Beet Greens

Bacon and a few key seasonings make a delicious way to serve beet greens.

By
Elise Bauer
Elise Bauer
Elise Bauer
Elise founded Simply Recipes in 2003 and led the site until 2019. She has an MA in Food Research from Stanford University.
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Updated September 21, 2023
Elise Bauer

For so many years I loved beets but threw the beet greens away.

Yikes! No more.

This is a delicious way to serve greens, whether collard, kale, or beet. In fact, beet greens taste (and look) a lot like Swiss chard.

Beets with Beet Greens
Elise Bauer

So, the next time you buy beets with the greens attached, don't throw away the greens!

Chop them up and add them to a soup or stew, or prepare sautéed with onions and bacon like we are doing in the following recipe.

Beet Greens Recipe served in a dish
Elise Bauer
Beet Greens
Elise Bauer

Beet Greens

Prep Time 5 mins
Cook Time 25 mins
Total Time 30 mins
Servings 4 servings

While this recipe calls for discarding the stems, if you want you can use them too if they aren't too woody. Just cut them into 1-inch segments and add them to the onions after the onions have been cooking for a minute.

Ingredients

  • 1 pound beet greens

  • 1 strip of thick cut bacon, chopped (or a tablespoon of bacon fat)

  • 1/4 cup chopped onion

  • 1 large clove garlic, minced

  • 3/4 cup water

  • 1 tablespoon granulated sugar

  • 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

  • 3 tablespoons cider vinegar

Method

  1. Rinse and cut the beet greens:

    Rinse the beet greens in a sink filled with cold water. Drain greens and rinse a second time. Drain greens and cut away any heavy stems. Cut leaves into bite-sized pieces. Set aside.

  2. Sauté the bacon, onions, garlic:

    In a large skillet or 3-qt saucepan, cook bacon until lightly browned on medium heat (or heat 1 Tbsp of bacon fat). Add onions, cook over medium heat 5 to 7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until onions soften and start to brown. Stir in garlic, cook a minute more.

  3. Add water, sugar, red pepper flakes:

    Add water to the hot pan, stirring to loosen any particles from bottom of pan. Stir in sugar and red pepper flakes. Bring mixture to a boil.

  4. Add beet greens, cook until tender, add vinegar:

    Add the beet greens, gently toss in the onion mixture so the greens are well coated. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 5-15 minutes until the greens are tender. Stir in the vinegar. (For kale or collard greens continue cooking additional 20 to 25 minutes or until desired tenderness.)

Beet Greens
Elise Bauer
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
82 Calories
3g Fat
11g Carbs
3g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4
Amount per serving
Calories 82
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 3g 4%
Saturated Fat 1g 7%
Cholesterol 3mg 1%
Sodium 281mg 12%
Total Carbohydrate 11g 4%
Dietary Fiber 4g 13%
Total Sugars 5g
Protein 3g
Vitamin C 29mg 146%
Calcium 136mg 10%
Iron 2mg 12%
Potassium 1068mg 23%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate. In cases where multiple ingredient alternatives are given, the first listed is calculated for nutrition. Garnishes and optional ingredients are not included.