How to Prepare Raw Beets

Co-authored by Jessica Gibson

Last Updated: March 28, 2020 References Tested

If you're tired of roasted or boiled beets, learn to enjoy their raw, fresh flavor! For a quick salad that has a burst of citrus flavor, grate beets and toss them with an orange-lime vinaigrette. You can also sneak a raw beet into your favorite berry smoothie to get more fiber and vitamin C. To make another simple side, spiralize beets and coat them in a savory-sweet sauce. Then sprinkle the noodles with sunflower seeds and feta.

Ingredients

Grated Beet Salad

3 beets
1 orange
1 lime
2 tablespoons (30 ml) of olive oil
Salt to taste
1/2 cup (24 g) of minced chives
Toasted walnuts to serve
Soft goat cheese to serve

Makes 4 servings

Blended Beet Smoothies

1 cup (240 ml) of nut milk, such as almond milk, milk, or water
1 frozen banana
1 small beet
1 cup (145 g) of fresh or frozen strawberries
1 cup (100 g) of fresh or frozen blueberries
1 tablespoon (10 g) of hemp or chia seeds, optional
2 tablespoons (11 g) of oats, optional

Makes 1 to 2 smoothies

Spiralized Beet Noodles

3 golden beets
2 apples
1/4 cup (5 g) of chopped fresh mint leaves
2 to 3 tablespoons (30 to 44 ml) of lime juice
2 tablespoons (30 ml) of olive oil
1/4 teaspoon (1.5 g) of salt
1 clove of minced garlic
Sunflower seeds to serve
Crumbled feta to serve

Makes 2 servings

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:
Grated Beet Salad

1
Peel 3 beets and trim off the ends. Rinse 3 of your favorite variety of beets, such as golden or red, and peel them with a vegetable peeler. Place the beets on a cutting board and carefully trim off the stem and root ends from each beet.^{[1]
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- Trim off about ¹⁄₂ inch (1.3 cm) from the ends.
2
Cut the beets into wedges and shred them in a food processor. Cut each beet into 4 to 6 wedges. This will make it easier to fit them into the food processor. Secure the shredding attachment and put the lid on the machine. Then turn it on and shred the beets until they're as fine as you like.^{[2]
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- Consider wearing gloves while you handle red beets. The gloves will prevent the beets from staining your hands.
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3
Zest the orange and lime and juice them. Use a citrus zester to remove the zest from 1 orange and 1 lime. Then slice each in half and use a juicer to squeeze the fruit.^{[3]
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- Keep the juices separate so you can adjust the flavor of the salad according to your taste.
4
Put the beets into a serving bowl with the citrus and olive oil. Transfer the shredded beets from the food processor to a small serving bowl. Then add the zest from the orange and lime. Pour in all of the orange juice, but wait to add the lime juice. You'll also need to pour in 2 tablespoons (30 ml) of olive oil.^{[4]
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- Remember that the beets can stain delicate serving dishes.
Dressing Variation: Instead of using citrus, whisk 2 tablespoons (30 ml) of balsamic vinegar in a bowl with 1 tablespoon (15 ml) of olive oil, 1 clove of minced garlic, and 2 teaspoons (10 g) of Dijon mustard.
5
Toss the salad with chives and adjust the seasonings. Add 1/2 cup (24 g) of minced chives and use salad forks to combine the beets with the seasonings. Then taste the salad and add salt according to your taste. You should also adjust the tanginess of the salad by mixing in as much of the lime juice as you like.^{[5]
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- To keep the chives crisp, add them just before serving the salad.
6
Serve the raw beet salad. If you like, garnish the salad with toasted walnuts and scatter soft goat cheese over the top. To make the salad in advance, put it into an airtight container and refrigerate it for up to 2 days.^{[6]
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- The salad will become sweeter as it's stored since the beets will combine with the orange juice.
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Method 2

