Behold my latest concoction! It’s by far the best beet recipe you’ll ever find. I know, perhaps I sound a wee bit haughty in asserting that my recipe is the best ever, but try it… you’ll see! Your Thanksgiving or Christmas table will be empty, less glamorous and almost boring without this side dish. You need this side dish! So, if at any time in your life you feel an insoluble void—like something’s missing—you check your pockets and find your keys, cell phone and wallet there, nothing is gone. Just know it’s because you didn’t make my beets! And don’t say I didn’t warn you!
All kidding aside, this is the perfect accompaniment to turkey, chicken or ham. It’s sweet, slightly tangy, earthy, fragrant, fresh and crazy simple to cook. Everything good rolled into one spectacular side dish. Absolutely delicious, and it’s healthy to boot!
People will want this recipe from you. It’s really that irresistible.
Ingredients:
3 large boiled beets (about 1 pound)
1 medium onion
2 tbsp golden syrup
1 big orange
1 tbsp soy sauce
thumb-size piece of ginger
2 tbsp oil
fresh thyme
pepper
salt
Directions:
Squeeze a big orange. This should make for 1/2 a cup (scant) orange juice.
Peel a medium onion and slice it in half-rings.
Peel and grate a thumb-size piece of fresh ginger.
I buy them parboiled, saves me loads of time. Are they as cheap there as they are here? Peel the skin off (works best under running water imo), and slice them in half-rings, just like the onions.
Prefer boiling them yourself? I agree, it does taste better. Add 3 bay leaves to the water and boil them in plenty water for about an hour. Check them for readiness and let them cool off.
Pour 2 tbsp gorgeous amber-colored golden syrup in a bowl. For the Dutchies among you: this (kandij siroop) can be bought at the AH.
Add the orange juice and pour 1 tbsp soy sauce in there. Stir until the syrup has dissolved. This could take a minute or so.
Heat 2 tbsp oil in a stir-fry pan (wok) and sautee the onions for 5 minutes, until soft but not brown. Add the ginger and cook for an additional minute.
Add the beet slices and stir fry for 2 to 3 minutes.
Pour the orange/syrup mix in there. Season with a good pinch of black pepper and salt. Strip 2 or 3 thyme sprigs and add the leaves. Simmer the beets for 5 minutes over low heat. That’s it, folks!
You won’t believe just how good this tastes. Less is more definitely applies to this side dish. If you decide to give it a try, let me know if you loved it every bit as much as we do.
Kay’s Recipe Card
Click here for printable size.
Tags: beets, ginger, golden syrup, oil, onion, orange, pepper, salt, soy sauce, thyme
I used to hate beetroot when all I had ever had was the vinegared stuff in a jar, but now with fresh beetroot I can’t get enough of the stuff. This looks like a great recipe (so far I have mainly roasted them) but orange and ginger do sound like they would be a wonderful accompaniment. Thanks for the recipe :)
Would this work with beets from a jar? Cause I don’t think I ever used fresh beets before. Can you buy those pre-cooked ones you talk about at AH as well? If so, I’m definately going to give this a try :)
@Ilse:
These were from the ah! You can buy them preboiled there, per 500gr.
:0 Great! Thanks! Off to the AH, which is, luckily, opened on Sundays since a week or 3.
@Ilse:
Color me green! Downside to living in the burbs, in Gouda. Nothing is ever open in our mini mall. Most stores don’t even open up on Thursday evening!
Well Kay you outdid your self again. This recipe (picture) MAKES me want to try it. :)
Ahhh, I was just about to ask you which AH, because I’ve never seen golden syrup at an AH here in Amsterdam. Wonder if it’s a new thing? Your beets look great regardless!
@Mark:
Look for it in the pindakaas, hagelslag, marmelade and honey aisle, Mark!
Kay, would the gorgeous amber-colored golden syrup, would that be honey?
I must say your photos in this post are exceptional………..just beautiful.
@doodles:
Thanks :)
No, it’s golden syrup!
I will try… for sure!!
thank you for the recipe!
well then Kay what is golden syrup?
And I forgot to mention that your recipe cards are just the best.
