Would you all believe me if I told you that I became a farmer so I could plant and eat as many beets as my little heart desires? It's an honest fact! My husband and I have a six-acre farm and we dedicated a LOT of that land to multiple rows of beets. It's true love. Beets are my spirit vegetable (yes, that is a thing!).
In my opinion, there is nothing more delicious than a farm-fresh beet. If you are a beet lover, I would highly suggest seeding beets in your garden. Beets do well in cooler climates, but can survive in warm weather too! They appreciate fertile soil and a lot of water. One of the most important things to know about growing beets is that they need a little room to grow big, so thinning a row of germinated beets is necessary -- thin so they are about three inches apart.
Beets are ready anywhere from 50-70 days after seeding. I tend to like smaller beets (I think they are sweeter) so I harvest them young. It's totally up to you though!
If you're not up for growing your own beets, don't worry! You can find fresh beets with healthy greens attached at most farmers markets throughout the summer and fall. I always recommend heading to your local farmers market to search for your produce and hopefully you'll get to meet your farmer, which is always a great thing! Grab your farm fresh goods and run home to whip up this easy and delicious farm fresh pizza.
I am a little embarrassed to admit that I never knew that beet greens were edible (and delicious) until I started farming five years ago. If I could take back all of the amazing beet greens I've thrown out over the years, I would do so in a heartbeat! Beet greens are not only nutritious, but they add a nice and mellow flavor to any dish and can stand in for leafy greens in pastas, salads, and - as in this case - pesto.
We topped our Beet Green Pesto pizza with some fresh spring greens and a drizzle of olive oil. It was an absolutely wonderful meal complete with a bottle of good wine and great friends to share the bounty of beets.
Recipe
Ingredients
For the roasted beets:
- 2 large beets peeled and sliced into ¼-inch rounds
- 2 tablespoons olive oil + more for drizzling
- Pinch of sea salt
For the beet green pesto:
- 1 bunch beet greens about 4 cups
- 3 garlic cloves chopped
- ½ cup chopped raw walnuts
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
- ¼ cup olive oil
To assemble the pizza:
- 1 pound pizza dough homemade or store-bought
- ¾ cup crumbled goat cheese
- ½ cup chopped raw walnuts
- ½ cup mixed spring greens
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425°F.
- Toss the sliced beets with 2 tablespoons olive oil and a pinch of salt. Place in a single layer on a prepared baking sheet and bake in the oven until fork tender, 10-12 minutes. Remove from oven and set aside.
- While the beets cook, prepare the pesto. Place the beet greens, garlic, walnuts, salt, and pepper in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse until finely chopped. With the motor running slowly, drizzle in the olive oil. Continue to process until smooth, adding more oil if necessary to achieve a saucy consistency. Taste and add additional salt and pepper if desired.
- Roll out your dough to a 12-14-inch circle on a floured surface. Evenly spread the pesto on the crust, followed by the beets and goat cheese. Place the pizza in the oven and bake until the crust is just beginning to turn golden, 8-10 minutes. Remove the pizza from the oven and sprinkle with the walnuts. Continue cooking until the crust is golden brown, the cheese is melted, and the walnuts are golden and crisp, about 2 more minutes.
- Serve the pizza with mixed spring greens and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.
Mindy says
This. This right here. This is my version of heaven.
Rebecca Jacobs @fitandfabveganlife.com says
Looks super yummy! LOVE beet and walnut combo, will have to make a GF, vegan version of this awesome pie!
Jillian says
We are starting to get delicious beets in our CSA now, and I am super excited to try your recipe. Thank you for sharing this recipe, and your beautiful pictures!!! I would love for you to check out my blog, if you get a chance. I love beets and have some yummy beet recipes on there.
Katie (The Muffin Myth) says
I love beet greens! They always try to take them off at the farmer's market I go to and I always rescue mine... I'm tempted to ask for more greens but I think they use them for something as they separate beet greens and carrot tops (which I also save). I haven't tried making pesto from beet greens before, but I definitely will now!
Molly says
Great post!
Lori @ RecipeGirl says
What a great, creative idea for a recipe!
Alissa says
This post has got me wishing I'd made room in my garden for some beets. Definitely next year...for now I'll have to get some at the farmer's market, because this looks fantastic 🙂
Erica {Coffee & Quinoa} says
I need to find some beets with healthy-looking greens... I can't say I've ever come across any that the bugs hadn't had their way with first. This pesto will be first on my list when that happens! I love the idea of using beet greens in the pesto and then topping it with sliced beets 🙂
Jessica @ Jessiker Bakes says
I am a huge beet lover!! We grow a lot of vegetables and fruits (mangoes, bananas, plantains, tomatoes, green peppers, scotch bonnet peppers, parsley etc) but not beets and now I REALLY want to. Do you think it'll survive in a country as hot as Jamaica? Also, this pizza. HAS. GOT. ME. SALIVATING!!! It looks amazing! Pinning, and more importantly, trying it!
Andrea says
I'm jealous of the tropical fruit you can grow!!! I'm not sure how beets would do Jamaica but I would look into it if I were you!!!
Melissa @ Nourish By Melissa says
Can i order this pizza for lunch please?! Looks amazing 🙂
Margot says
I just finished eating a few slices of this- quick, easy, and delicious! As our food processor is unfortunately in storage right now, we picked up some refrigerated pesto instead of whipping up the recipe's pizza. This was definitely the worst part of the dish- it was too salty alongside the goat cheese. Obviously, this was our mistake; I would follow the recipe or tone down the goat cheese next time.
Also, I tried beets for the first time ever and loved them! Not sure if this was intentional, but the sliced beets looked amusingly like pepperoni.
So, in conclusion, 5 stars for a clever recipe that would have been flawless had we actually bothered to follow it. Keep up the good work! 🙂
Michelle @ Vitamin Sunshine says
I love beets! I've always just tossed the greens and thought nothing of it. It's just come to my attention how crazy that is!
Joanne says
I have to admit beets are NOT my spirit vegetable. But I've never tried the greens! Maybe I'd be more into them than I am the root itself!
Ali G says
I am just trying to use beet greens for the first time, and I'm so excited to make the pesto!
Are beet greens only include the leaves? Or does it usually mean everything that's not a beet? : ) Thanks!
Klaui says
I recently got addicted to beets, yet I've never came up with the idea of making a pizza with them! This one looks insanely delicious 🙂 I have to try it out.