to Use Beet Greens

Reducing food waste and basically getting a nutritious vegetable for free, what's not to love? Here are some of our favorite ways to use this lovely green.

Sauteed: Cooking and serving beets with their greens makes a beautiful dish that just feels complete.

On toast: Use sauteed beets on toast atop goat cheese, then top with steamed red or golden beets for the perfect lunch.

Stuffed tomatoes: Add them to the filling for stuffed tomatoes for a vegetarian feast.

Gumbo: Chopped beet greens are ideal for adding to gumbo.

Soup: Add them as a green to any soup (add the leaves 15 minutes before the end of the cooking time so they retain some vivid color).

Spanikopita: The leaves of beets make an outstanding filling for spanokopita (add to the spinach or substitute entirely).

Dolmades: Their large size also makes them excellent wrappers for dolmades, which are filled with meat, herbs, or rice. Just be sure to blanch them first to soften, then use them as you would the more traditional grape leaves.

Raw in slaw: We also suggest you reserve some beet leaves to eat raw. Add them to a salad or slaw; their firm texture allows them to hold up well to acid (unlike tender salad leaves that wilt fast in the presence of vinegar).

Roasted: If you like roasted kale chips, we know you'll love roasted beet leaves. Once exposed to dry heat, the leaves turn crisp. Add some good olive oil and salt, a sheet pan, and a hot oven, and soon, you have beet leaf chips.

How to Use Beet Stems

Beet stems are a very interesting ingredient, too. They can either be cooked along with the leaves or used separately. Chopped and cooked gently, they are very similar to the delicious midribs of Swiss chard and add substance and a gentle crunch to sauces, soups, and also to vegetable stews, and risotto. Raw, they are wonderful added to the brine for quick pickles. You can even use them as an edible garnish—trust us when we say they turn a basic Bloody Mary into something distinctly interesting.

What to Shop for and How to Store

What should you look for when buying beet greens? The leaves and stems should be in good condition, standing upright, and not bruised, darkly creased, or deteriorating into slime. While the beets attached to degrading leaves are fine to eat, the leaves are much more perishable. Wilted greens can be revived easily by being submerged in a large bowl of cool water (just soak them for a couple of hours until they have perked up), but know that leaves with slime cannot be saved.

Because beet leaves can be sandy, always wash them well in a large basin or bowl of water, swirling vigorously to dislodge any soil. Rinse them and then swirl them again in clean water. Now they are ready to use. At this stage you can also save them for a few days, wrapped well and kept cold in the refrigerator.