Method 2 of 3:
Blended Beet Smoothies

1
Peel 1 beet and cut it into 6 wedges. Rinse 1 small beet under cold water and then use a vegetable peeler to peel it. Cut about ¹⁄₂ inch (1.3 cm) from both ends of the beet and discard the ends. Then cut the beet into 6 wedges.^{[7]
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- Wear gloves if you're concerned that the beet will stain your hands.
- If you don't have a high-speed blender, grate the beet against the large holes of a box grater. This will help it blend into the smoothie.
2
Put the beet, nut milk, fruit, and optional ingredients into a blender. Place the beet wedges into a blender along with 1 frozen, peeled banana. Add 1 cup (145 g) of fresh or frozen strawberries and 1 cup (100 g) of fresh or frozen blueberries. Then pour in 1 cup (240 ml) of nut milk. If you'd like to add a little crunch or richness, add 1 tablespoon (10 g) of hemp or chia seeds and 2 tablespoons (11 g) of oats.^{[8]
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- If you don't have milk or nut milk, you can use water.
Variation: For a creamy and sweet smoothie, add 1/4 cup (61 g) of frozen pineapple, 1/4 cup (70 g) of plain Greek yogurt, and 2 teaspoons (14 g) of honey to the smoothie ingredients.
3
Blend the mixture for 2 to 3 minutes or until it's smooth. Put the lid on the blender and pulse the ingredients until they start to move in the blender. Once they start to blend, you can use the blend or smoothie option. Keep blending the smoothie until there aren't chunks of frozen fruit visible.^{[9]
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- If the blender has a hard time blending, you may need to add more liquid. Add a few spoonfuls of liquid until the mixture begins to blend.
4
Serve the beet smoothies right away for the best consistency. Remove the lid and pour the smoothie mixture into 1 or 2 serving glasses. If you'd like to store leftover smoothie, transfer it to an airtight container and refrigerate it for up to 1 day.^{[10]
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- If you stored the smoothie, shake it or blend it again just before serving since the smoothie may separate a little.
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Method 3

Method 3 of 3:
Spiralized Beet Noodles

1
Peel 3 golden beets and run them through a spiralizer. Run the beets under cold water and then peel them with a vegetable peeler. Attach the stem end of a beet onto your veggie spiralizer and then turn the handle to push the beet through the blade. Repeat this for each beet.^{[11]
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- You can place a bowl underneath the blade so the spiralized beet noodles fall into it.
2
Spiralize 2 apples. Rinse the apples under cold water and stick an apple onto the spiralizer. As you turn the crank and push the apple through the spiralizer, the core will stick onto the anchor or the spiralizer so the seeds won't end up in your bowl.^{[12]
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- Use your favorite type of apple for this. To get a slightly sweet flavor, use Jonagolds or Pink Lady. For a tangy flavor, use Braeburn or Jazz.
3
Whisk the juice, oil, salt, and garlic in a separate bowl. Get out a small bowl and pour 2 tablespoons (30 ml) of lime juice and 2 tablespoons (30 ml) of olive oil into it. Add 1/4 teaspoon (1.5 g) of salt and 1 clove of minced garlic. Then whisk all of the ingredients until they're combined.^{[13]
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Dressing Variation: Whisk together 2 tablespoons (30 ml) of extra-virgin olive oil, 1 tablespoon (15 ml) of balsamic vinegar, 1/2 teaspoon (2.5 g) of Dijon mustard, and 2 teaspoons (14 g) of honey.
4
Mix the dressing with mint and the spiralized produce. Pour the dressing over the spiralized beets and apple. Then add 1/4 cup (5 g) of chopped fresh mint leaves and use salad forks to toss the mixture until the beets coated with the dressing.^{[14]
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- Taste the noodles and add the remaining 1 tablespoon (15 ml) of lime juice if you'd like them to be tangier.
5
Serve the raw beet noodles at room temperature or chilled. You can serve the noodles right away with a sprinkling of sunflower seeds or crumbled feta. If you prefer, chill the noodles for 2 to 3 hours before serving them.^{[15]
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- The lime juice will prevent the apples from browning, but you should store the leftovers in an airtight container and use them within 1 day.
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