Benefits of beet leaves for the human body. The benefits and harms of beets and beet tops. Canned red beet tops

The article dated January 27, 2012, “The first tops are the source of the first vitamins on your table,” talked about why it is important not to throw away beet tops, and use it for food as the first greens. This article provides recipes for a variety of dishes from beet tops, which can be prepared in order to provide yourself with maximum nutrition, to replenish the body with useful substances and vitamins, especially in early spring when our body experiences an acute lack of greenery.

Lenten cabbage soup from beet tops

For preparation you will need: water – 2 l; young cabbage leaves– 200 g; beet tops – 100 g; potatoes – 2 pcs.; carrots – 1 pc.; parsley and dill – 100 g; green onions – 100 g; Bay leaf, black peppercorns and salt - to taste.

Wash the potatoes and carrots, peel them, cut them into small cubes or strips, put them in boiling water, add salt. After cooking the soup for 10 minutes, add chopped herbs, cabbage and beet leaves to it, cook for another 10 minutes. 3 minutes before the end of cooking, add pepper and bay leaf to the soup.

Beetroot from beet tops and sorrel

For preparation you will need: water – 2 liters, beet tops- 1 kg; sorrel – 200 g, cucumber – 2 pcs.; radishes – 1 bunch; green onions – 1 bunch; dill – 1 bunch; salt - to taste.

Dial fresh beet tops, wash, put in a saucepan, add boiling water, cook for 12 minutes, then add the washed sorrel and cook for another 10 minutes. Then remove the greens from the broth, grind them through a meat grinder, and cool and strain the broth. Mix the greens minced through a meat grinder with the broth. Finely chop the dill, onions, radishes and cucumbers, put them in a tureen, pour over the resulting broth with herbs, add salt to taste and stir.

Beetroot from beet tops with vegetables

For preparation you will need: water – 1.5 l; beets with young tops – 3 pcs.; potatoes 3 pcs.; radishes – 1 bunch; fresh cucumber – 2 pcs.; 3% vinegar or lemon juice- 2 tbsp. spoons; green onions, parsley, dill, sugar, salt - to taste.

Wash the beets, peel them, put them in 1.5 liters of water and cook. Remove the beets, add salt and granulated sugar to the beet broth, then cool. Boil potatoes separately. Place chopped potatoes, beets, beet tops, cucumbers, radishes and green onions into the beet broth, add vinegar or lemon juice to add a sour taste, and sprinkle with chopped herbs when serving.

Borsch from beet tops with vegetables

For preparation you will need: beets with young tops – 100 g; potatoes – 75 g; carrots – 20 g; parsley – 10 g; onions – 20 g; zucchini – 50 g; fresh tomatoes – 40 g; pork fat – 10 g; sour cream – 20 g; vinegar 3% – 3 g; greens – 3g; spices, salt - to taste.

Wash, peel, and cut beets, carrots, zucchini and tomatoes into slices. Wash the beet tops, separate the petioles from the leaves, finely chop to a length of no more than 1 cm, peel the onion and chop finely. Combine and saute all vegetables prepared in this way. Cut the beet leaves into pieces. Bring the broth to a boil, add sautéed vegetables, bring to a boil again, add beet leaves, potatoes and cook for 15-20 minutes. 5 minutes before cooking, add spices to the borscht. When serving, season with sour cream and sprinkle with chopped herbs.

Salad from beet tops with horseradish

For cooking you will need: beets with young tops – 3 pcs.; horseradish - 1 root; onions – 2 pcs.; vegetable oil – 2 tbsp. spoons; granulated sugar – 1 tbsp. spoon; parsley, vinegar, salt - to taste.

Wash the beets, peel them, bake in the oven until softened and cut into slices. Wash and chop beet tops. Wash the horseradish, peel it, grate it, cut the onion into thin rings. Mix all ingredients, add vinegar and oil and refrigerate for 2 hours.

Salad from beet tops with tomatoes and herbs

For preparation you will need: fresh leaves beets – 100 g; arugula – 150 g, young spinach leaves – 50 g; leek – 50 g; cherry tomatoes 10 pcs.; olive oil, grape sauce - to taste.

Thoroughly wash and coarsely chop beet leaves, spinach, leeks, arugula, pour over olive oil and add grape sauce. Place the prepared greens in the middle of the plate, place cherry tomatoes cut in half along the edges of the plate, do not add salt and serve.

Garnish from beet tops

Collect young beet tops, wash thoroughly and finely chop. Simmer for 10 minutes, add salt to taste, add parsley, dill, finely chopped garlic, season with sour cream or any vegetable oil.

