Beetroot: What The Tuber Can Do For Your Health

Admittedly, the beetroot is disappearing more and more from the menu. It has a bit of an old-fashioned and dusty image, but it’s worth taking a closer look at this tuber because it’s really good for your health!

You can read here what it can do and what you can prepare deliciously with it.

Beetroot is a rounded bulb that has a grayish red sheen on the outside and is deep red on the inside. The tubers can weigh up to 600g and are very storable, which is why they are also considered “winter vegetables”, although they are harvested in summer from July.

So there is no reason to only eat them in winter! The trade also makes it really easy for you to consume the beets: they are already peeled and vacuum-packed in the vegetable counter!

Healthy

It contains a lot of vitamins and minerals. It contains a lot of potassium, B vitamins, iron and folic acid. The beetroot is therefore a healthy vegetable, especially for women, as there is often a lack of iron and folic acid among women.

With manganese, copper and selenium, beetroot also provides rare but important trace elements. Not only do the tubers contain these healthy ingredients, the leaves also contain them!

So don’t throw the leaves in the trash, cut them into narrow strips and then prepare them as a vegetable, similar to spinach! If your urine and bowel movements are reddish in color after consuming beetroot, don’t worry!

Warning: it contains a lot of oxalic acid. Anyone who tends to develop kidney stones should avoid excessive consumption of the red tuber. It is also critical that beetroot is a good nitrate store. Nitrates can be converted into toxic nitrite.

Nitrates are used as fertilizers in agriculture. If the field is over-fertilized, a relatively large amount of nitrate is stored in the beetroot. You should therefore buy them in organic quality to minimize this risk.

Beetroot recipes

It is an ideal vegetable for women because it is high in folic acid and iron. Northern Germans know beetroot as an ingredient in Labskaus, while Bortschtsch comes from Eastern Europe.

Grandma puts the sweet and sour or boiled in and prepares it as a side dish. But that’s not all you can do with the red tuber! The thin shell can also be eaten. If you want to peel the tubers, put on gloves to avoid discolouring the skin.

Beetroot jam

Sounds crazy, but it’s delicious! Also particularly good with Camembert instead of the usual cranberry jam! You need:

• 350g beetroot
• 200g sugar
• 70ml orange juice
• 3 tbsp lemon juice
• 4 cloves

Grated peel of an organic orange

Cut the beets into cubes and cook in a little water. Then puree with the orange and lemon juice, stir in the sugar and spices and cook to a jam.

Beetroot orange soup

The fruity-sour flavor of the orange goes very well with it. Combined with each other in a soup, the beetroot makes an elegant appearance at the beginning of a menu. You need:

• 1 onion
• 3 medium-sized beetroot tubers
• 200ml orange juice
• 400ml vegetable stock
• 200ml cream
• 100ml white wine
• 50g sour cream
• Grated peel of an organic orange, ginger, chili powder

Chop the onion and sweat it in a little oil in a saucepan. Add the beetroot cut into cubes and then deglaze with white wine.

Only when the wine has almost boiled off, pour in the vegetable stock and orange juice. Simmer together for 10 minutes until the beetroot is soft. Then add the remaining ingredients and puree. Season to taste before serving.

Beetroot risotto with feta

A bright red travel dish on which the white cheese cubes shine particularly well. A simple dish that looks great.

• 1 onion
• 3 medium-sized beetroot tubers
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 250g risotto rice
• 1 glass of red wine
• 1l vegetable stock
• 75g parmesan cheese
• Salt, pepper, olive oil
• 250g feta

Cut the onions and the beetroot into small cubes. If you have a coarse grater, you can then grate the beetroot into coarse flakes. Fry the beets and onions in a little olive oil and add the rice until it looks translucent.

Deglaze with red wine and then gradually add the vegetable stock when the red wine is almost overcooked. Pour in the broth again and again and then stir, stir, stir, so that a creamy risotto is created.

Finally stir in the parmesan, season with pepper and salt and first serve on the plate with feta cubes. Alternatively, goat cheese or horseradish are also delicious!