What to Do With Leftover Beetroot

AKA Nature's clothes destroyer

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Homegrown beetroot, back when I had space to entertain such things

Despite its ability to stain clothes, skin, and your insides, beetroot is a big contender for my favourite vegetable.

I love it so much that I look for its flavours everywhere, including my wine. FYI, Cabernet Franc from the Loire Valley in France is the one to look for and makes a great pairing with beetroot (funnily enough).

In the UK, beets tend to be sold in bunches. And always in that awkward-sized bunch that supermarkets specialise in — too much for one serving, too little for two. There are always a couple of straggly little suckers that languish in my fridge for longer than I’d like.

Which is where these two recipes come in. Both are of the small-plate persuasion which can be scaled up if required. They can be part of a larger meal or — my personal preference — stuffed in your gob as an appetizer.

And both take less than 10 minutes to make.

Pretty much all the ingredients required for both these dishes are part of my personal Capsule Pantry so if you follow my list (which I know some of you do!) you won’t need to buy anything special to make either of these dishes.

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Beetroot Carpaccio

This dish is inspired by the excellent, but relatively unknown, recipe book Divine Food, a dive into Israeli and Palestinian food culture.

Being a carpaccio, it will test your knife skills. Make sure your chef’s knife is extremely sharp before attempting to slice the beetroot as thin as you possibly can. Or use a mandolin.