The beet is a fruit with a lot of presence and character. It is the sweet of the earth. Its special shape, the intensity of its color and its great energy and nutritional contribution They make it an essential food in our seasonal cuisine.

In this article I invite you to discover raw beets. It is very curious because in Spain, and in many other countries, beets generally arrive to us packaged and cooked. That’s how many people know her, although she may in season find yourself raw. It is not known that the plant has edible leaves and neither that It can be eaten uncooked.

When beets enter our bodies it is as if it reminds us how intense we can be in life.

Health benefits of beets

There are many varieties of beets: white, yellow, orange and striped. Each one has its qualities, and even Its leaves are also a great foodboth in mini bud and large leaf.

Here we will focus on the red or purple varietywith which we are most familiar, and which It can be round or elongated.

• Antioxidant red. Its color is due to the presence of the antioxidant pigment called betanin, so intense that it is capable of staining our urine or our feces.
• Protective effect. Beetroot, an antioxidant and anti-inflammatory, is a natural ally to preserve eyesight and cardiovascular health. It is rich in mineral salts, vitamins and trace elements.
• Restorative. It also acts against fatigue, lack of appetite and anemia, thanks to micronutrients that revitalize red blood cells and rebalance iron levels in the blood.

Beets are rich in iron and folic acid.

Raw beets in the kitchen: fill your recipes with bright red

The beet, Being sweet, it gives a lot of use in countless recipes. And it fills them with color! Here I suggest that you incorporate it raw, to take advantage of all its nutritional and flavor power.

• Raw beets in salads. Add it grated like carrot. It goes well with apple, green leaves, capers, ginger, cumin, coriander…
• Beet juice: a pleasure to discover. It is a very good way to incorporate its energy directly into our veins as if it were blood. If beet juice alone is very powerful for you, dilute it with water, or combine it with carrot, apple, orange, turmeric, ginger juice… You can also try this delicious combination of beet, carrot, cucumber and celery.
• Beet pâté: an original and very healthy starter. Grind the grated beet with activated sunflower seeds, lemon, tamari and cumin. It’s finger-lickin’ good. Here you have the detailed recipe. Stick to the technique, because instead of seeds, they can be cashews, almonds, pumpkin seeds. You can also add any other seasoning. Pâtés are ideal for spreading or filling.
• Beet soups or gazpachos. Another option of taking the beet in liquid format and very simple: grind the beet with something liquid and whatever you want, for example the same ingredients of gazpacho. Or with apple, avocado and other vegetables, as in this lively beet and apple soup.
• Dehydrated beet to snack. You can prepare it sliced ​​or grated, alone or seasoned, to make some crispy chips. Another idea is to pre-season these chips with whatever you want for a new flavor.
• Beet powder for seasoning. You can also grind and transform into powder. You can use this beet powder later as a seasoning or as another ingredientand you can even color what you want or decorate your dishes.
• Beetroot, a natural colorant. a little beet tint any recipe. Try it in falafels, vegetable cheeses, burgers, pizza doughs…
• Ferments seasoned with beetroot. You can make sauerkraut, pickles or a second fermentation of kefir or kombucha. Enjoy a bubbly ferment to toast.
• Beet desserts. Thanks to its sweetness, we can also incorporate it into our pastries. For example, crush it with dried coconut, dates and lemon zest. You process everything and you will have a moldable consistency with which to make fresh truffles, or the base of a cake to which you can later add a rich and classic cashew cream.

More inspiration…

If you are looking for recipes where you can use beets, start with these!

• Raw beet and mushroom ravioli
• The most original coffee: beet and almond pink latte