4 beetroot recipes to boost your wellbeing

Beets have been shown to deliver a decent dose of vitamin C, iron, folate and magnesium, and are an excellent source of dietary fibre. They’re also rich in nitrites, and a unique source of betacyanin, both important for a < >healthy heart.

How to prepare beetroot

Raw: If you want to add beets raw to salads or to spice up a coleslaw, simply wash and grate them or put them through your spiraliser.
You can also bake beetroots or boil them.

Roast: Put washed beets on a baking sheet, skin on, and cook on 200ºc for 45 minutes to an hour (they’re done when you can easily pierce them with a fork.) When they have cooled, peel the skin off. 

Boil: Add the beetroot to a pot of boiling water for 25 to 30 mins, then pop them straight into a bowl of ice water. Now you can easily peel the skins and add to your recipes (or eat as is.) 

If you’re too time poor to cook them, they can often be purchased cooked and peeled in the pre-packaged salad section of your supermarket, or grab a can, open and rinse!

1. Beetroot boost detox juice

Ingredients

• 1 x beetroot
• 1 -2 oranges
• 1 tbs fresh ginger
• ½ tsp ground cardamom

How to make
In a blender, mix chopped and peeled beetroot & oranges, sliced ginger and ground cardamom

The combination of beetroot and orange gives you a healthy dose of antioxidants. Warming ginger and cardamom help to soothe and support digestion. 

Here are some more beetroot recipes courtesy of nutritionist Dr. Rebecca Harwin: 

2. Beetroot & kale salad

Serves: 2

Ingredients

• 4 cups of kale
• ¼ cup freshly chopped coriander
• 2 pre-cooked beetroots
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp maple syrup
• Salt and pepper to taste

How to make

• Chop the kale and slice the beetroot
• Add the kale to a bowl, add 1 tbsp of the olive oil and massage the kale
• In a small bowl, mix olive oil, lemon juice, and maple syrup
• Mix the beetroot and the kale and pour dressing over it

Kale is a source of a variety of key vitamins and minerals. It contains the vitamin K, essential for regulating healthy blood clotting. Add to this the healthy nitrates found in beetroot, and you have a tasty salad with nutrients to support a healthy cardiovascular system.

3. Tempeh stuffed capsicum

Serves: 4

• 4 red capsicums
• ¾ cup tempeh, finely chopped
• 1 onion
• 1 pre-cooked beetroot
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 1 cup cooked quinoa
• Italian spices to taste
• Salt and pepper

How to make

• Preheat your oven to 180˚C
• Fry your onion and garlic in a saucepan. Once the onion is soft, add the tempeh. While cooking, add the beetroot, the Italian spices, salt and pepper
• Cut the top off the capsicums, remove the seeds. Sit in a baking dish
• In a bowl, mix the tempeh mixture with quinoa. Stuff the capsicums
• Replace the tops and bake for about 20 minutes

Beetroot is a source of contains gut-friendly fibre, magnesium, and antioxidants. Add in tempeh, well-known for its healthy dose of probiotics, and you have an easy vegan meal that tastes great and may improve your digestive function, too!

4. Raw carrot and beetroot salad

Ingredients

• 2 raw beetroots
• 5 raw carrots
• 3/4 cup parsley, roughly chopped
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
• Salt and pepper
• 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
• Sesame seeds

How to make

• Using a veggie spiraliser (or grate coarsely or cut long, thin strips), prepare the carrots and beetroot and mix in a bowl
• In a sperate bowl, mix parsley, lemon juice, vinegar, oil, salt and pepper and seeds
• Combine, mixing through thoroughly

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