Vitamin-salty seasoning from beet tops

Prepare 1 kg young beet tops, which appears early, when the body still lacks greenery. Sort the tops, wash, cut into small pieces no larger than 2 cm, mix with table salt in the amount of 0.7 kg. Sterilize jars beet tops Mixed with salt, place in jars in dense layers and close with lids. Use the resulting seasoning as vitamin supplement for first or other courses. It is recommended to store the seasoning in the refrigerator (not in the freezer); be sure to rinse it before use to remove excess salt stream of water. You can make a vitamin-salty seasoning from the mixture beet tops with tops of carrots, turnips, radishes, radishes, it all depends on what you have available.

Pickled petioles beet tops

For preparation you will need: young leaf petioles beet tops– 5 kg; sheet white cabbage– 4 pcs., rock salt – 100 g.

Dial young beet tops, separate the petioles of the tops from the leaves, wash the petioles thoroughly with water, and chop into small pieces. Place cabbage leaves on the bottom of any enamel dish of suitable size (can be replaced with beet leaves). Place a layer of petioles on cabbage leaves beet tops, to sprinkle rock salt, then lay the next layer of petioles, which again sprinkle with rock salt, etc. Place pressure on top of the petioles. When the petioles give juice, cover the container with the petioles with a thick cloth and place in a cool place. You can use pickled beet tops for cooking various firsts vegetable dishes.

Spring came. And with it comes a natural opportunity to eat healthy! What will our diet be like? Should we replace a hearty winter breakfast with skim cheese And Fresh Juice? Will our dinner consist of salad? And what will this salad be like?

With the advent of more and more adherents healthy eating, on the shelves of a modern supermarket you can find an abundance of herbs and lettuce.

So, gastronomic greens: Lolo rossa, Lolo bianca, Watercress, Mung lettuce, Iceberg, Friese, Romaine, Oakleaf, Corn, Head lettuce, Leaf lettuce, Arugula, Chicory, Butterhead, Chard... And precisely the last one, Mangold, I would like to pay special attention.

But in fact, Chard is beet leaves. Yes, exactly them. Table leaves, red beet.

Of course, scientists have worked hard to ensure that the plant gives strength to the tops, and not to the root itself. And therefore Chard is a green, not a vegetable. A very versatile green though. Moreover, there is a red leaf and a green leaf, which is obtained from fodder (sugar) beets. And there is already a yellow and silver leaf. On the shelves of Ukraine and Russia we find only miniature leaves mixed with arugula or lolo rossa. Much less often you can buy Chard separately.

In the markets of Europe and Asia you will find quite large leaves of Chard. The length of the leaf with petiole reaches 70 cm.

Asians use beet tops in any form: raw, boiled, baked. The Chinese have a cuisine culture that they call "samovar". At the dining table there is an electric stove with a pot of boiling water on it. On the trays lie the ingredients of your meal in raw (live) form: sorrel, chard, spinach, octopus, shrimp, etc. You take them, dip the ingredients in boiling water one by one for a few minutes, and put them on your plate. This way no one wastes time on separate preparation, everything is prepared and eaten at the table. A lot of chard and sorrel are eaten.

Europeans prefer to add chard to a variety of salads, pasta sauce, omelet and casserole, and prepare a side dish for meat. Risotto with Chard has a special taste.

But how “new” is Mangold in our Slavic cuisine? Yes, he is not a newbie at all, I tell you.

I remember very well from childhood, how in the spring, at my great-grandmother Daria, a “water garden” appeared on the windowsill. Sprouted onions and beets were placed in jars of water, and there they continued their cycle of rebirth. We added young beet shoots to salad, omelet and borscht with young nettles and sorrel. It was very tasty! I'll tell you more. Grandma cooked cabbage rolls... with beet leaves instead of cabbage. Try it during the season, you will be delighted! Only beet leaves, unlike cabbage leaves, do not need to be boiled in boiling water, but lightly doused with boiling water and quickly taken back out. They behave in preparation and during the cooking process itself, like spinach.

Our great-great parents knew well how to get the maximum benefit from the plant.

Restaurants in the city actively use greens in their menus, including chard. But chefs call it nothing other than beet leaf. For now, the leaf is used only in salads.

But who knows, perhaps today you will see a Chard pie on the menu of your favorite restaurant.

About the benefits: Swiss chard is very rich in vitamins C, B, B2, O, PP, P, contains carbohydrates, nitrogenous substances, organic acids, carotene, potassium salts, calcium, phosphorus, iron, lithium, etc.

