The very word “leftovers” doesn’t always sound like something good, and in the context of food, it may sound like something cold, bland, maybe even unappetizing. However, there are some dishes that are simply better the next day: the taste, the smell, the texture, it all improves after a night in the fridge.
Many of those dishes that taste better the next day are BEETS!
Read on to learn more about recipes that are tasty today, but become even more delicious tomorrow.
Dishes That Are Tastier the Next Day
Some foods need time to figure themselves out. That’s the best way to put it. Right after they’re cooked, they taste great, but if you let them sit, the ingredients settle, and then they taste even better. Beets are a great example of this because their signature earthiness gets deeper overnight instead of softening up.
Here are a few recipes that are even tastier the next day:
1. Borscht
Have you ever had fresh borscht?
Some people like it, but there are also many people who detest it! That sort of makes sense because when borscht is still fresh, to many people it tastes like a bunch of ingredients floating in beet water. However, if you leave it in the fridge overnight, all those flavors blend together. The beets become less sharp, and garlic, onions, dill, and cabbage stop fighting for attention. When you reheat it, the vegetables practically melt into the broth. Honestly, it’s the ultimate comfort food!
Get the recipe: Red Beet Soup: Borscht
2. Roasted Beets
To be fair, roasted beets fresh out of the oven are tasty.
The flavor can be a bit flat sometimes (depending on the seasonings used), and the texture can still have that fibrous bite. Let them sit in the fridge until the next day, and they’ll absorb all the oil, herbs, vinegar, and citrus juice you tossed in. The texture will also get better. They’ll get softer but not so soft that they turn into purple mush.
Chilled roasted beets are perfect in grain bowls, salads, wraps, and as a side dish. They go beautifully with crumbled goat cheese, and if you toss in some walnuts and herbs, you won’t be able to stop eating this delightful combo.
Get the recipe: Easy Roasted Beets with Crumbled Gorgonzola
3. Beet Greens Soup
Don’t expect a beet greens soup to do the same thing borscht does. When the soup is still fresh, it can be a bit thin and separated. Even though you’ve pureed the ingredients with yogurt and other vegetables, it may not be the best texture on the first day. After you let it sit and then reheat it, the soup gets much creamier and smoother. Plus, the flavors seem to marinate over time making it more flavorful!
This makes soups like this one perfect for quick meals, especially for older adults. Naturally, if it’s an older adult in question, especially in a nursing home-type environment where these types of healthy soups are common and they’ve been having issues with missing meals and poor nutrition, you might want to do a bit of research on case evaluation and next steps.
Adding creamy beet greens soup could be a wonderful addition to anyone’s meal plans and taste amazing after a day or two in the refrigerator. Beet greens are super high in iron and trace minerals, so always check with a medical professional if on a special diet or way to eating.
Get the recipe: Creamy Coconut Beet Greens and Fennel Soup (Vegan)
4. Beet and Bean Chili with Roasted Corn
This is a dish that absolutely gets better after a night in the fridge! As you let this sit, the beets absorb more of the broth and seasonings, and the stew becomes thicker and more flavorful. It also can become a little sweeter because the beets release their natural sweetness into the chili which creates a great balance to the jalapeño and chili heat.
Get the recipe: Southwest-style Beet and Bean Chili with Roasted Corn (Vegan)
5. Beet Raw Slaw
Marinated in a delightful vegan ginger sauce, this Beet and Cauliflower Raw-Slaw is pure veggie goodness with every single scrumptious bite. Plus - it only gets more tasty with a night chilling and marinating in the refrigerator.
The beet and cauliflower soak up more flavor from the delicious ginger dressing. This is best served cold and perfect for a barbecue or picnic.
Get the recipe: Red Beet, Purple Cauliflower, and Ginger Raw Slaw
Pickled Beets
Pickled anything is usually made with a lot of vinegar, and beets are not an exception. However, vinegar can have a really sharp taste, and when the whole thing is still fresh, the taste may seem overwhelming because the vinegar overpowers everything.
After about 24 hours, you’ll notice that the mixture becomes more mellow. Peppercorns, bay leaves, and cloves come forward, and the natural sweetness from the beets gives that acidic flavor some balance. Even refrigerated a day or two, pickled beets taste more complex and rounded than on the first day.
Plus - pickled beets can be eaten as a side-dish or atop tacos or even in veggie spring rolls!
Get the recipe: Pickled-Chioggia Beets with Garlic and Dill
A lot of people prepare food ahead of time because it’s practical, but they’re prepared to eat something that doesn’t taste as good as it did when it was fresh. However, that’s not the case with these 6 beet dishes. When you prepare them today and eat them tomorrow, you actually get an upgrade.
Roast those beets and make that stew for the next few days because many beet dishes taste better the next day, and that’s something many vegetables can’t deliciously and successfully pull off.