Golden Beet Cassoulet Recipe on Food52 (2024)

Fall

by:

September24,2014

4.3

3 Ratings

  • Serves 2 as a main dish, 4 as a side

Jump to Recipe

Author Notes

I'm always ready for fall. I love the crisp weather, color change, football, and the re-emergence of comforting stews and soups. This was my dinner last night from my weekend farmers market haul, served with an end-of-summer white wine, and eaten on the porch with a blanket in my lap. Enjoy! —

Test Kitchen Notes

WHO: Emily | Cinnamon&Citrus is a physician living in Cleveland, Ohio.
WHAT: An inventive, one-pot meal for winter vegetables.
HOW: Sauté vegetables and herbs in butter in a large sauté pan until cooked. Add milk, additional butter, and flour to make a creamy roux to coat the vegetables, then add beans. Top with garlicky bread crumbs.
WHY WE LOVE IT: As Emily says, this is the perfect meal for fall—it's simple to pull together, makes use of some of our favorite fall produce, and is designed to be eaten from a bowl on a chilly evening. If you need us, we'll be enjoying it outside with a blanket and a bottle of white wine—its bright colors will blend right in with the foliage. —The Editors

  • Test Kitchen-Approved

What You'll Need

Ingredients
  • For the cassoulet:
  • 4 tablespoonsbutter, divided
  • 1 medium onion, diced
  • 1 large carrot, diced
  • 3 ribs celery, diced
  • 1/2 teaspoonsalt
  • 2 turns (about 1/8 teaspoon) freshly grated nutmeg
  • 1 bunch golden beets (about 5 medium-sized beets), peeled, trimmed of roots and stems, cut into 3/4-inch dice, greens reserved
  • 1/4 teaspoonwhite pepper
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1/2 teaspooncelery seed
  • Leaves from 5 sprigs of thyme
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 tablespoonsall-purpose flour
  • 1 cupmilk
  • Freshly ground nutmeg, to taste
  • 2 whole cloves
  • one 15-ounce can cannellini beans
  • 1/4 cupdry white wine (I used Sauvignon Blanc)
  • Reserved beet greens, ribs removed, washed and chopped
  • For the garlic breadcrumbs:
  • 2 tablespoonsbutter
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 1 cupfresh, white bread crumbs
  • Pinch of salt and white pepper
Directions
  1. Melt 2 tablespoons of butter over medium-high heat in a large, heavy bottomed Dutch oven with a lid. Sauté the onion, carrot, and celery with salt, white pepper, bay, celery seed, and thyme, until the vegetables are soft and translucent but not browned, about 5 minutes. Add the golden beet root (set greens aside for later in the process) and continue to cook 3 to 5 minutes additional minutes. Add the garlic and sauté for an additional 1 minute.
  2. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter to the mixture and allow to melt before adding the flour. Stir and cook the flour 2 minutes. Add the milk, stirring constantly to avoid lumps, and scrape up any brown bits that have formed on the bottom of your pot. Season with fresh nutmeg and add the cloves. Cook for 5 to 6 minutes at a low simmer until the milk has thickened enough to coat the back of a spoon. At this point you can remove the cloves (unless you think you can still find them once the beans have been added!)
  3. Add the cannellini beans, then Add your white wine and the reserved beet greens, and stir to combine. Cover the pot with a lid and let the beet greens wilt, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes. Taste for seasoning and add salt and pepper to taste.
  4. While the greens are wilting, make the garlic breadcrumbs: Melt 2 tablespoons of butter with one clove of minced garlic in a heavy-bottomed sauté pan over medium-high heat. Toss the breadcrumbs in the butter and salt and pepper, and stir constantly until brown and toasty. Serve the cassoulet in bowls topped with the garlicky bread crumbs.

Tags:

  • Stew
  • Bean
  • Vegetable
  • Beet
  • Carrot
  • Celery
  • Clove
  • Milk/Cream
  • Nutmeg
  • Thyme
  • Fall
  • Vegetarian
Contest Entries
  • Your Best Recipe with Beans
  • Your Best One-Pot Meal

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  • Emily | Cinnamon&Citrus

  • jillianfrank

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3 Reviews

jillianfrank April 22, 2020

Excellent! I baked it in the oven for 20 minutes and browned the top under the broiler for 5 minutes.

Meleyna N. November 11, 2015

This was good! I had to cook mine a bit longer to get the beets cooked all the way through, though. I also added some grated Parm to the breadcrumbs after toasting because I couldn't help myself. The clove and nutmeg were brilliant additions.

Emily |. November 5, 2015

Wow, Linda Xiao, thank you for the most beautiful photo!

