Beating My Beet Aversion: Nine Yummy Beet Recipes

Behold—pickled beets from my family's garden.

I don’t like beets. Quite frankly, I think they taste like moistened balls of dirt. But my family, like many others, is a crew of beet advocates. They have relentlessly (and unsuccessfully) tried to get me to jump on the beet bandwagon throughout my life. But last weekend I had a epiphany.

I was visiting my uncles at their utterly relaxing home on the Chesapeake. It’s here that these fellows have created their own little food haven: gardens with every fruit and vegetable imaginable, plus seven chickens serving as our egg suppliers.

It’s usually totally exciting to be able to rummage the rows of lush gardens for our lunch and dinner ingredients. But when someone entered the house with a bag full of beets, I was less than thrilled. Of all days for me to visit, did it have to be beet day?

Through my years of beet complaints, I’ve always gotten the same response from my dear family: eat them, they’re good for you. And they are. Many studies have shown that beets help lower blood pressure and risk for cardiovascular disease. And in 2010, a Wake Forest University study showed that drinking beet juice can increase blood flow to the brain in older adults. Basically, this means beets could improve mental function. How fascinating; maybe if my mom ate more beets, she’d stop calling me the cat’s name and blaming it on early senility.

So knowing what I do about the health benefits of this vegetable I so detest, I set out to find a way to work beets into my own diet without making my gag reflexes kick in. Here’s what I found.

Beet Humus
Via Elana’s Pantry

A unique take on a Middle Eastern classic. Still gluten-free!

Beet Ravioli
Via Clean

For a homemade (and technicolor) take on an Italian tradition.

Creamy Beet Soup
Via Food.com

A tomato soup look-alike, but certainly not a taste-alike.

Beet Chips
Via MarthaStewart.com

A super-easy and very crunchy way to get that health kick. Dip optional!

Chocolate Beet Cupcakes
Via Unchained Kitchen

For those with a sweet tooth, beets and sweets!

Roasted Beet Bruschetta
Via Serious Eats

Perfect dinner party hors d’oeuvre, but have napkins on hand—this stuff is known to stain skin.

Beet Red Pasta
Via Green and Lean

A beautifully red version of linguini. I’m thinking it’d be perfect for Valentine’s Day or Christmas.

Red Beet Ice Cream
Via White on Rice

Sure, it’s not exactly healthy, but intriguing, right? But proceed with caution; this process can get messy.

Beet and Blood Orange Salad
Via Food and Wine

A fresh and yummy snack, especially in summer. Use the leftover oranges for a creative cocktail?

>> What’s your favorite way to eat beets? Share it in the comments!

Related: Check out all our Be Well Philly recipes