Smash Up Beets For Textural Contrast In Your Dishes

While some people don't like any ingredients to touch on their plate others love to explore different consistencies and textures. You can create texturally interesting meals by combining tender proteins with crunchy veg or mixing chewy starch through soups and stews. If you want to bring some new, creative flavors to your plate, you can also experiment with how you cook your vegetables. Take beets — sure, you can boil them or roast them, but have you ever thought about smashing them?

The strong, earthy taste of boiled beets can scare some people off, but if you smash them and add a few extra seasonings, you might find that they become one of your favorite side dishes. The secret to perfectly smashed roast beets lies in choosing the right cooking method. Similar to making smashed potatoes, turning your beets into a smashed patty can enhance the texture and leave you wanting more. 

Start by roasting your beets in the oven. This softens them enough to make smashing a breeze. Preheat your oven to around 425 degrees Fahrenheit, then mix the halved uncooked beets with your favorite seasonings — garlic, salt, pepper, and a touch of chili are all fantastic options. Place them in a deep dish and add about 3 tablespoons of water or broth — also a secret ingredient for making ultra-flavorsome roast sweet potatoes. Cover the top with foil to keep the beets moist and put them in to cook.

After 45 minutes to one hour, the beets should be tender enough for a knife to glide right through. Let them cool then choose a veg-appropriate cutting board that's easy to clean and mash your veg gently with the bottom of a plate until they're about around ½ an inch thick (think of it like many smashed beet patties). Finally, pan-fry them in heated olive oil for about three minutes on each side or until crispy.

When it's time to pack up any leftovers, place your beets in an airtight container that you're not too precious about — just like tomato stains, beet stains are notoriously difficult to remove. Glass containers are a better choice over plastic for avoiding this issue, or you can place parchment paper or foil between the beets and the container surface.