Deep purple

With its sweet, earthy flavour and vibrant colour, beetroot is the perfect autumn ingredient

Red flannel hash
Beetroot soup
Chocolate beetroot cake
Beetroot and onion bake
Warm beetroot and aubergine salad
Beetroot and orange salad
How to cook beets...

 

Red flannel hash

An English version of an American classic

Serves 4
Ready in 40 minutes
Price per serving £1.10

600g potatoes, cubed
6 rashers streaky bacon
4tbsp sunflower oil
1 large red onion, chopped
250g Asda Vacuum-Packed Cooked Beetroot, chopped
3tbsp chopped fresh parsley
1 large gherkin, chopped
4 large free-range eggs
340g can Asda corned beef

1. Boil the potatoes until tender. Drain and pat dry. Cook the bacon in a large nonstick frying pan until crisp. Remove and chop, leaving any fat in the pan. Add 2tbsp of the oil and the onion to the pan and cook for 4-5 minutes. Remove the onion and set aside with the bacon, leaving the fat in the pan.
   
   
2. Add the rest of the oil to the pan and cook the potato until lightly browned. Return the bacon and onion to the pan, then add the beetroot, parsley and gherkin. Reduce the heat to low and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Meanwhile, poach the eggs.
   
   
3. Add the corned beef and heat through. Divide the hash between four plates and serve topped with the eggs.

Per serving:

• Calories: 555
• Carbs: 34g
• Sugar: 7.8g
• Fat: 32g
• Sat fat: 9g
• Salt: 2.7g

 

Beetroot soup

A hearty meal in a bowl – just add crusty bread

Serves 4
Ready in 1 hour 15 minutes
Price per serving 60p

250g raw beetroot, peeled and grated
150g red cabbage, shredded
1 medium potato, peeled and diced
850ml vegetable stock
1tbsp red wine vinegar
2tbsp tomato purée
25g butter
1 carrot, diced
1 small red onion, finely chopped
1tbsp brown sugar
150ml sour cream, to serve

1. Put the beetroot, cabbage, potato, stock, vinegar and tomato purée in a pan. Cover, bring to the boil and simmer gently for 40 minutes.
   
   
2. In another pan, melt the butter, add the carrot, onion and sugar and cook over a low heat for 5 minutes.
   
   
3. Add the onion mixture to the beetroot, then cover and simmer for a further 20 minutes.
   
   
4. Remove the pan from the heat, let the soup cool slightly, then purée in a blender. Reheat to serve, pour into bowls and finish with a swirl of sour cream.

Per serving:

• Calories: 245
• Carbs: 24g
• Sugar: 16g
• Fat: 15g
• Sat fat: 8g
• Salt 4.6g

 

Chocolate beetroot cake

A decadent and rich moist cake that everyone will love – they’ll never guess the secret ingredient

Serves 12
Ready in 2 hours 30 minutes
Price per serving 40p

175g unsalted butter, plus extra for greasing
100g dark chocolate (at least 70% cocoa solids), broken up
250g Asda Organic Vacuum-Packed Cooked Beetroot
3 large free-range eggs
100g Asda Drinking
Chocolate Powder
225g Asda self-raising flour
200g caster sugar
200g Asda White Chocolate

1. Preheat the oven to 180C/160C Fan/Gas 4. Line the base and butter the sides and of a 19-20cm loose-based cake tin. Put the dark chocolate and 125g of the butter in a bowl and stand over a pan of simmering water – make sure the base of the bowl doesn’t touch the water. Leave until melted, then stir to mix. Remove the bowl from the pan and set aside.
    
2. Purée the beetroot and juices. Beat the eggs and mix with the beetroot. Sift the drinking chocolate and flour into a large bowl and stir in the sugar and the chocolate and beetroot mixes. Pour into the tin and bake for
   an hour or until a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean. Leave to cool.
   
   
3. Melt the white chocolate and remaining butter as in step 2. Spread on top and chill for 20 minutes to set.

Per serving:

• Calories: 430
• Carbs: 55g
• Sugar: 41g
• Fat: 22g
• Sat fat: 14g
• Salt: 0.6g

 

Beetroot and onion bake

The robust flavour is a perfect match for beef

Ready in 1 hour 10 minutes
Price per serving 75p

40g butter
1 onion, halved and
thinly sliced
1tbsp sunflower oil
500g raw beetroot, peeled
and sliced
500g potatoes, peeled
and sliced
2tbsp chopped dill, plus
extra for garnish
300ml hot vegetable stock

1. Preheat the oven to 190C/170C Fan/Gas 5. Grease an ovenproof dish with some of the butter.
   
   
2. Cook the onion in the oil and 15g of the butter until soft and translucent.
   
   
3. Layer the beetroot, potato and onion in the dish, scattering the dill between each layer. Heat the stock and pour over the bake to come just below the top layer. Dot the remaining butter over the top.
   
   
4. Cover loosely with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Take off the foil and cook for another 20-30 minutes until the veg is tender when pierced (the exact cooking time depends on the size of the beetroot). Spoon off any excess liquid before serving.
   

Per serving:

• Calories: 262
• Carbs: 33g
• Sugar: 11g
• Fat: 13g
• Sat fat: 5.8g
• Salt: 1.5g

 

Warm beetroot and aubergine salad

For extra flavour, add crumbled Asda Feta

4tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
8tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2tbsp each chopped fresh coriander and flat-leaf parsley
4 spring onions, sliced
250g pack of Asda Vacuum-Packed Cooked Beetroot
500g pack Asda Frozen Aubergine Slices
400g can Asda chickpeas

1. Make a dressing by whisking together the lemon juice, olive oil and coriander and flat-leaf parsley. Stir in the  spring onions and set aside.
   
   
2. Preheat the oven to 190C/ 170C Fan/Gas 5. Take the beetroot out of the pack and wrap in foil to make a loose parcel. Heat in the oven for 10 minutes and then cut into wedges. At the same time, arrange the aubergine slices on a baking tray and cook in the oven for 8-9 minutes or until warmed through.
   
   
3. Heat the chickpeas in a small pan over a low heat, then drain. Arrange the aubergine, beetroot and chickpeas on four serving plates. Drizzle with the dressing and serve.

 

Beetroot and orange salad

1. Thinly slice 250g Asda Vacuum-Packed Cooked Beetroot and finely slice a small red onion.
   
   
2. Peel and segment two oranges. Arrange the beetroot, onion and orange on four serving plates.
   
   
3. Whisk together 2tbsp each sunflower oil, olive oil and red wine vinegar, with 2tsp clear honey and 1tsp French mustard. Season and drizzle over the salad. Garnish with dill.

 

How to cook beets…

Before cooking, trim the stems, leaving about 2cm, which will make them easier to peel. Wear gloves to prevent stained hands! Wash the beets gently, taking care not to break the skin. When peeling, allow the beets to cool before rubbing the skin away from the flesh.

• BOIL – bring a pan of salted water to the boil and simmer baby beets for 30 minutes and more mature vegetables for 1-1½ hours.
  
  
• ROAST – wrap whole beets in a loose foil parcel and bake in the oven at 190C/ 170C Fan/Gas 5 for 1 hour.
  
  
• CHEAT – use Asda Vacuum-Packed Cooked Beetroot. For a delicious autumn slaw, combine grated beetroots and grated carrot with finely sliced red onion and cabbage. Stir through a dressing of mayonnaise and horseradish.