@doodles:
Golden syrup is an inverted sugar syrup with a less outspoken flavor than honey. I’m sure honey or even maple syrip will work as well, though!
These are definetly going to be made here
kay where do you get the recipe cards you use, what program is it? I love them all
I looooove beets, so I am going to give this a shot.
I found this information about golden syrup on foodsubs.com. My grocery store has a British section, so maybe I’ll find it there.
This amber-colored liquid sweetener is popular among British, Caribbean, and Creole cooks. It’s made by evaporating sugar cane juice until it’s thick and syrupy. Lyle’s Golden Syrup and Steen’s Pure Cane Syrup are popular brands. Substitutes: Combine two parts light corn syrup plus one part molasses OR equal parts honey and corn syrup OR maple syrup (This is thinner, and not as sweet.) OR dark corn syrup (This is thnner and not as sweet as golden syrup. If you like, try reducing the corn syrup in a saucepan to thicken it.) OR light corn syrup (This is thnner and not as sweet or flavorful as golden syrup. If you like, try reducing the corn syrup in a saucepan to thicken it.)
Thanks Kay. I love your recipe- beetroot is on the ‘blacklist’ at our house but I have tricked them before by making a beetroot and tomato (hot and spicy) soup. The look on their faces was priceless!
Maybe I’ll try and tempt them with this one, at worse I’ll end up eating it all myself!
What is not to like I ask myself, it’s lovely and sweet, no strong overpowering taste or anything, texture is fine. Maybe it’s the colour? Hmm I’m going to give it a try.
Ps I love your wooden juicer, I use one too, very handy.
@Madeline:
They are psd’s (photoshop files), Madeline!
Kay, just a quick question not related to the recipe. Do you make your own storyboards in photoshop? Can you write a tutorial on how to make one up for ourselves? Would really appreciate it!!!!
@Lola:
Yes I do, but a tutorial would be a little too extensive to just write down in a simple howto, so I decided not to. Also to keep the storyboards a bit more exclusive.
I love beets and will try this recipe. have no idea about the golden syrup but will work it out. How did I live my whole life without beets?
@Lindie:
Just replace it by maple syrup, corn syrup or honey if you can’t get golden syrup!
If I can get beets at the market this weekend I will give this a try!
Looks liek a great combination of flavors. Thanks, and remember stay proud about your beets…
Is that syrup more like a honey or maple syrup?
@Michelle:
Sure, it’s mainly to sweeten things. I use golden syrup because it doesn’t have an overpowering flavor like honey might have.
Zeker best beets ever!
Zojuist gegeten met een varkenslapje, en ik ben er nog helemaal ondersteboven van! Wat een warme, perfecte smaak!
Can this recipe be served cold (for Thanksgiving travel purposes)?
@Irina:
I have no idea if it would taste as good cold. Sorry.
Hi Kay,
We tried the beets tonight! I didn’t have an chance to pop by the AH to get the kandijsiroop, so I substituted 1 Tablespoon honey, and 1 Tablespoon of maple syrup. And they were absolutely delicious!! Since there were questions about the honey/maple syrup substitution I thought I’d report back to say that it’s a perfectly fine sub!!
Even the non-beetlovers really enjoyed the extreme flavour sensation… Thank you sooooo much for sharing this, and I’ll get some golden syrup next time to make them even more perfect!
So I tried this last night and it was absolutely wonderful! I didn’t have fresh thyme but I replaced it with a good dash of AH’s Italian herbs. The taste was very balanced and aromatic with a nice zing from the pepper and the ginger. Reminded me of glühwein somehow. Thanks Kay!
Nice post & nice blog. I love both.
I’m new to your blog, but am a sucker for a new beetroot recipe and this one looks gorgeous, especially with the ginger and thyme. Plus I really like the way you’ve presented your process shots, grouped together the photos tell a mini story, which is so much more useful and meaningful than most ‘how-to” guides.
In Den Haag, Lyle’s Golden Syrup is available at the Van Dijk Co-op (Ursulaland 80-82) and at Thomas Green (Frederik Hendriklaan 71). I don’t know if the American product Karo Light Syrup is available anywhere in The Netherlands, but that would be a good substitute.
I saw fresh beets at the AH a few days ago–think I’ll try this!