Beetroot is a unique vegetable. Not only the vitamin-rich root vegetable is used for food, but also the tops, regular use which normalizes metabolism, prevents atherosclerosis, helps with gastritis and liver diseases.

The benefits of beet tops

Beet tops has mass useful properties, it contains more vitamins than root vegetables. It is recommended to prepare dishes with tops and include them in the diet of people who are sick diabetes mellitus and anemia, as well as having problems with the heart and thyroid gland. In addition, it perfectly improves bowel function and helps cope with constipation.

Vitamin P contained in beet tops is good prophylactic against sclerosis and internal hemorrhages, increases the elasticity of blood vessels. Help regulate metabolism and activate hematopoiesis such useful microelements contained in beet tops, such as phosphorus, calcium, manganese, potassium and iron salts.

Beetroot leaves and stems are also rich in vitamin U, which is effective in treating chronic gastritis, stomach ulcers and duodenum. In addition, he is considered one of the effective means, slowing down the aging process of the body.

It has been experimentally established that beet leaves, stems and roots have an antitumor effect.

Dishes made from beet tops promote weight loss and remove “bad” cholesterol. This is facilitated by the strong antioxidant betaine. And thanks high content iodine and cobalt, regular consumption of beet leaves and stems improves memory and helps to concentrate well.

Due to the high sugar content, the root vegetable tastes more pleasant than the tops, which, due to large quantity useful substances often bitter. To soften its taste, it is recommended to pour boiling water over the tops before use.

Beet tops are used in folk medicine and cosmetology, it has also gained popularity in cooking. The tops are used to make fillings for pies and pies, prepare salads, casseroles and first courses, and also prepare them for future use: dried, salted, pickled and canned.

Recipes for using beet tops

Beet tops are quite often used to prepare first courses; they are added to borscht, okroshka, botvinya, beetroot soup and even fish soup.

To prepare botvinya, you need to take:

1 liter of bread kvass; - 250 milliliters of white kvass; - 3 young beets along with tops; - 2 cups sorrel (scalded); - 1 glass of young nettle (scalded); - ½ lemon; - 1 tablespoon of horseradish; - 1 teaspoon mustard; - 1 cucumber; - green onions; - fresh dill; - sugar; - salt.

First of all, rinse the beet tops and root vegetables very well on all sides. Then chop the tops with a knife and pour boiling water over them. This will make it tender and soft and completely destroy the specific taste, which may not be to everyone’s liking. After this, cut into small pieces root vegetable and simmer it along with the tops in a small amount of water.

Finely chop the pre-washed and scalded sorrel and nettles and mix with the prepared tops and beets. Wash the green onions and dill, chop, rub with salt and add to the rest of the ingredients.

Mix bread kvass with light. Scald the lemon, grate the zest and sprinkle it with granulated sugar, and squeeze the juice from half a lemon. Add to kvass lemon zest and juice, add mustard and grated horseradish, as well as beets, tops with herbs and finely chopped cucumber. Mix everything well and put it in the refrigerator for 20 minutes to infuse.

To prepare vitamin okroshka with beet tops you need to take:

3 bunches of young beets along with tops; - 3 cucumbers; - 2 eggs; - 1 tablespoon of lemon juice; - 1 liter of kefir; - 100 milliliters of sour cream; - 2 tablespoons of finely chopped dill; - salt.

Separate the beet leaves from the petioles. Wash young root vegetables thoroughly and grate on a coarse grater. Cut the beet stalks into cubes. Place everything in an enamel pan, add freshly squeezed lemon juice, add hot boiled water and heat everything together for 2-3 minutes over low heat. Then remove from the stove and let it brew for 10–15 minutes.

While the broth is cooling, thoroughly rinse and cut the beet leaves into strips. Peel the hard-boiled eggs and finely chop them. Wash and cut the cucumbers into thin strips. Then combine all the prepared products and place them in a saucepan with the broth. Mix a liter of kefir with half a liter of cold boiled water, season with salt and pour this mixture over the vegetables and tops.

Serve vitamin okroshka with sour cream, sprinkled with chopped dill.

Beet tops are an ideal ingredient for dietary salads. It goes well with cucumbers, radishes, spinach, and nuts. As a dressing you can use vegetable oil, pomegranate juice, balsamic vinegar

A pie filled with beet tops is tasty and appetizing; to prepare it you will need:

500 grams of flour (wheat); - ½ cup of vegetable oil; - 1 cup of warm water; - 200 grams of beet tops; - 1 onion; - 2 cloves of garlic; - 150 grams of suluguni; - ground black pepper; - salt.

