Kitchen Garden Forum

Yestday I picked a bucket full of beetroot and have armfuls of lush green leaves. I've read that these can be cooked like spinach and am ashamed that I've never tried doing this before, only having picked the young leaves for use in salads. Do any of you cook them and if so, do they have a beetroot flavour, or do they taste like spinach/Swiss Chard? It seems a pity to waste them if they cook nicely.

I don't know about cooking, but some people eat them raw in salad. Not sure if they are good to be eaten uncooked though - does anyone know for sure?

I've now cooked a bunch of these leaves for lunch. They were delicious, tasted very much like spinach and didn't have any of the beetroot-earthy flavour associated with the root. Like spinach, they cook down considerably so you need a fair quantity, but having tried them once, I'll certainly be using the remainder instir fries, minestrone soup and for making a cheese and "spinach" savoury flan.

What a good idea, Primrose! I harvested two large beetroot only yesterday, cut off the lovely crisp leaves and put them on the compost heap because it never occurred to me that they could be cooked (we do eat the young ones in salads). So next time I shall certainly give the leaves a go, too.

Certainly eaten them both raw (when small) and cooked. Good food and colourful too.