Blueberry Balsamic Glazed Beets
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These insanely delicious Blueberry Balsamic Glazed Beets are a must for your Thanksgiving or Christmas table. Or heck, all winter long. The beets are roasted then coated with a sugar-free, sticky glaze made with frozen blueberries and balsamic vinegar.
These beets are everything. They have become my side dish dreams must haves. ← Whatever that means. Only a true weirdo (like me!) dreams of side dishes. #embarrassing
Once you try these guys, I know you'll be just as crazy about them as I am. The beets are perfectly roasted then coated with a deliciously sticky glaze that's super easy to make.
The glaze is made with my favorite trick for keeping a hint of summer all year long: frozen BC blueberries. When those delicious plump blueberries are simmered with some balsamic vinegar and thyme, they become this sweet, syrupy glaze that is tasty enough to eat by the spoonful.
I originally made this recipe for when I was on The Whole30 Program. There's no sugar (of any kind) allowed, and I was really missing the sweet and sticky beets that I usually like to make. Enter frozen blueberries. They have enough natural sweetness to create that glaze I was craving and are super healthy for you. Win win!
Behold that glaze in action. Did you see that up there? Oh man, it's making me want to run to my kitchen to make these blueberry balsamic glazed beets all over again. For the third time this week. ← It's true.
What's great about that blueberry glaze (other than it being awesomely delicious) is that it is super easy to make with ingredients you probably have in your kitchen right now.
♡ Frozen blueberries – Tell me you have a bag in your freezer right now. They're a staple in our house. We always buy BC blueberries cause I love how big and juicy they are. Most of the time they end up in smoothies. Now that I've met these blueberry balsamic glazed beets, they'll be making an appearance at the dinner table far more often.
♡ Balsamic vinegar – I don't even have to ask, I KNOW you have some in your pantry. #kitchenstaple
♡ Thyme – Have a look in my fridge and I guarantee you'll find 2 or three containers of fresh thyme, in various stages of drying. I can't seem to make it out of the grocery store without wondering if we have any thyme at home. (We always have thyme at home.) Tip: leave your herbs slightly open in the fridge and they'll slowly dry – rather than rot. Once they're totally dry, you can remove the leaves from the stems and keep them in your spice cabinet.
Do you serve these balsamic glazed beets hot or cold?
It's totally up to you!
How's that for a non-answer? But it's true, these beets are delicious both hot out of the oven, or left to cool to room temperature. They're the ultimate entertaining side dish as there's no last-minute fiddling with this dish.
If you're serving these for Thanksgiving, Christmas, or another big dinner, you can roast the beets 2-3 days ahead of time then warm them up on the stovetop in the glaze before serving them. Just add an extra splash of water to the pan so the glaze doesn't dry out. So easy!
If you love these Balsamic Blueberry Glazed Beets as much as I do, don't forget to give them a 5-star rating in the comments below!
Blueberry Balsamic Glazed Beets Recipe
Ingredients
The Beets
- 3 lbs. beets (peeled and quartered (or cut smaller if the beets are large))
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- A generous pinch of salt and pepper
- To serve: arugula, pistachios, blueberries
The Blueberry Balsamic Glaze
- 2 cups frozen BC Blueberries
- ½ cup balsamic vinegar
- 2 teaspoons thyme
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 425 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Place the beets on the baking sheet, drizzle with the oil, and sprinkle with the salt and pepper. Roast in the oven until tender, about 45 mins, turning halfway.3 lbs. beets, 2 teaspoons olive oil, A generous pinch of salt and pepper
- While the beets are roasting, make the blueberry glaze. Place the blueberries, balsamic, thyme, salt and pepper in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Bring to pan to a boil and continue to boil rapidly until the blueberries break down and the glaze thickens, about 5 minutes.2 cups frozen BC Blueberries, ½ cup balsamic vinegar, 2 teaspoons thyme, 1 teaspoon sea salt, ½ teaspoon pepper
- When the beets are cooked, add them to the pan with the glaze. If the glaze begins to look dry, add a splash of water. Stir the beets to coat them in the glaze.
- Serve the blueberry balsamic glazed beets on some arugula and sprinkle with some pistachios and a handful of blueberries. (If they are frozen, they will thaw very quickly from the heat of the warm beets.)
Video
Nutrition
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