You’re going to love (and maybe even obsess over) these simply prepared beets. They’re oven-roasted, which intensifies their natural sweetness, and then tossed in a tart and syrupy balsamic reduction. You can serve them as a side dish. The best part is that they’re good for you! Beets are a nutritional powerhouse — they cleanse the body, are chock-full of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants, and are a great source of energy.
Ingredients
- medium beets: 6 piece (2 bunches, or about 3-1/2 pounds)
- kosher salt: 1 tsp
- olive oil: 2 Tbsp
- balsamic vinegar: 0.3 cup (inexpensive)
- maple syrup: 1 Tbsp (+ freshly ground black pepper, to taste)
Metric Conversion
Stages of cooking
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Ingredients.
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Begin by cutting off the tops and roots off the beets, then peel the skin using a vegetable peeler. Be sure to use a stain-proof countertop or cutting board (not wood) because the juice stains. It will turn your hands pink too, but washes off pretty easily.
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Cut the beets into 1 1/2-inch chunks, and then toss them on a foil-lined baking sheet with olive oil and kosher salt. Roast in a 400 degree oven for about 40 minutes, or until the beets are tender when pierced with a thin-bladed knife.
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In the meantime, make the balsamic glaze. Combine the vinegar and maple syrup in a small, shallow pan and reduce it by about half. The syrup should just lightly coat the back of a metal spoon. Pay close attention and be sure not to over-reduce it; because of its high sugar content, it goes from sweet and syrupy to burnt and hard very quickly.
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Toss the syrup with the beets and season to taste with salt and pepper. As you can see, the beet juice bleeds into the glaze, which turns it a gorgeous purple color and makes it earthy, sweet and — quite honestly — good enough to drink.