Healthy and tasty - beet tops

In late spring and early summer, the season for young vegetables begins. Market stalls are full of bright and rich colors, and young beets are hard to miss, especially if these beets have juicy, bright tops. Unfortunately, many housewives rush to cut off and throw away the tops, not realizing at all how healthy and healing they are and that many different delicious dishes can be prepared from beet tops.

Also in Soviet times Medical scientists have proven that the leafy parts of many vegetables chemical composition even superior to the root vegetables themselves. By the way, beet tops were highly valued in ancient times for the many beneficial substances they contained.
For example, beet tops, in addition to ascorbic and folic acid, vitamins B1, B2, P, PP, there is also iron, calcium, potassium, magnesium and iodine. And there is several times more vitamin C than in beets themselves.

While the weighty beetroot has not yet formed, it is necessary to take advantage of its valuable leaves by eating them. From them you can prepare a lot of tasty and healthy dishes: salads, soups, cutlets, filling for pies, cabbage rolls, pancakes and much more. Dishes made from tops are very useful for people suffering from cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, anemia and people with problems with the thyroid gland.

Vitamin P, which is found in beets and their tops, increases elasticity blood vessels, prevents sclerosis and internal hemorrhages. Salts of iron, manganese, potassium, calcium, phosphorus, cobalt, which activate hematopoiesis and regulate metabolism.
It contains a lot of vitamin U, which is used in complex therapy sick peptic ulcer stomach and duodenum suffering chronic gastritis. organic matter beets - betaine - is involved in the formation of choline.
Choline, in turn, improves liver function and protects it from fatty degeneration, and pectin substances suppress the activity of putrefactive intestinal bacteria. And it’s not for nothing that this vegetable is considered the best remedy from aging of the body.
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If you grind a beet leaf and apply it to your forehead for a headache, your condition will improve within 15 minutes. Crushed leaves are useful to apply to sore eyes. Tops brewed with boiling water at the rate of a tablespoon of crushed leaves per glass of boiling water improves intestinal activity and helps cope with constipation. The decoction is taken several times a day, a quarter cup.

The wound-healing effect of the tops is useful for those whose skin is prone to cracking: beet leaves are crushed and applied to the skin in bandages or a decoction of the tops is used for washing and compresses. By the way, this decoction also alleviates joint diseases; foot baths are made from it.

Studies have shown that not only beet roots, but also its stems and leaves have an antitumor effect. Therefore, salads and beet tops must be included in the diet for the treatment and prevention of cancer.
Beet tops in cooking

The tops are used for food different countries differently. In Russia, the tops are put into borscht, which is popularly called summer borscht. Below is the recipe for borscht.
500 g young beets with tops, 4 potatoes, 300 g zucchini, 2-3 tomatoes, 1-2 carrots, 1-2 onions, 1 tbsp. spoon of 3% vinegar, 1 teaspoon of oil; sour cream and salt to taste.

Wash the beets thoroughly, cut off the tops, peel, put in boiling water, add diced potatoes and cook the beets with potatoes. 10-15 minutes before readiness, add finely chopped beet tops, fried onions, carrots, tomatoes, zucchini in oil, add salt, vinegar and sugar. 5 minutes before serving, remove the beets, grate them on a coarse grater, and put them back into the borscht. Serve with sour cream.
In Georgia they cook from tops cold snack called "phali". The appetizer is generously flavored with spices, and the beet tops give the appetizer not only a pleasant taste, but also a beautiful, appetizing appearance.
Beet tops - 1 kg, nuts - 200-300 g, onions - 1 medium, garlic - 2-3 cloves, Imeretian saffron, utskho suneli - 1 teaspoon each, cilantro seeds - 1/2 teaspoon dry ground, green cilantro - 1 large bunch, vinegar, salt, hot red pepper - to taste.
Boil the beet tops briefly in a small amount of water. Place on a sieve and let the water drain. Then squeeze it well with your hands. Chop the well-squeezed beet tops very finely with a knife or grind in a meat grinder with a frequent grinder.
Prepare nut dressing. Grind the nuts as finely as possible. Chop the onion into very thin half rings. Sprinkle the onion with salt and leave for 10-15 minutes. Then squeeze the bitterness out of it. Grind the garlic into a paste. Chop the greens very finely or grind them in a meat grinder after the tops.
Add onion, garlic, herbs, utskho suneli, Imeretian saffron, dry ground seeds cilantro, vinegar, red hot pepper, salt. Mix everything well until smooth. Roll the mixture into balls, place on a serving plate, and cool before serving.
In Karachay-Cherkessia they prepare pies from beet tops unleavened dough. The tops add juiciness to the filling.
wheat flour - 170 g, homemade cheese - 175 g, green onions - 15 g, beet tops - 300 g, butter - 20 g, salt - to taste.
Sort out the young beet leaves, rinse, chop finely, and squeeze out the juice. Add chopped homemade cheese and mix thoroughly. Knead soft unleavened dough. Cut into equal parts, roll each part to the size of the pan. Grease a frying pan with oil, place one layer of dough, place minced meat on it, cover with another layer and pinch the edges. Bake in the oven. Remove the finished pie, make a hole on top and place butter. When it melts, cut the pie and serve.

