Fresh summer veggies meet nutty sesame oil and salty soy sauce in this recipe for Beet Fried Rice. This is a great and creative way to enjoy summer’s freshest produce.
When other kids thumbed their noses at beets as a child, I was grateful. More for me. The root vegetable with its often ruby interior has long been a favorite — boiled, roasted or otherwise.
My kids got that from me.
They’re enthusiastic consumers of all things beets. Beet greens bruschetta? Sure! Roasted beets? Sure! Beets in salads, stirfries, sandwiches or as a side dish? Bring it on!
When we plan our garden each year, it always includes beets.
And when you have lots of beets to enjoy, you can get creative with them. This recipe for Beet Fried Rice is a great example of how to great creative when cooking with beets.
How to Make Beet Fried Rice
This recipe begins with chopping. Beets, their stems and their leaves are chopped up. So are scallions and garlic. All of that is sauteed together with a hint of salt and pepper until its tender.
Sesame oil and rice come next, adding complexity and bulk to the dish. Fry it all together for a bit.
Then drizzle it with soy sauce. You’ll want to let the fried rice simmer for a bit so that the flavors mingle together, creating a fresh dish with hints of your favorite restaurant fried rices.
This is summery flavors meets comfort food.
A few things you should know about Beet Fried Rice: The beets are bold in flavor. So you will get the nutty flavor of the sesame oil and the complexity of the salty soy sauce, but you’ll also get the fresh flavors of beets front and center. Also, this fried rice recipe is very veggie-forward. In other words, the vegetable to rice ratio is high. It’s intended to be.
Beet Fried Rice Recipe
Fresh summer veggies meet nutty sesame oil and salty soy sauce in this recipe for Beet Fried Rice. This is a great and creative way to enjoy summer's freshest produce.
Ingredients
- 4 beets, with greens (about 2 to 2½ inches in diameter), rinsed in cool water
- 1 bunch scallions, chopped (use both white and green parts)
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- ½ tsp kosher salt
- ½ tsp ground black pepper
- 1 tbsp sesame oil
- 3 cups leftover cooked rice
- ½ cup low-sodium soy sauce
Instructions
- Separate the beets from the greens. Dice the beets (about ¼-inch dice). Set aside in a large bowl. Separate the beet greens from the stems and set aside. Chop the stems and add to the bowl with the beets. Add the chopped scallions to the bowl, and the minced garlic.
- Heat the olive oil in a large skillet or saute pan with a lid set over medium heat. (Mine is about 15-inches in diameter, and has a 6-quart capacity. A wok would work as well.) Add the beet mixture to the pan and season with salt and pepper. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until the beets are tender -- about 10-12 minutes.
- While the beets are cooking, chop the beet greens. When the beets are tender, add to the pan and cover again. Cook for 5-6 minutes, or until wilted. Stir to combine.
- Push the veggies to one side of the pan. Add the sesame oil, and then the rice. Toss together and let fry slightly, then combine with the veggies. Drizzle with soy sauce and stir to combine.
- Leaving the pan uncovered, cook, stirring occasionally, until the liquid evaporates.
Kate
Tuesday 14th of July 2020
Ohhhh I should plant beets!
Sarah Walker Caron
Tuesday 14th of July 2020
Do it! They are wonderful to grow and fantastic to harvest!