From the moment you walk into the house, your mouth will start watering. This beetroot, potato, and bacon side will fill your house with the most amazing smell. I remember when I served it for lunch one day, and it made the perfect belly-warming soup. However, traditionally it’s served alongside beef or chicken. It doesn’t matter how you have it, as long as you take the plunge and experience beetroot like never before.
My sister-in-law was Russian, and this dish fondly reminds me of her. In Russia, beets are well known for their starring role in borscht soup. However, in Australia, I think people are still scarred from being served beetroot in tins as a child.
Not only is beetroot a delicious root vegetable, but it’s packed full of nutrition as well. Beetroot can be boiled, baked, and eaten raw, grated into salads. My husband has never been a fan of beetroot until I made this dish for him. Now it’s a top 5 and always welcomed on our dinner table. Give it a go and see for yourself. I bet our beetroot, potato, and bacon side will soon be a favourite at your house too!
Beetroot, Potato & Bacon Side
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp cooking oil I use coconut
- 4 cloves garlic thinly sliced
- 1 star anise
- 4 rashes of bacon chopped
- 2 leeks thinly sliced
- 1 stick of celery thinly sliced
- 4 beetroots peeled & cut into wedges
- 4 potatoes peeled & cut into wedges
- 1 litre chicken or vegetable stock
- 1/3 cup oregano leaves
- salt & pepper
Instructions
- In a deep saucepan, on low-medium heat, cook the bacon until brown.
- Add the oil, then add the garlic, star anise, leek and celery and continue cooking until soft.
- Next add the beetroot and potato wedges, plus the stock, and bring to the boil.
- Once boiling, reduce heat to low and cook for approximately 40 min until the beetroot is tender. The potato will soften before the beetroot.
- Once tender, season to your liking, add the oregano and stir through. Leave a small amount of oregano to serve.