Beetroot stew

Ingredients: 0.5 kg of young beet tops, 2 cloves garlic, 1-2 onions, bell pepper 1 pc., cheese 100 g, salt, pepper, sweet paprika to taste, olive or vegetable oil.

Method of preparation: Pour oil into a frying pan with high sides. Onion, Bell pepper and finely chop the garlic, place in oil and fry until golden brown. Rinse the tops thoroughly under running water, shake off excess water, cut. Add to the onion and garlic, stir and simmer, stirring constantly with a wooden spatula. Pour in a little cold water, stir, add spices. Grate the cheese. Place the hot stew on a plate, sprinkle with cheese and serve. We recommend serving the stew with black bread toast with garlic.

Baking lovers can try making pies and even pies filled with beet tops, and healthy eating enthusiasts can make original cutlets. To do this, take large beet leaves, wash them well, chop them finely (the smaller the better), add a raw egg and flour (based on 6 leaves - one egg and two to three tablespoons of flour), salt, pepper and mix. Form small cutlets from the resulting mass and roll in flour, fry in a heated frying pan in vegetable oil. Serve hot with sour cream. Beet leaves can be used to prepare not only everyday dishes, but also gourmet dishes. holiday snacks, for example with nuts - we dare to assure you that it will become a worthy decoration for your table.

Pie with beet tops

Ingredients: flour about 300 g, butter 150 g, egg 1 pc., 2 tbsp. l. water, a pinch of salt. For the filling we will need: young tops 1 kg, butter 30-50 g, minced chicken 400 g, garlic 1-2 cloves, 1 bunch of parsley, spices to taste.

Method of preparation: First, prepare the shortbread dough. To do this, pour flour into a container in a heap and make a depression. Pour the egg, water and salt into the well. Knead the dough, cover with a towel, and place in the refrigerator. Rinse the tops thoroughly under running water, shake off excess water, chop and boil for 10 minutes. Melt the butter in a frying pan, fry the minced chicken with garlic and chopped parsley. Drain excess water from the tops, add to the minced meat, simmer for another 5 minutes. Roll out the dough into two layers. Place the first one in a greased mold and pierce it with a fork. Place the filling, cover with the second cake layer, and seal the edges. Place in the oven and bake at 180-200 degrees for about an hour.

How to prepare a salad from beet tops?

Beet tops have long been used to prepare delicious green salads.

Before preparing the salad, the beet leaves need to be washed well, finely chopped and doused with boiling water (then the leaves will be softer and more tender, the specific taste will disappear). Beet leaves go well with cucumbers, radishes, cabbage, spinach, lettuce, dill, parsley, cilantro, eggs and nuts.

It is better to season salads with beet tops with vegetable or olive oil, which can be mixed with lemon, apple or pomegranate juice. If desired, you can season the salad with sour cream or mayonnaise.

Salad of beet leaves and walnuts.

200 g beet tops
garlic clove,
3 tablespoons vegetable oil,
parsley, cilantro, dill,
1/4 cup kernels walnuts,
lemon juice,
salt to taste.

Wash and finely chop the beet leaves, boil in salted water (approx. 10 minutes), drain in a colander. Grind with a wooden spoon and pour in a mixture of vegetable oil and garlic, chopped and mashed with salt.
Sprinkle parsley, cilantro, dill, crushed walnut kernels on top of the salad. Sprinkle with lemon juice.

Egg and beet tops salad

200 g fresh beet tops,
50 g green salad,
dill, parsley,
50 g sunflower oil,
1 egg,
salt,
lemon juice

Finely chop beet leaves, green salad, dill and parsley, season with vegetable oil.
Add chopped boiled egg, salt and sprinkle with lemon juice.

