Beetroot is a versatile, earth-flavoured vegetable that can come in various vibrant shades of pink, purple and yellow. Beetroot benefits from being cooked sous vide as all the flavour is trapped in the vacuum bag rather than allowed to seep out into the water when boiled or steamed.

The deep earthiness of beetroots are complemented by nuts, so try using hazelnut or peanut oil in the bag when cooking for a subtle flavour.

Honey and soy sauce also pair well with beetroot and can be added either to the bag during cooking or as a glaze afterwards.

If you prefer the taste of pickled beetroot, add some white wine or sherry vinegar to the bag before cooking.

Baby beetroot can be cooked whole to retain their shape; trim and peel the beetroot and cook sous vide as above.

The beetroot can be served warm or cold as it is, in a salad or as part of a larger dish, or alternatively it can be pan-fried or puréed to give a different texture or to create a vibrant side dish.

Try using this technique for Bruno Loubet’s Simple beetroot salad or Matthew Tomkinson’s Butter-poached lobster with garden beetroot and Russian salad. Lisa Allen also shows off the beautiful colours of sous vide beetroot in her pickled shallot salad.