History of beetroot consumption goes back to the prehistoric era, so I wouldn’t be surprised to learn that this vegetable touched lips of our paleo ancestors… Beets have amazing health benefits that include detoxifying, anti-cancer and anti-inflammatory properties. They are also rich in fiber and essential nutrients, such as Vitamin B, C, manganese and potassium. On top of that beets are a fantastic source of betaine, nutrient that protects our cells from environmental aggression.

This is great news considering that beetroot is one of the most versatile vegetables that can be cooked in a variety of ways and is delicious both cold and warm. Beets can be eaten raw as well as roasted, steamed, boiled or pickled and can be consumed ether alone or in combination with other vegetables and can even be added into desserts!

This amazing vegetable is very popular in many countries, including Russia, where borscht or beet soup is one of the most popular dishes prepared with beetroots. Beets are perhaps one of the vegetables I consumed the most while growing up. I love them for their ability to enrich other dishes, besides they are excellent as a stand-alone side dish (for example this recipe is one of the easiest I make with beets). I like to pair them with my signature citrus infused balsamic glaze as I find that this condiment complements best natural sweetness of beets making them taste beet-licious.

5.0 from 2 reviews

Roasted Beets with Orange Balsamic Reduction

 

Save Print

Prep time

15 mins

Cook time

1 hour 30 mins

Total time

1 hour 45 mins

 

Author: Zesty Paleo

Serves: 4-6

Ingredients

• 1 ½ pound beets*
• 2 tablespoons coconut oil, melted
• 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• ¼ teaspoon sea salt or to taste
• For orange balsamic reduction:
• ½ cup balsamic vinegar
• 2 tablespoons coconut sugar**
• ¼ cup orange juice
• 1 teaspoon orange zest

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 400F.
2. Cut each beetroot in half, then slice each half into four wedges and cut each wedge by half.
3. In a small bowl combine the coconut oil, thyme leaves, ground ginger and salt.
4. Arrange the beets on the baking dish and coat them with the prepared spicy oily mixture.
5. Wrap the baking dish tightly with aluminum foil, place on the medium rack of the oven and roast the beets for one and a half hour.
6. While the beets are roasting, prepare the orange balsamic reduction. In a medium size shallow saucepan combine the balsamic vinegar, coconut sugar, orange juice and zest and bring to a boil over medium high heat. Lower the heat and simmer until the sauce is reduced by half and thickens a bit, set aside.
7. Once the beets are ready, remove them from the oven and carefully discard the aluminum foil while trying not to burn yourself, as steam will escape from the beets.***
8. Pour the orange balsamic reduction over beets, stir to combine and serve!

Notes

*4 medium size beets
**Feel free to substitute with maple syrup or honey
***Test the beets with a fork and if they are still a bit hard return to the oven for additional 15 minutes or until fork tender.

Variations: Use lemon instead of orange and/or omit thyme and ginger for a purely citrus sensation. You can also use other root vegetables instead of beets.

3.5.3208