Even though my local farmer’s market has beautiful beet greens, I never buy them.  I’ve cooked batches of other greens, like kale and collard greens, but for some reason I am a little hesitant about cooking beet greens.

That’s too bad, since according to the USDA, cooked beet greens contain a whole truckload of nutrients.  They are low in saturated fat and cholesterol.  Beet greens an excellent source of dietary fiber, Vitamins A, B6, and C, as well as calcium, and iron, and other essential vitamins and minerals.  In other words, beet greens are loaded.  And, boy, are beet greens cheap!

I love the nutritional value, but the idea of just boiling them up and serving them as a side dish just isn’t that appealing without some flavoring and other ingredients.  I have gotten a few cooking tips from folks who eat beet greens routinely and will give those a try.

Here’s a few of the tips and recipe suggestions I’ve received:

• Be sure to wash beet greens two or even three times.
• Trim the stems, discarding the woody stuff, and cut the rest in bite size pieces.
• Cook in very little water, or saute, briefly, cooking only until just tender.
• Add garlic, onion, black pepper, sprinkle of vinegar, and a touch of sugar.
• Make beet greens more savory with the addition of pine nuts and black olives.
• Mix sour cream and a touch of horseradish in cooked beet greens.
• Stir in a bit of French dressing and add diced red onion.

I thought some of the ideas were very unusual, like horseradish and French dressing, so I’ll be sure to give those a try!  I’d like to hear any other suggestions you might have for ways to improve on the basic beet greens dish.