Jamie Oliver's Smoked Beets Recipe on Food52 (2024)

Fall

by: Genius Recipes

September29,2011

4

4 Ratings

  • Serves 4 as a side dish

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Author Notes

A genius recipe adapted from Jamie at Home: Cook Your Way to the Good Life (Hyperion, 2008) by Jamie Oliver.

You can stop at the smoked beets portion -- keep them in the fridge and slice them up for salads or burgers all week long. But we recommend you proceed to the second part of the recipe: a dressing that could make a cottage cheese lover out of anyone. —Genius Recipes

  • Test Kitchen-Approved

What You'll Need

Ingredients
  • For the smoked beets
  • 8 small beets, with greens if possible
  • 1 small bunch fresh rosemary
  • For the salad
  • 1 tablespoonred wine vinegar
  • Extra virgin olive oil
  • Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 small bunch fresh flat-leaf parsley, leaves picked and roughly chopped
  • 1 small bunch fresh tarragon or basil, leaves picked and roughly chopped
  • 4 heaped tablespoons cottage cheese
  • juice and zest from 1/2 lemon, plus more to taste
  • A few sprigs of fresh thyme, leaves picked
Directions
  1. First, light your charcoal barbecue or fire. Wash the beets and snip off the greens, reserving them. Fold a large piece of foil -- about 12-18" (24-36" unfolded), depending on the size of your beets -- in half to form a double layer. Lay the greens, then the beets, then the rosemary on top of the foil. (Note: if you don't have greens with your beets -- or want to save them to cook separately -- that's okay, just make sure the coals are at medium heat, not flaming, when you add your packet of beets.)
  2. Roll up the foil, folding in the edges and twisting the ends together. Stab the foil a few times all over with a knife to allow the smoke to get inside and flavor the beets. Lift the rack of your barbecue with tongs and carefully insert your foil package among the coals, making sure you place some coals on top too.
  3. Leave it to cook for 30 to 40 minutes, or until the beets are tender, then remove the package and allow it to cool down. Unwrap it and remove the beets, discarding the greens and rosemary sprigs.
  4. Once cooled slightly, peel the beets and discard the charred skin. The skins should slip right off, but if they don't, gently scrape them away with the back of a paring knife. Cut the beets into irregular chunks and place in a bowl. Add the vinegar, 3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil, plenty of salt and pepper and half the parsley and tarragon. Toss, have a taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary.
  5. Put the cottage cheese into a bowl and add the juice and finely grated zest from half your lemon. Stir in 2 glugs of extra virgin olive oil, the thyme leaves and some salt and pepper and gently fold it all together, so the oil and lemon marble through the cottage cheese. Taste the dressing and squeeze in a bit more lemon juice if you like.
  6. To serve, divide the dressed beets between four salad plates. Top each plate with a spoonful of cottage cheese dressing. Scatter over the remaining herbs and enjoy!

Tags:

  • American
  • Tarragon
  • Vegetable
  • Vinegar
  • Beet
  • Cottage Cheese
  • Parsley
  • Thyme
  • Winter
  • Fall
  • Vegetarian
  • Side

See what other Food52ers are saying.

Recipe by: Genius Recipes

Popular on Food52

5 Reviews

Fraggle January 24, 2021

So fresh and light tasting! The lemon really brings the cottage cheese to another level!
I had leftover beets from the instant pot so I didn’t smoke them. The mix of herbs were delicious! Even my husband gobbled this one up!

Selma |. January 31, 2014

I love the idea of smoky beets but lacking a garden/patio/balcony and thus a barbecue, I shall have to try roasting instead. The cottage cheese topping is inspired. And Merrill's tip for zesting the lemon is genius. Can't wait to try it out!

Regine October 18, 2011

Very nice. But hey I am a miss shortcut so I replaced the smoked beets with 2 cans of sliced beets which I rinsed, patted dry and chopped into irregular pieces. So for those of you who want to continue to enjoy the nice dressing but in a quick fast food type of way, use 2 cans of beets. Also you don't need to buy all these herbs. Next time I may try to just use thyme which I love and parsley and/or cilantro. I could easily do without the tarragon! I will make this again soon. Tastes really good with grilled and/or jerk chicken.

The F. October 7, 2011

This, with the macaroni cheese, sound like a dream team.

LoisonMaui October 3, 2011

I'm shocked at not finding a host of great comments re: this beet recipe. We made this recipe just as instructed but used banana leaves because we couldn't find fresh beets with the greens left on - here on Maui. The beets were awesome. You can make ahead. It was creative to plan to put the cottage cheese drizzle on top as that way they don't turn RED. We've decided this is a must when serving guests.

