Vegetarian Recipe: Candied Beets

Every week on the Good Food Blog we celebrate Meatless Monday by sharing a vegetarian recipe from our archives.

Marcus Samuelsson is the chef of New York’s Aquavit restaurant. His book of the same name is published by Houghton Mifflin. He first shared this recipe for Candied Beetson November 15, 2003.

Keep reading for the full recipe…

Candied Beets

Makes about 2 cups

• 2 large or 3-4 small beets, trimmed and peeled

• 1 stalk fresh lemongrass, tough outer leaves removed, tender inner stalk lightly smashed and cut into 12-inch pieces

• 1 cup sugar

• 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar

• 1/4 cup freshly squeezed orange juice

• 2 1/2 Tablespoons honey

Serve the beets as a garnish for any pork dish. They can also be served with cheesecake or vanilla ice cream.

1. Slice the beets into 1/2-inch thick rounds, then cut into 1/2-inch dice. Tie up the lemongrass in a piece of cheesecloth.

2. Combine the beets, cheesecloth bag, sugar, brown sugar, orange juice and honey in a medium saucepan. Bring to a simmer, stirring to dissolve sugar, then reduce the heat and simmer gently for 45 minutes to 1 hour until the beets are soft.

3. Transfer the beets and cooking liquid to a bowl or other container; discard the cheesecloth bag. Let the beets cool in the liquid, then refrigerate until needed.