Golden Beet Cassoulet Recipe on Food52 (2024)

FAQs

What is the difference between golden and regular beet? ›

Golden beets, with their sunny appearance, bring a sweet twist to the table, making them a favorite for those who prefer a gentler, less earthy flavor. They slide effortlessly into a range of dishes, brightening up both the palette and the plate. Red beets, in contrast, pack a more earthy punch.

Do you eat golden beets raw? ›

Gold beets can be consumed raw and are popularly shaved, shredded, julienned, or spiralized into salads, slaws, and soups. They can also be pickled for extended use, pureed for sauces, or blended into smoothies.

What can I do with lots of beets? ›

You can also grate raw beets to add flavor and texture to recipes like veggie burgers and falafel. Or you can cook them whole and purée them for a silky sauce, soup, or dip—including the most gorgeous hummus you've ever seen.

What are red and golden beets? ›

Golden beets are a bit less sweet than red beets, but also have a more mellow and less earthy flavor all around. If nothing else, golden beets add a bright, zesty yellow color when served roasted or in salads.

Do golden beets lower blood pressure? ›

Golden Beets Also Have Nitrates

It has been documented that nitrates in beets can act to enhance sports performance as well as lower blood pressure.

Are golden beets healthier than red beets? ›

Despite a difference in color, the two beets are essentially the same when it comes to nutritional value and both add plenty of essential vitamins and minerals to your diet.

Are golden beets anti-inflammatory? ›

Golden beets contain betalains, which have anti-inflammatory properties. This makes them beneficial for individuals dealing with inflammatory conditions. The high vitamin C content in golden beets is crucial for a robust immune system, helping the body fight off infections and illnesses.

What is the tastiest way to eat beets? ›

You can use cooked beets in salads, to make hummus or to blend into smoothies. They can be diced for slaw, quartered for a grain bowl or mashed to make a dip or spread. Their thick and chewy texture is even great in a galette or quesadilla.

What is the healthiest way to eat beets? ›

Eating beets raw or juicing and roasting them may be more beneficial than boiling them. Beetroots, commonly known as beets, are a vibrant and versatile type of vegetable. They're known for their earthy flavor and aroma. Many people call them a superfood because of their rich nutritional profile.

How many times a week should you eat beets? ›

Moreover, beets are low in calories with zero cholesterol and a small amount of fat. However, the root is high in sugar and carbohydrates, so while you can consume the greens on top of the root in unlimited quantities, you should only have the root a few times a week. Beets are best from early spring to late fall.

How many beets a day is ok? ›

The oxalates found in beets can increase your uric acid level, meaning that too many beets can lead to gout. To avoid this, stick to no more than a single half-cup serving of beets per day.

How many beets can you eat in one sitting? ›

There is no strict daily requirement for beetroot, but here are some general guidelines: Serving Size: A typical serving size of cooked or raw beetroot is about 1/2 cup (75 grams) or one small beetroot. This provides a reasonable amount of nutrients and dietary fiber.

Can you eat golden beet skin? ›

You can eat beet skins, but they are tough and taste rather like dirt. That's why most people peel their beets.

Are golden beets high in sugar? ›

It's true that beets do have more sugars than many other vegetables—about 8 grams in a serving of two small beets. But that's hardly the same as getting 8 grams of sugars from a cookie. "Beets are high in fiber, which traps the sugar and slows its absorption into the bloodstream," Linsenmeyer says.

What color beets are the healthiest? ›

Red and yellow beets provide natural antioxidants and have anti-inflammatory properties. The stronger the color, the more healthy chemicals are in the vegetable. Eating beets and their greens also can help reduce cholesterol.

Are gold beets better? ›

Different betalains create different colors, but all of them provide the positive antioxidant effects we know beets for. Golden beets are higher in “betacyanins”, whereas red beets are higher in “betaxanthins”. Another similar bioactive that contributes some of the health effects of beets is the antioxidant “betaine”.

Do golden beets taste different? ›

Overall, tasters found the golden beets “less sweet” than red beets, with a stronger earthy flavor; one taster commented that they tasted “carrot-like.” In contrast, the Chioggia beets were “mild,” with a “bitter aftertaste,” but they got bonus points for their striking appearance when raw (the markings fade to a solid ...

Can you substitute golden beets for red beets? ›

Besides the color, golden beets are sweeter and have a less earthy flavor than red beets. They can be used interchangeably in some recipes, but the choice will depend on flavor preference and color impact.

Do yellow beets have the same benefits as red beets? ›

Red beets are more commonly known and have a deep red color and a sweet, earthy flavor. Yellow beets, on the other hand, have a yellow-golden color and a milder, sweeter flavor. In terms of nutrient content, both types of beets are similar and are a good source of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants.

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