Jamie Oliver's Smoked Beets Recipe on Food52 (2024)

FAQs

How do you cook beets in Jamie Oliver? ›

Preheat the oven to 180ºC/350ºF/gas 4. Scrub the beetroots really well, then chop into wedges and place in a roasting tray. Add the vinegar, thyme and 4 tablespoons of water, then toss to coat (you may want to wear gloves!). Cover with tin foil and roast for 45 minutes, or until cooked through.

What makes beets taste better? ›

Roasting beets deepens their natural sugars while tempering bitterness. Bake whole, wrapped beets at 400°F for 60-75 minutes until easily pierced by a fork. Allow to cool before peeling and juicing. Incorporating roasted beets creates a smoother, mellower, almost nutty-flavored blended juice.

Why add vinegar to beets? ›

I simply grate or julienne them and then pour balsamic vinegar on them raw. The resulting beet slaw is just delicious. The strong taste of the vinegar balances the strong taste of beets. Sometimes I add other grated root vegetables like carrots, turnips, parsnips or even purple cabbage.

Why not peel beets before roasting? ›

The skins also help hold in the beets' natural moisture as they roast. With this method for how to roast beets, they come out perfectly moist and tender. Wrap each beet in aluminum foil with a drizzle of olive oil and pinches of salt and pepper. Place the foil-wrapped beets on a baking sheet.

What is the best cooking method for beets? ›

Steaming beets is a healthful cooking method because they retain most of their vitamins and minerals—they're not boiled out in water—and stay incredibly vibrant. Plus, steaming small beets or beet quarters is quick and easy for weeknights.

Why do I feel better after eating beets? ›

Did you know that there's a scientific reason that these little earth gems make you feel good? Now you do! Beets are a fantastic source of the chemical betaine anhydrous and the amino acid tryptophan, both of which are shown to improve your mood.

How do you take the bitterness out of beets? ›

Beetroots can taste bitter due to compounds like geosmin and saponins. To reduce bitterness when eating them as a vegetable, choose young beetroots, peel and cook them, combine with other flavors, blanch them, or remove the skin before cooking. 2nd method you can boil beetroot to reduce bitterness before cooking.

Do beets raise blood sugar? ›

Beetroot consumption may directly exhibit antidiabetic effects by inhibiting carbohydrate digesting enzymes. Beetroot components can suppress expression of advanced glycation end products receptors in host. Fermentation, enzyme treatment and thermal treatments can improve the antidiabetic activity of beetroot.

Is it OK to mix beet juice with apple cider vinegar? ›

Now, we've added a Red Beet Blend to apple cider vinegar in our latest wellness shot, and folks—they're perfect together.

How do you add flavor to cooked beets? ›

Flavors that pair well with roasted beets:

Balsamic vinegar, as well as red wine vinegar and apple cider vinegar. Black pepper. Carrots. Creamy cheese and dairy, including feta, goat cheese, blue cheese, ricotta, crème fraîche, sour cream and plain yogurt.

Can dogs eat beets? ›

Yes! Beets are safe for your dog to eat in moderation and are a healthy source of vitamin C, fiber, folate, manganese, and potassium. These vitamins and minerals are good for your dog's digestion and immune system as well as a healthy skin and coat. While it's rare, some dogs can be allergic.

Can I roast beets without aluminum foil? ›

Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees.

Get out a large rimmed baking sheet and line it with parchment paper. Rinse and scrub the beets under cool water, using a vegetable brush to get off any caked on dirt. Don't scrub the beets too hard, as you don't want to damage the skin. Rub each beet with a bit of coconut oil.

How do you eat beets if you don't like them? ›

I've eaten them roasted, boiled, mashed, and pickled, but eating them raw in a salad might be the only way I actually enjoy them. Unlike their red counterpart, golden beets have a milder flavor and won't stain your hands as dramatically with their juices.

Is it better to boil or roast beets? ›

Roasting beets gives them a sweeter, richer, and deeper flavor than boiling does.

Do you boil beets with or without skin? ›

First, wash and scrub the beets thoroughly to remove any dirt. Cut off the greens if attached. Make sure to leave about one inch of the stem to prevent them from releasing too much red color into the water. Do not peel the beets before boiling, unless you want to boil them cubed.

Should you salt the water when boiling beets? ›

Add a pinch of salt to enhance the flavor. Bring the water to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer and cook the beets until they are tender when pierced with a fork. The cooking time will vary depending on the size of the beets, but it typically takes about 45 minutes to an hour.

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