Skin-On Roasted Beets

Credit: Todd Coleman

Is there anything quite as gorgeous as an unpeeled roasted red beet? Glistening in olive oil and dusted with salt and pepper, beets cook to a moist softness. Their hue deepens to a tantalizing garnet. The sugars concentrate and, in places, caramelize as the juices seep out of the roots' paper-thin skins, which crisp delectably as they cook. The roasting tames the beets' natural earthiness, and a mouthwatering sweetness takes hold.

See 15 ways to cook beets in the gallery »