We asked 3 chefs about their favorite vegetables – they all said the same thing

With so many types of cultivated vegetables, you’d think there would be more variety on the average dinner table. But many people (myself included) get stuck in a routine and eat the same kinds over and over again. To expand the choices, I asked top Los Angeles chefs what their favorite vegetable is… and they all said beets.

Root vegetables like carrots and potatoes are highly prized, but turnips are often overlooked. Perhaps that’s because home cooks aren’t quite sure what to do with them, or simply because they require a bit of scrubbing and tending to get them plate-ready. If you’re nodding in agreement now, one word from the chefs may change your mind about the squat taproot vegetable.

A brief background on beets

Turnips are believed to have originated in the Mediterranean sometime in the 8th century. The ancient Greeks and Romans liked turnips so much that they developed techniques that allowed them to be grown outside of their normal growing season, making turnips widely available for much of the year. Several centuries later, the root vegetable finally made its way to North America via European immigrants in the early 19th century, where it became a staple food, particularly valued for its long shelf life.

Why beets are better than you think

Beetroot is high in fiber and potassium, important nutrients for optimal digestion and heart health. And a recent study even found that it lowers blood pressure and has antioxidant and anti-cancer properties. In addition to beets’ impressive health benefits, chefs especially value their versatility and earthy qualities.

“I love their versatility. They taste great steamed, grilled, pickled and raw. You can do so much with them,” says Mindy Oh, head chef at the legendary Music Center in downtown Los Angeles.

This versatility makes beets an ideal choice for both sweet and savory recipes. “I use beets for desserts, like beetroot cheesecake, and for savory dishes like soups. You can puree them for a meat dish or sauté them for a beetroot tartare (…),” says Hendrix Vega, chef at Amour in West Hollywood. “I also fondly remember my grandmother making borscht for me with them.”

The best ways to cook beets, according to chefs

No matter what type of beet you have on hand—red, gold, Chioggia (sometimes called candy cane or sugar stripe)—the preparation possibilities are virtually endless. And with a few tips from the culinary experts, you can enjoy them at home.

Slow roasted for a meaty texture

“The best way to prepare beets at home is to wash them thoroughly to remove any dirt, dry them, then toss them in olive oil, salt, and pepper. Then wrap them in aluminum foil, place them in an oven preheated to 375°F (190°C), and cook them for an hour and a half. You can use a cake tester or the tip of a sharp knife to check if they’re done. When they’re done, peel off the outer skin and let them cool. Now you can use them in a variety of ways. You can add them to stews, puree them for a soup, add them to a salad, or serve them as a side dish with a nice steak,” says Mazen Mustafa, chef at asterid in Downtown Los Angeles, explaining that slow-roasting beets gives them a nice meaty quality that satisfies vegans—or pescatarians like him.

Braised and boiled to retain the colour

“I love braising beets in the oven or on the stove. I soak them in water with a little vinegar, chili flakes, sugar and salt. This is my favorite way to prepare them because you can just make them and forget them. By the time you remember you boiled the beets, they’re already fully cooked,” says Chef Oh, adding that cooking them with a little vinegar and sugar also helps them retain their color and taste less earthy, making them more appealing.

Beetroot juice for drinking and healing

Juicing beetroot is by no means a new method, but Chef Hendrix says it’s good for more than just drinking. “I use beetroot as a natural colorant when I make purple pickled salmon. I recommend making a beetroot juice base to pickle your fish. I use 50 grams of beetroot juice per kilo of salt and 300 grams of sugar. This gives a great look to a crudo!

Even more ways to discover beets

“At work, we prepare them in so many ways. We slow roast them, brine and boil them, smoke them, juice them. Some of my favorite methods at asterid include combining all of these methods in one dish, which is slow-roasted beets, XO sauce, tomato jam (and) crystal lettuce. We steam the brined beets until they’re soft, then put them in a very low-heat oven to dry them out. After that, we smoke them to give them some depth, then glaze them in a reduced beet juice with a little black garlic vinegar,” says Chef Mazen.

With so many healthy and delicious reasons to eat beets and expert tips for making them at home, be sure to put beets on your list the next time you hit the grocery store.