Creamy Sautéed Beet Greens
I fully expected this recipe to be a disaster. After buying a gorgeous bunch of freshly picked (that morning!) beets from the farmers’ market, I was once again reminded by my sainted husband that he doesn’t like beets. After trying to tuck a few gorgeous, ruby red slices into his salad, only to have them plucked out and fed to our child (who wasn’t exactly thrilled, either) I decided to quit wasting my lovely beets and keep them to myself. However, I still had these greens to deal with. 
For as many times as I’ve purchased and roasted beet roots, I’m embarrassed to say that I’ve never cooked the greens. Ever. ME. The same person who can’t even throw a chicken bone away. (They go into my freezer, in a bag labeled “Stock”, in case you were wondering.) I was tossing perfectly good greens into the composter. I’m so ashamed. But this time, as I was separating the stems from the roots, it occurred to me that the greens look an awful lot like swiss chard, even down to the beautiful red stem. After a quick look-up in my cookbooks to assure myself that they weren’t poisonous or something (you never know, ok?), I figured I’d give it a shot. But I wasn’t planning to like love them as much as we did. 
That’s right- we. We all liked them. Turns out beet greens are not only edible, but they are delicious, tasting like a cross between swiss chard and spinach. The stems are more tender than chard typically is, and the leaves are a bit more resilient than spinach, with a nice texture even when wilted. I felt like I had won the greens lottery. Not only because it tasted so good, but also because I felt like I was getting something for nothing. Where one year ago, I would have tossed them, I would now buy a bunch of beets for the sole purpose of cooking up the greens. So now, I can happily keep the roasted beet roots for myself, share the greens with the boys, and everyone is happy. Beet greens for the win!
Ingredients
- Greens and stems from one large bunch of beets
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 2 cloves garlic, chopped
- 3 tablespoons heavy cream
- salt and pepper
Instructions
- Wash and dry the greens. Chop the stems into 1/4" pieces, and roughy chop the greens.
- In a large skillet, heat the oil and butter over medium heat until the butter is melted. Add the beet stems garlic and sauté until just tender, about 3-4 minutes. Add in the greens and continue cooking until the greens are just wilted, then stir in the cream. Add salt and pepper, taste, and adjust seasoning accordingly. Transfer to a dish and serve.