braised beets

Skip the oven and get perfectly soft, flavorful beets on your stovetop. 

Braised Beets Recipe

A few weeks ago, I went to a restaurant in Brooklyn with one of my friends from work. (Yes, the same restaurant that inspired this salad.) One of the dishes we were absolutely amazed by were the marinated beets. They were flavorful, juicy, and tender—everything you'd ever want in a beet. Naturally, we decided to reverse-engineer the dish. Is that cumin I taste? Are those shallots or onions? How—just how?—did they get them so tender? 

I went home, pulled a bunch of beets out of the fridge, and began experimenting. These are the beets I landed on, and I have to say—they're pretty damn good, and great for all seasons. They require no oven and simmer blissfully on the stove, which just adds a bit of coziness, I think. Try it and let me know. 

Ingredients for Braised Beets

  • 6 beets, peeled (I used a mix of golden and red)
  • 1 yellow onion
  • 1 tablespoon avocado oil
  • 4 large garlic cloves
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 2 cups vegetable broth
  • Black pepper

How to Make Braised Beets

  1. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat.
  2. Dice the onion and add it to the pan. Cook for about 8 minutes, until they're translucent. 
  3. While the onions cook, cut the beets into 1" pieces (as long as they're all roughly the same size, it's fine). 
  4. Add the beets to the pan and cook for 3-5 minutes. Season with salt and a few turns of black pepper. Roughly chop the garlic and add it to the pan. Give everything a stir. 
  5. Pour in the vegetable broth and cover. 
  6. Lower the heat to medium-low and cook for 20 minutes. Remove the lid and let the liquid reduce for 15-20 minutes, until the beets are fork-tender. Enjoy with cottage cheese or on its own. 

What You’ll Need