Braised Beet Greens and Spinach (Horta)

Name: Braised Beet Greens and Spinach (Horta)
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 35 min
Yield: 2 servings
Cuisine: Greek
Ingredients: 350 g leafy greens (150 g beet greens + 200 g young spinach); 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil; sea salt, ground black pepper; 1/2 lemon

August 17, 2016

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Recipe: Braised Beet Greens and Spinach (Horta)

From the Greek menu, horta, a healthy way to cook greens. Essentially they are braised in their own juice, so the water-soluble vitamins are not lost. Serving with lemon helps with iron absorption from the leaves.

In Kefalonia they didn't have grilled vegetables on the menu. Instead, they had two other healthy options: boiled vegetables and boiled greens. The idea of boiled zucchini didn't excite me. But I absolutely loved these boiled greens. They were the ideal side dish for grilled fish.

In Greece they used any mix of seasonal green leaves, including dandelion leaves and fennel. I used beet greens and spinach. At the end, I dressed them with the best olive oil I had and definitely with lemon juice.

Ingredients

350 g leafy greens (150 g beet greens + 200 g young spinach)
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
sea salt, ground black pepper
1/2 lemon

Servings: 2

How to prepare braised beet greens and spinach (horta)

In a wider pot, add just a little water, enough to perfectly cover the bottom. Bring the water to a boil, then add the greens one by one.
First I added the beet greens because they need a longer cooking time. I put the lid on and let them braise for 2 minutes. Then I started adding handfuls of young spinach, stirring after each addition and putting the lid back on until they "wilted".
After all the leaves are added, remove the lid only when you can see that a lot of juice has accumulated on the bottom of the pot released by the leaves. Continue cooking without the lid until the juice reduces a bit. Now sprinkle with salt and black pepper.
Remove the leaves along with their juice into a bowl, cover the bowl and let cool completely.
When serving, pour the oil on top and squeeze 1/4 of a lemon. Sprinkle a little more sea salt.
Serve with lemon wedges and fresh bread to soak up all the juice.

Braised Beet Greens and Spinach (Horta)

Ingredients

How to prepare braised beet greens and spinach (horta)

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