Steamed Baby Beets Recipe

Time45m

Serves4

Make Steamed Baby Beets Recipe in just 45m. Get the full recipe with step-by-step instructions at pekinthechef.com.

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Ingredients

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1
Prepare beets
Rinse and lightly scrub the baby beets under cold running water to remove soil. Trim the greens leaving about 1/2 inch of stems to keep color from bleeding; leave the root tips intact if possible so they don’t bleed excessively during cooking.
2
Set up steamer
Pour 1 cup of water into a medium saucepan fitted with a steamer basket (or use a wide skillet with a tight-fitting lid). Bring the water to a gentle boil over medium-high heat.
3
Steam beets
Place the beets in a single layer in the steamer basket. Cover tightly and steam until tender when pierced with a small knife or skewer — about 20–30 minutes for 1 lb of baby beets (check at 20 minutes and continue in 5-minute increments until done). Smaller beets will cook closer to 20 minutes; larger ones may take up to 30.
4
Test and rest
When fork-tender, remove the steamer basket from the pan and transfer the beets to a bowl. Let them cool for 10–15 minutes until they’re safe to handle but still warm (this resting makes peeling easier). Reserve any cooking liquid if desired for thinning dressings.

5
Peel (optional)
Once cool enough to handle, rub the beet skins off with your fingers or a paper towel. For very small beets you can leave the skins on if you prefer the rustic look; the skins are edible.
6
Dress beets
Toss the warm peeled (or unpeeled) beets with 2 tbs unsalted butter and 1 tbs extra-virgin olive oil in a bowl so the butter melts evenly. Add 1 tbs fresh lemon juice, 1 tsp chopped fresh thyme (or parsley), 1 tsp salt and 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper. Toss gently to coat.
7
Finish and serve
Transfer the dressed beets to a serving dish. If using, sprinkle 1 oz crumbled feta or goat cheese over the top. Serve warm or at room temperature. Leftovers keep well, refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 4 days.