Warm Beet Greens with Blue Cheese & Walnuts
Most beets at the farmers’ market, and even the grocery store, have beautiful, leafy greens still intact. Don’t throw them away! They’re tough like swiss chard, but they cook down just like any other green to become very tender. They have an earthy taste, and we recently used them as the base for a delicious warm salad topped with roasted beets, blue cheese and walnuts. It’s an incredibly simple-to-make dish that’s a nice departure from traditionally cold salads–something about those warm beets paired with crunchy walnuts and pungent blue cheese feels like healthy comfort food. Keep reading for the recipe!
One bunch of beets with greens
1-2 cloves of garlic, minced
Olive oil
Walnuts
Fresh blue cheese, crumbled
Maldon sea salt (optional)
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Cut the greens from the beets, leaving about an inch of stem attached to the beets. Wash and dry the beets, then transfer to a large piece of foil. Rub olive oil on their skin and sprinkle generously with salt. Wrap up the end of the foil to create a pack. Set the pack in the oven and cook for about 30-50 minutes, depending on the size of your beets (ours were very small this time). While the beets are roasting, wash and dry the greens. Discard most of the stems, leaving just an inch or two attached to the greens. Heat olive oil in a saute pan over medium-high heat, add garlic and let golden just a minute, then add the greens. Saute until tender.
Check your beets and remove once you can easily insert the prongs of a fork. They’ll be very hot to touch, but go ahead and behind to rub the skin off, using a paper towel to keep your fingers from burning. Slice each beet in half or quarter, depending on the size. Transfer greens to two bowls. Top with roasted beets, walnuts and blue cheese. Sprinkle with Maldon sea salt flakes.