Beetroot Soup- Hot or Cold

….or swirl on creme fraiche

Photo Credit: Wikipedia CC BY-SA 3.0

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Is beetroot like Marmite? Love it or hate it? I’m not sure. Many people who say they hate it have a deep rooted disdain for the vinegar smothered stuff that they were cajoled into eating as a child. “Proper” beetroot, the fresh stuff, is very different.

Perhaps the colour puts some people off. It isn’t an understated vegetable. There is no hiding it behind the lettuce leaves- the colour just leaches all over the plate. As Jane Grigson once said, beetroot is a “bossy vegetable”. It even makes it’s presence felt after eating it- in the guise of pink wee- interesting. But it is this staining, deep colour, from a pigment called betalains that is also so attractive. Red is somehow vigorous, the colour of life and vibrancy.

The health benefits of beetroot have been extolled in the press recently. I have a slight “stomach lurch” every time I see the term “superfood”. Superfood” somehow suggests that magical super powers are going to blast away badness, even cancer cells. Words are important and can mislead so easily. That said, beetroot is super(b). It is chock full of nitrates which has pushed this bossy root to the forefront of vegetable media. Small studies suggest that this could reduce blood pressure. To be interpreted with caution but certainly no bad thing for most of us. Beetroot is also packed full of antioxidants, magnesium, sodium, potassium and vitamin C.

So I knew beetroot was delicious and nutritionally virtuous but quite frankly, unless you want to be in the “Red Hand Gang”, it can be a pain in the proverbial to cook with. I avoided it for several years. The solution? Simple- Marigold washing up gloves! They are also invaluable for chopping chillies (note to all fellow contact lens wearers).

I wanted to include a recipe on ScrummyWalks that encouraged more people to try cooking with fresh beetroot. There is a recent fashion to stuff reluctant vegetables into cakes and puddings. Sometimes it works so I gave it a go. 4 different beetroot brownie recipes later, I gave up on that one. The taster verdict was usually “nice but a bit weird”. Actually one taster was not so polite “Satan’s food, I wanted to be sick”. Good job this was a close friend. The texture was good for a brownie but there remained an earthy under- flavour that was………..well, from beetroot, so it was bossy.

So, I tackled the issue more directly. I went with the bossy, earthy flavours rather than trying to hide them. I embarked on a series of beetroot soups. I am a big soup fan, often taking it in a flask on a long walk.

Beetroot soup is a popular Eastern European dish where it is called Borscht. It is frequently served with large pieces of vegetable floating round in it and a slug of vodka poured in. I avoided these variations.

I present here, my favourite. Also, my tasters favourite. This recipe is adapted from one by Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall. The addition of the garlic roasted tomatoes balances the beetroot flavour beautifully. It sweetens and softens some of the earthy tones that can otherwise be on the bitter side. I have simplified the method a little but kept his suggestion of sprinkling with feta. It is an amazing meal with sour dough bread. It is fabulous, either hot or cold.

Ingredients

4 beetroot bulbs (500-600g), peeled and chopped into small dice

500g ripe tomatoes

2 cloves of garlic, chopped

1 medium onion, chopped

2 tbsp olive oil

600mls good quality beef stock (vegetable is fine if you prefer)

Feta cheese or creme fraiche to garnish (optional)

Oven

Pre-heat to 190C (170-180C Fan)/ Gas Mark 5

Method

1. Halve the tomatoes and place them cut side upwards, in a small roasting dish. Scatter over the chopped garlic and drizzle with 1tbsp of the olive oil. Place in the oven to roast for 30 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, heat the remaining 1tbsp of olive oil in a large saucepan and add the onions. Gently cook them until they are soft but not browned (about 5 minutes).

3. Add the chopped beetroot to the saucepan, followed by the stock and bring to boiling point. Season with a little freshly ground black pepper (there should be enough salt in the stock). Simmer for 10-15 minutes until the beetroot is tender.

4. When the tomatoes have roasted, remove them from the oven and press through a sieve using a metal spoon. This removes the skins and pips so you should be left with a tomato puree.

5. Stir the tomato puree into the beetroot and blitz in a liquidiser until completely smooth.

6. Serve hot or cold sprinkled with crumbled feta cheese or with a swirl of creme fraiche.

7. Send me your feedback!