Crisp-tender beets come to life in this Spiralized Beets with Toasted Walnuts, Bleu Cheese, and Sage! You’ll love the earthy flavors of this hearty side dish, and it can be on your table in about 20 minutes.
Key Ingredient: Golden Beets
Admittedly, I have a strong preference for golden beets. The reason is purely practical: Golden beets (and even chioggia) are less messy than red beets. Have you ever broken down red beets, and tried to scrub what looks like blood from beneath your fingernails?
While golden beets taste very similar to red beets, they may be sweeter, milder, and less earthy than their red cousins. Look at their sunny, yellow color:
So, why spiralize the beets? My “go to” method with beets is to roast them. I love the depth of flavor achieved in the roasting process of any vegetable. However, peeling, dicing, and roasting takes about 45-60 minutes total. My goal with Spiralized Beets with Toasted Walnuts, Bleu Cheese, and Sage was to create a side dish that would cut the cooking time in half without sacrificing much flavor. I’m pretty happy with the results…
I have found beets to be an easy vegetable to spiralize. I can get the 3 beets peeled and spiralized in 5 or 6 minutes. Cooking them involves a quick sauté in olive oil with garlic and shallots, and the addition of some fresh herbs (sage and parsley), a knob of butter, the crumbled bleu cheese, and the toasted walnuts. You’ll love this side with a roast chicken, or even your Thanksgiving turkey. Give it a whirl!
Spiralized Golden Beets with Toasted Walnuts, Bleu Cheese, and Sage
Crisp-tender beets come to life in this Spiralized Beets with Toasted Walnuts, Bleu Cheese, and Sage! You'll love the earthy flavors of this hearty side dish, and it can be on your table in about 20 minutes.
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup walnut bits toasted
- 3 lbs golden beets (see notes)
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 2 shallots (or 1/2 red onion) minced
- 1 tsp garlic minced
- 1 tbsp fresh sage finely chopped
- 1 tbsp flat leaf parsley finely chopped
- 1 tbsp butter
- 3 oz bleu cheese crumbled
- sea salt/fresh ground pepper to taste
Instructions
Trim, peel, and spiralize the beets. Set aside.
Using the pan that is large enough for the entire dish, dry toast the walnut bits. (This saves a pan). Remove and set aside.
Add the olive oil, shallots, and garlic to the pan over medium heat. Saute until translucent and fragrant but not browned.
Add the spiralized beets. Saute 5-7 minutes until pliable but not soft. Check doneness by tasting a piece. We like crisp-tender.
Add the herbs, the knob of butter, and bleu cheese. Stir to combine. Season to taste. Serve hot, warm, or room temperature.
Recipe Notes
Any color beets will work in this dish. You might try sweet potatoes as an alternative.
If you don't "do" bleu cheese, substitute one you do like (feta or chevre would work).
Pecans will work in place of walnuts.
Macronutrients (approximation from MyFitnessPal): 270 calories; 10 g protein; 14 g carbohydrates; 21 g fat.
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