Beet Greens

Beet greens are the leaves and stems attached to beetroot bulbs. They are entirely edible and have a flavour profile similar to silverbeet (chard) — earthy, slightly mineral, with tender leaves and crunchy red-veined stems. Young leaves are mild enough for salads, while mature greens are best cooked.

Often discarded or overlooked, beet greens are a genuine two-for-one when you buy fresh beetroot with tops attached. They can be sautéed with garlic and olive oil, wilted into pasta, added to soups, or used anywhere you might use silverbeet or spinach. The stems take a little longer to cook than the leaves, so it helps to add them to the pan first.

Beet greens are best used soon after purchase, as they wilt quickly. If buying beetroot specifically for the greens, look for bunches with fresh, perky leaves rather than limp or yellowing tops.

Farmed
photograph to come — from twenty years of markets, farms and kitchens

How it's made

Beet greens are harvested as a by-product of beetroot farming. When beetroot is pulled or dug from the ground, the leafy tops are trimmed from the bulb. For fresh market sale, the greens are left attached to the beetroot bunch. They can also be harvested by cutting young leaves from growing beetroot plants without disturbing the root, though this is less common commercially.

Nutrition (per 100g)

Energy 21kcal
Protein 1.6g
Carbs 2.1g
Fat 0.1g
Fibre 2.6g Sugar 0.9g
Mass Distribution

What it costs the planet (per kilo)

Carbon ≈0.4kg
Freshwater ≈28L
Land ≈0.3m²

≈ Estimated — worked out from a category-typical value further up its supply chain. Where this comes from →

Where it comes from

In the kitchen

Used as

sautéed leafy green

Classic dishes
  • Sautéed beet greens
  • Beet green frittata
  • Wilted greens with garlic

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Where this data comes from

Nutrition data from

USDA

How it was calculated

Analytical (Atwater Imputation)

Full credits, licences, and methods: the sources page →

Where to next

made fromBeetroot, leaves goes well withgarlic goes well withlemon goes well witholive oil goes well withchilli goes well withvinegar shares a sourceBaby Food Beets shares a sourceBeetroot shares a sourceBeetroot Powder shares a sourceCanned & Pickled Beets shares a sourceGolden Beet
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