Root vegetables are budget conscious cooks’ best friends. They’re cheap, store well, and are (usually) full of flavor. Beets are one of my favorite varieties, so when temperatures dipped into the teens last week, I thought it was the perfect time to roast a few. I combined them with roasted sweet potatoes, dried cranberries, and mixed greens to create salads for lunch at work.

If you’ve never roasted beets before, it’s a simple process. Simply wash, roast, and peel. A beet roasting guide with photos and a recipe for a roasted beet salad can be found after the jump.

Roasted Red & Golden Beets

1. Pre-heat the oven to 400º F

2. If your beets come with leaves, cut them off. Scrub as much dirt as possible off of the beets and dry them thoroughly. Slice the tops off if you’d like, but it’s not required at this stage. I removed the tops in the photo below, revealing the red and golden beet flesh.

3. Wrap the beets up in an aluminum foil pocket. Create the pocket by folding a sheet of foil in half and crimping the edges. Don’t crimp the edged too tightly as you’ll want some steam to escape. Place the pocket on a baking sheet that’s also covered in aluminum foil. (If any beet juice escapes from the pocket, it can be difficult to scrub off the sheet later.)

4. Roast the beets for one hour (or until the beets are tender when poked with a fork).

5. Remove the beets from the oven and let them cool for 15-20 minutes.

6. Once they’re cool, peel the beets using a knife (and your hands as needed)  and slice them as desired. Red beets will stain your hands, so make sure to wash them quickly after peeling. Some people put on gloves to avoid staining, but I’ve found dish soap and some scrubbing removes most of the beet juice.

7. If you’d like to use the beets for a salad, dice the beets into half inch cubes. Toss with mixed greens, roasted sweet potatoes (peeedl, diced into half-inch cubes, tossed with a little olive oil, and roasted at 400º for about 30 minutes or until tender), dried cranberries, and a balsamic vinaigrette. A few thin slices of goat cheese would also be a great addition.

I love the color of the beet stems.