Beets are a cleansing staple. They are incredibly supportive to the liver. They build the blood, and are full of phytonutrients. Here are a few common ways I incorporate beets into our meals. 
Boiling beets is super easy. Remove greens, wash the beets (leave skins on) and submerge in a pot of cold filtered water. Bring to boil, then cover and cook on medium heat for 45-60 minutes ~ until the beets are tender and you can easily pierce with a fork or knife.
Strain and fill with cool water. Trim tops and ends. Under running water, slip the beets out of their skins. They should come out easily. Use a peeler if not.
From here, you can grate them, chop them, pickle them or use as the base for a delicious beet soup.
Once boiled, grating makes a rich addition to vegetable wraps, garnish for simple grain dishes, or salad.
Once you’ve boiled them, you can use as the base of a delicious beet soup, chop them up and add to salads, grain dishes, wraps, etc.
Pickled Beets (from Kate O’Donnell’s Everyday Ayurveda Cooking for a Calm, Clear Mind)
So easy! So helpful for the digestion!
Makes 1.5 cups
Boil 2-3 medium-large beets (see above)
Remove skins
Slice into 1/2 inch rounds, make sticks or half-circles from there.
Toss in a 16-oz jar
Add
1 Tbs. high-quality balsamic vingear
2 Tbs. apple cider vinegar.
1/2 tsp. salt (optional)
Stir or gently shake before serving.
Refrigerate for up to a week.
In general, boiled or roasted beets are a great way to get things moving in a sluggish digestive tract.
To roast, I remove greens and wash the beets, then throw in a lidded casserole dish with an inch or so of water. Bake at 400 for about 60 minutes, or until tender when pierced with a fork or knife.
Cool, trim tops etc. and slide out of skins before serving.
Fresh beets can be grated over salads or grain dishes. I especially like a little on top of a bed of quinoa and steamed veggies with pistachio as garnish.
A side dish of grated fresh beet with a squeeze of fresh lemon has fantastic cleansing properties.
If you have a juicer, a fantastic fall juice includes apply, carrot, beet, celery and a little ginger.
Do note that eating beets causes some pigments to show up in your eliminations! Don’t be alarmed 🙂
