Fennel and orange transform ordinary beets into a special side dish in these Fennel Orange Roasted Beets. Perfect for a holiday dinner! Vegan, Paleo and Whole30 compliant.
Do you have beets that need a little extra love? These Fennel Orange Roasted Beets may be your solution.
We had an incredibly productive garden this year and have eaten fresh home-grown vegetables since the beginning of April. The soil in our raised beds seems to be perfectly suited for growing root vegetables and we've had bumper crops of carrots and beets.
While I never tire of fresh beets and I like them simply roasted in the oven, today I dressed them up and made this dish of Fennel Orange Roasted Beets. A winner!
Beets are one of the tastiest root vegetables. They have an earthy sweet flavour and a vibrant colour. I always roast them as it concentrates their flavour, caramelizing their natural sugars and making peeling them a breeze (other than causing stained fingers!)
Eat the Rainbow!
Nutritionists tell us to "Eat the Rainbow" to make sure we have a variety of colour and nutrients in our diet every day. Eating beets ensures we get that rich dark red colour. Beets are high in antioxidants and provide anti-inflammatory and detox support, too.
Do I have to peel beets?
While there is usually no need to peel beets if they are fresh, I chose to peel them for this recipe, simple because the ones I used had some imperfections, were different sizes and I wanted them to cook uniformly. Normally, I just remove the tops and root end, scrub them, and drizzle with a little oil before roasting. Once roasted, the skins will slip off easily.
These Fennel Orange Roasted Beets have hints of bright citrus from the orange and a delicate anise (or liquorice) flavour from fennel seeds. This recipe is an ideal way to brighten the flavour of beets later in the winter months when they have been stored for a while. Perfect as a side dish for a holiday dinner!
Fennel Orange Roasted Beets
Ingredients
- 5 or 6 medium beets washed and trimmed, peeled only if the skins are tough
- 1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 large orange zest and juice of
- 2 tbsp fennel seeds
- sea salt and pepper to taste
- parsley for garnish
Instructions
- Heat oven to 350°F.
- Peel beets if necessary, but if they're young, leave the skins on. Quarter or halve them to make them all the same size.
- In a medium bowl, toss the beets with oil, orange juice and zest, fennel seeds and salt and pepper.
- Transfer to a shallow baking dish and cover loosely with foil.
- Bake for 50 - 60 minutes or until tender when poked with a fork.
- Remove the foil and continue baking for 5-10 minutes until the liquid reduces and become syrupy.
- Garnish with parsley or chives and serve warm, or chill and serve cold.
Nutrition
I adapted this recipe from Fennel-Scented Beets in Michael Smith's cookbook Chef at Home.
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