Can You Sous Vide Beets?

Throughout the millennia of human existence, there has been one question that has plagued humanity incessantly. Something that’s gnawed at our ancestors for generations. A quandary that that seemed absolutely impossible to solve until one day the solution was right in front of our faces. Of course the questions that I’m referring to is whether or not it is possible to sous vide beets. If you’re one of the millions of people who have been desperately seeking an answer to this difficult question, then you can feel free to relax a bit. You’ve come to the right place. We are about to let you in on the secret.

Beetroot is an excellent source of iron, magnesium, and other antioxidants, but it’s not why we love it. Nope, we love beetroot for a very simple reason:  because it’s just so gosh darn delicious. The challenge comes in figuring out the best way to prepare beetroot that will free all of it’s delicious flavors. Steaming and boiling don’t do justice to the earthy flavor of the pink root vegetable, and it can be too tough to attempt to eat beets raw in a salad. However, sous vide beets are a whole other story: they’re perfectly cooked, have a mouth-melting texture and a rich, rustic flavor that will wow you and your dinner guests. Want to know how to sous vide your beets to perfection? Of course you do. So, without further ado, hre are some of our favorite sous vide beets recipes to try out for yourself. Just be careful, these dishes can be quite addictive. You may never go back.

Basic Sous Vide Beets

Ingredients

• 8 medium-sized beets. These can be cubed or in slices, depending on your preference.
• 3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil.
• Some salt, to taste.
• Some dried rosemary, to taste (this is optional, but recommended).

Instructions

Preheat your sous vide cooker to at 185 degrees Fahrenheit or 85 degrees Celsius. Rinse, peel and cube the beets. Alternatively, you can cut them in 1/8 inch slices if you prefer that shape to cubes. Combine the beets with olive oil, salt, and some dried rosemary (a fresh rosemary twig will do just fine if you have it) and seal in a plastic vacuum bag or ziplock bag. Cook in a hot water bath for 3 hours. Once done, these sous vide beets can be served as a tasty, if time consuming, side dish to a nice piece of fresh halibut.

Sous Vide Beets and Feta Cheese Salad

Ingredients

• 4 medium beets that have been cubed,
• ¼ cup (60 gr) of hazelnuts.
• 3 of tablespoons extra virgin olive oil.
• 1 teaspoon of honey.
• 1 garlic clove that has been peeled and crushed.
• ½ cup (120 grams) of feta cheese that is either crumbled or diced.
• Some sea salt, to taste.

Instructions

Wash, peel and cube the beets into 2” pieces. Preheat your sous vide oven to at 185 degrees Fahrenheit (or 85 degrees Celsius). Put the diced beets in a bowl and mix them together with honey, olive oil, sea salt, and a single crushed clove of garlic. Seal the seasoned beets in a ziplock bag and cook for about 3 hours, or until the beets become tender. Toast the hazelnuts in a heated pan, then crumble or cube the feta cheese and add both to the sous vide beets. Serve immediately or once the salad cools, depending on personal preference.

Sous Vide Balsamic Vinegar Beets and Nuts Salad

Ingredients

• 2 large beets or 4 medium-sized beets that have been diced or sliced.
• 1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil.
• ½ cup (120 ml) of balsamic vinegar.
• ¼ cup (60 gr) of grated Parmesan.
• ½ cup (120 gr) if toasted pecan nuts.
• ½ cup (120 gr) of cooked green beans or raw baby spinach.
• 1 red orange that has been sliced (this ingredient is optional).

Instructions

Set your sous vide machine to 185 degrees Fahrenheit (or 85 degrees Celsius). Cut the freshly washed and peeled beets into slices or cubes, and combine them with balsamic vinegar and sea salt. Seal in a sous vide bag and cook for about 3 hours, or until the beets become soft and thoroughly cooked. Take the beets out of the vacuum bag and discard the liquid. Once the sous vide beets cool, serve them on a large plate with toasted pecan nuts, freshly drizzled olive oil, and some green veggies of your choice. Finally you’ll want to top the whole dish off with a gentle sprinkling of grated Parmesan on top. If you want to complement the dish with sour-sweet flavor, then consider adding a sliced red orange for an added kick.

That’s it. Those are our experts most beloved recipes for the rare beast that is sous vide beets. Do you have any favorite sous vide beet recipes that you feel we left off of this article? If so, we’d love to hear all about them. Please list any of your beet related sous vide recipes in the comments below so that all of our readers can benefit from your experience. Let’s build a community of sous vide beet lovers together. The time has come for beets to finally get the respect that they deserve, especially when prepared with Sous Vide!