Golden Beet Beans and Greens
Golden Beet Beans and Greens—If you're looking for new ways to incorporate veggies into your life, you'll love this golden beet recipe. Made with shallots, golden beets AND their greens, and white beans, this is a nutrient-dense side or main for all types of eaters. This nutritious and delicious golden beet dish is customizable to work with any root vegetable if you don't like beets, but it truly is a delicious recipe you should try!
Equipment
- 1 Large Nonstick Pot for cooking the dish
- 1 Large Pot for boiling the beets
- 1 Colander or use a slotted spoon to strain the beets
Ingredients
- 1 Large Shallot halved and thinly sliced, or half a small onion may be used
- 1 Bunch Beet Greens chopped, stems and leaves separated, see notes section below for substitutions if you don't have the beet greens
- 3 Medium to Large Golden Beets peeled and diced (4-5 cups diced in ½-inch dice), see notes section for substitutions
- ½ Teaspoon Dried Thyme or use ½ tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
- 2 Teaspoons Minced Garlic use two fresh cloves OR use 1 teaspoon granulated garlic
- 1 Cup Cooked Great Northern Beans or any beans, feel free to double for more protein and fiber
- 1 Teaspoon Orange Zest optional
For serving, per half pot, double for the whole pot, see serving note below.
- ¼ Cup Fresh Squeezed Orange Juice, or use 2 tablespoons fresh squeezed lemon juice
- 2 Teaspoons White or Yellow Miso Paste, see notes section for substitutions
- 1 Tablespoon Warm Water, for thinning the miso paste
- 1-2 Tablespoons Nutritional Yeast, omit if you don't have it or can't eat it
- 1 Teaspoon No Salt Seasoning Blend I love Kirkland Organic No Salt Seasoning Blend, but see notes section for other suggestions
Instructions
A Note on Servings
- Servings: This recipe makes either 4 medium side-dish sized portions or 2 entree sized portions. I prefer to eat it as an entree but I left it up to you to decide how much you'd like to eat at one time.
- "For Serving" Section: The reason I have you only make enough miso sauce for 1-2 servings is because when the dish is reheated the next day, it would kill the fermentation benefits in the miso paste. So if you're serving half the pot (whether into two smaller portions or one larger portion), use the full amounts in the "For Serving" section. If you're intending to consume the whole pot in one night, double the "For Serving" section. And if you're only intending to consume one quarter of the pot in one night, halve the ingredients in the "For Serving" section.
Recipe Instructions
- Boil the beets: Add the diced beets to a pot and cover them with water (cover by about 1/2-inch). Place on the lid and bring to a boil over medium heat. Cook until fork tender.
- Sauté: When the pot of beets has little bubbles (not boiling yet), heat a large nonstick pot over medium heat for one minute. Add the shallots and the stems of the beet greens (reserve the leafy bits for later) and sauté for 3-4 minutes, stirring frequently. Add a splash (about a tablespoon) of water whenever they start to stick.
- Cook the stems: Add the thyme, garlic, and a splash of water (1-2 tablespoons). Allow to cook for 4-8 minutes, stirring frequently (and adding more water when needed), until the thickest stems are easily pierced with a fork. How long this takes depends on the thickness of your stems.
- Add beans and leaves: Add the cooked beans, the leafy parts of the beet greens, and the orange zest and stir well. Cook for a few minutes until the greens wilt and the beans are heated through.
- Add the beets: When the beets are easily pierced with a fork, strain out the boiling water (you can save this for smoothies and dressings) and add them to the pot. You can also do this with a slotted spoon. Stir well and heat for 1-2 minutes until everything is nicely combined. Remove from heat.
- For serving: If you're serving all of this immediately, you can double the "for serving" section of ingredients above. I usually split the pot in half and eat one half for my meal, and save the other half for the next day, so that's why I wrote the recipe this way. The "for serving" is for adding fresh flavor. Mix the miso paste with the warm water, add the orange juice, and whisk in the nutritional yeast and salt-free seasoning. Add to your bowl (or double and add to the whole pot) and mix well. Serve and enjoy!
- Storage: Allow the golden beet recipe to cool to room temperature and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. You can also freeze this dish in an airtight freezer-safe container for up to 3 months.
Notes
- Beet Green Stems: If your beet greens don't look too happy you can use another leafy green like kale, chard, turnip greens, or collard greens. Wash and separate the leafy bits from the stems in the same manner.
- Golden Beets: You can use red beets if you'd like, but remember they have a stronger flavor (if you like that flavor, go for it!). Other root veggies will work too, such as sweet potatoes, turnips, parsnips, or carrots.
- White or Yellow Miso Paste: This is to replace the salt in the recipe, but I also love the little hint of umami flavors. Per Dr. Michael Greger of NutritionFacts.org, the soy in miso has a protective effect so the sodium in miso paste will not affect us negatively. If you're fine eating salt (or if you eat the potassium chloride salt substitute) you can go ahead and use that. If you are totally avoiding added sodium, you can leave it out. Maybe add a tablespoon of lemon juice or your favorite vinegar!
- Timing: It can be tricky to time the beets perfectly with the rest of the dish. If you'd like, you can boil them ahead of time and stick them in the fridge. Or just set them aside (off the heat) while you finish cooking the stems and they'll be fine. If the stems are ready but the beets aren't, add a little water and turn the heat down as far as it will go on the stems to keep them happy while the beets finish boiling.
- Add more protein: Want to add more protein and satiety? Double the beans to 2 cups!
Nutrition
Serving: 0.25recipeCalories: 185kcalCarbohydrates: 37gProtein: 9.5gFat: 1.4gSodium: 328mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!