How to cook beetroot for salad: four proven ways

Beetroot is an essential ingredient in many salads. Proper cooking allows you to preserve the rich color of the root crop, sweet taste and beneficial properties. There are several ways to cook beetroot: in a saucepan on the stove, in a slow cooker, in a microwave oven, or steamed. The cooking time depends on the size of the root crop and the chosen method — from ten minutes in the microwave to two hours with the classic method. All the details are in the Izvestia article.

How to choose beetroot

The quality of the finished dish directly depends on the right choice of vegetable.

When buying beets, pay attention to their appearance and elasticity. A high-quality root crop should be strong to the touch, with a smooth skin of a rich maroon color, without damage and traces of rot. The tail should be tight and elastic. For salads, it is better to choose small root vegetables weighing no more than 250 g — they are sweeter and cook faster.

Before cooking, beets must be thoroughly washed under running water with a brush or kitchen sponge, removing all impurities. It is impossible to peel and cut off the tail — this will disrupt the integrity of the vegetable, and it will lose juice, color and become watery. You only need to remove the leaves of the tops, if any.

How to cook beetroot in a saucepan

The traditional method takes time, but guarantees uniform cooking.

Put the prepared beets in a saucepan with a wide bottom in one row and pour cold water so that the liquid covers the vegetables by 5-7 cm. You do not need to salt the water — salt will make the pulp denser and increase the cooking time. Put the pan on medium heat and bring to a boil, then turn down the heat and cook under the lid.

The cooking time depends on the size of the root vegetable:

• Small young beetroot — 30-35 minutes

• Medium tubers (200-250 g) — 45-60 minutes

• Large old beetroot — 1.5–2 hours

Check the readiness with a wooden skewer or knife — they should easily enter to the middle of the vegetable. During the cooking process, add water if necessary, otherwise the part of the beetroot remaining above the surface will be hard.

How to cook beets quickly

The express method allows you to reduce the cooking time by almost half.

To speed up the process, lower the beets into the already boiling water and do not reduce the heat to a minimum. To make the cooking temperature even higher, pour in 2-3 tablespoons of vegetable oil. Cook the vegetable for about 30-35 minutes over high heat.

After that, remove the beets from the heat and place them under a stream of cold water for 15-20 minutes or place them in a bowl with cold water and ice. If necessary, change the water if it starts to heat up. The temperature difference brings the vegetable to readiness and cools it at the same time.

Autumn breath: seasonal revival in Moscow restaurants

The most notable events in the gastronomic life of the capital are in the Izvestia review

How to cook beetroot in a slow cooker

The slow cooker simplifies the process and does not require monitoring the water level.

There are several ways to cook beetroot in a slow cooker. To cook in water, put the washed beets in a bowl, fill with water and turn on the "Stewing" or "Cooking" mode for 60 minutes. After an hour, check the readiness — if the vegetable is still hard, turn on the same mode for 20-30 additional minutes.

For steaming:

1. Pour a glass of water into the bowl of the slow cooker;

2. Place the washed beets on a special steaming rack.;

3. Close the appliance and set the Steam mode for 40 minutes.

This method is suitable for fresh, not wilted beets. It is better to pre-soak dry root vegetables in cold water for several hours.

How to cook beetroot in the microwave

The fastest way to cook beetroot takes only 10-15 minutes.

To cook in the microwave, wash the beets thoroughly and place them in a special microwave oven. Cook at maximum power for 12-15 minutes. Turn the vegetable over once during cooking. Let the finished root vegetable stand for five minutes.

For uniform cooking, choose vegetables of the same size. Check the readiness with a fork or knife — the beetroot should be easily pierced.

All important news is on the Izvestia channel in the MAX messenger.