This recipe for Chioggia Beets with Cranberries and Spiced Nuts is insanely delicious! And it is super simple to make. Bring it to a potluck or serve as covered dish, or add it as a sweet and savory side-dish for any menu! This is a recipe I came up with in 2012 for Parents Magazine. And I’ve made so many times since then.  I feel a little guilty calling it a recipe. After you’ve made it once or twice, you’ll be able to do it without even looking at the recipe.

close-up of the cooked and cut beets from the side with light reflecting off them

Ingredients For This Recipe

Beets

I used Chioggia beets since there were local ones available at the market. But really red beets or another variety of beets works great too. Or you could try a mix. You’ll need 3 pounds of medium sized beets. That’s about 4 bunches with the beet greens removed. Note: this recipe is a larger batch, and it can be cut in half.

Raspberry Vinegar

This is somewhat of a secret ingredient! In fact, it is the main reason I keep raspberry vinegar in my pantry since the two for one flavor combo make it so special with minimal effort.

Olive Oil

To complete the dressing, I use good quality olive oil. It doesn’t get cooked so if you have a high quality one, the flavor will shine through in this recipe. 

Salt and Pepper

To season the dressing I add in salt and pepper. I used table salt (or iodized salt.) If you like kosher salt, read this first about substituting kosher salt in recipes

Spiced Nuts

To make this an easy recipe, you can certainly buy spiced nuts. I like to purchase them in the bulk department. Or if you have time, make homemade spiced nuts

Parsley

This is just for garnish to make the colors pop. You can omit it if you like. 

How To Make This Recipe For Chioggia Beets with Cranberries and Spiced Nuts

Boil the Whole Beets

  • For recipes like this, or when I make Pickled Beets, I like to boil beets instead of roasting them in the oven.
  • It takes about an hour to get them tender.
  • To check to see if they are tender just poke them with a fork. If the fork goes in and easily pulls out, they are ready to drain. 

Chioggia beets in a stainless bowl with vinegar, oil and salt and pepper.

Mix Them With The Dressing

While they are still warm, add in the raspberry vinegar, olive oil, salt and pepper.

The warm beets will absorb the acidity from the vinegar and the salt from the dressing and it will flavor them more intensely. 

Make Ahead Tip

You can make them ahead at this point and refrigerate  them for two days. Keep them covered and chilled. The oil will start to harden, but as you let them warm back up to room temperature the oil will melt. 

beets with spiced nuts in a ceramic bowl on a wooden tabletop

To Finish and Serve This Recipe

When you are ready to serve them, top the beets with chopped spiced nuts and dried cranberries just before serving. If you are using the parsley, add that on too. 

They can be served warm, room temperature or chilled. 

More Beet Recipes

Thank you for reading. If you make this recipe, please come back and leave me a comment and star rating. 

Happy Cooking!

~Katie

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chioggia beets with parsley on top

Chioggia Beets with Cranberries and Spiced Nuts


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5 from 6 reviews

  • Author: Katie Webster
  • Total Time: 1 hour 40 minutes
  • Yield: 10 servings 1x

Description

These beets with cranberries and spiced nuts are a party for your mouth. They are super simple to make, naturally gluten-free and vegan. Serve them cold, warm or hot.


Ingredients

Units Scale
  • 3 pounds medium beets, about 4 bunches with leaves removed
  • 3 tablespoons raspberry vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon pepper
  • 3/4 cup chopped spiced nuts, purchased or home-made
  • 1/2 cup dried cranberries
  • 2 tablespoons chopped parsley, for garnish

Instructions

  1. Place beets in a large pot and cover generously with cold water. Place over high heat and bring to a boil, reduce heat to maintain a gentle simmer and cook, adding water if necessary to keep beets submerged, until the beets are tender when pierced with a fork, 1 hour to 1 hour 20 minutes, depending on size. Drain and allow the beets to cool until cool enough to handle.
  2. Rub skins off beets, cut into wedges and transfer to a large bowl. Toss beets with vinegar, oil, salt and pepper and transfer to serving bowl. Sprinkle cranberries, nuts and parsley over the top.

Notes

Notes on Purchasing Beets For This Recipe

You can use Chioggia beets, red beets, golden beets or a combination for this recipe. Try to choose beets that are all the same size so they cook at the same rate. If yours come with the stems and leaves attached, remove them and store them separately.

  • Prep Time: 20 minutes
  • Cook Time: 1 hour
  • Category: Side Dish
  • Method: Oven
  • Cuisine: American

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 3/4 cup
  • Calories: 154
  • Sugar: 16 g
  • Sodium: 367 mg
  • Fat: 6 g
  • Saturated Fat: 1 g
  • Carbohydrates: 23 g
  • Fiber: 4 g
  • Protein: 4 g
pink beets photo collage with text