Pkhali from beet tops

Beet tops - 1 bunch; garlic - 1 clove; cilantro - 1 bunch; walnuts (chopped) - 1 cup; hot red pepper, salt - to taste; vinegar - 2 tbsp. l.
Tops from one bunch of beets.
Boil in salted water.
5 cloves of garlic, a bunch of cilantro, 1 cup of walnuts - grind everything in a meat grinder. Add salt to taste, hot red pepper and 2 tbsp. spoons of vinegar. I used balsamic (tastier). Make cutlets. It turned out to be 8 cutlets. I liked it very much....

Tops appearing on vegetable shelves are one of the most pleasant harbingers of the spring-summer season. During this period, we should not deny ourselves the tender leaves of sugar beet, because they are a real treasure trove of useful substances, especially vitamin C. A glass of tops satisfies more than half of our daily need for this organic compound, which very effectively strengthens the immune system, helps repel bacterial attacks and viruses.

Another important component tops - vitamin E - is responsible for good condition skin: has an excellent effect on hydration, prevents drying and the appearance of pigmented age spots. Beet tops also supply us with a solid dose of bioflavonoids, which protect the heart and circulatory system. It also contains sulfur compounds that inhibit the development of cancer cells.

Hormonal strength

Recently, scientists have discovered phytoestrogens in beet leaves, that is, plant compounds that act in the same way as human hormones and have many valuable properties. First of all, they influence the mitigation of problems associated with menopause: they fight hot flashes, excessive sweating, sleep disturbances, dizziness, fatigue, depressive state, irritability, palpitations, feeling of suffocation. Phytoestrogens act as hormone blockers and effectively protect against prostate, breast and thyroid gland. They improve concentration, overall brain function and reduce the risk of serious cardiovascular diseases by causing a decrease in “bad” cholesterol and an increase in “good” cholesterol.

However, you need to know that beet tops are a rich source of oxalic acid, a substance that impedes the absorption of magnesium and calcium. Excess of it weakens bones and teeth, and also promotes the formation of kidney stones. People suffering from illnesses should remember this urinary system, fat digestion disorders or intestinal diseases.

How to eat beet tops?

Tops can be easily purchased in stores and markets. When going for it, you need to choose specimens with deep color and elastic leaves and ignore wilted or yellowed ones. “With age,” the leaves become red and uneven, which, however, does not affect their taste.

Vegetable doesn't like it too much long storage. The tops will remain fresh and elastic longer if you place them in a paper bag that provides air and moisture. In this form, it is placed in the refrigerator without rinsing the leaves, since excess moisture can accelerate their rotting. Wash this plant immediately before cooking. They do it in cold water, and then rinse thoroughly to remove sand and other contaminants.

Beet leaves are the basis for cold plant, made from sour milk, kefir or buttermilk and various additives: cucumbers, radishes, boiled eggs. You can make delicious Botvinnik from beet leaves. In this case, they are simply boiled in meat or vegetable broth and seasoned with a small amount of sour cream.

The tops should be cooked covered in a saucepan, without adding water. Enough droplets that will remain on the leaves while rinsing, as well as a little butter or olive oil.

Tender leaves will be an exquisite addition to the main dish; they go well with garlic, shallots, Roman cumin, and hot chili sauce. The tops can be eaten raw (for example, as part of a salad) or used to enrich spring pies or casseroles. There is an excellent dish of beet tops in Georgian cuisine: the tops are boiled, thoroughly squeezed out of water and seasoned with chopped walnuts And delicious spices. This snack is called “phali”.

Home cultivation

If you don’t have confidence in tops purchased in a store or market, you can easily grow them at home. Such microgreens are one of the most fashionable “nutritional” trends. recent years. Vegetarians and other fans willingly treat themselves to young plants. healthy food, and the most famous chefs are happy to decorate the dishes served in their restaurants with them.

To grow the tops yourself, you need to put a little good soil in pots, boxes on the windowsill or another container, scatter the seeds over it and cover it with another, thinner layer. Plants are located in sunny place, not forgetting about regular watering. When they sprout, you need to wait about 2 weeks, after which you can start cutting them and eating them.

Beet leaves, although small in size, can surprise with their richness of flavor. Therefore, they make a good addition to salads, sandwiches or omelettes. They also make an attractive garnish for pasta or pizza dishes. It is important to remember that microgreens should be eaten raw because heat treatment destroys many valuable components.