beet soup1.jpg — “First we eat, then we do everything else”
~ M.F.K. Fisher

Creamy Roasted Beet & Garlic Soup

Isn't it interesting how, regardless of how many years have passed by, you can always remember a particular taste or smell like it was just yesterday? I can still remember tasting beet soup for the very first time. I was a sixteen year old exchange student, standing in my host family's sunny kitchen in Australia. I came home from school one afternoon to find a pot of hot pink soup bubbling away on the stove. I remember looking rather skeptically at the that pot of steaming soup before being handed a spoonful of hot liquid to try. Whatever doubts I had to begin quickly disappeared after tasting that first bite. The soup was equal parts sweet, sour and luxuriously creamy (and bursting with garlic!). As it turned out, my Australian host father was originally from Poland and that creamy, pink, beet soup, I would later learn, was called Borscht (and it would show up on our dinner table regularly). From that day forward, I was a big fan of beets.

Back when I was living in Sweden, I would associate hot soup with chilly fall afternoons and warm, wooly sweaters. But, since I now live in Singapore where the temperature rarely dips below a balmy 30 degrees C, there really is no 'right time of year' for making soup. So, I like to adopt an 'anything goes' approach to cooking and I tend to create dishes which either inspire me at the time or make use of produce found at my local wet market.

The ingredients may have changed slightly since that first slurp of creamy beet soup (less cream, more veggies) but the flavors surely have not. Not only are beets delicious, but they boast a slew of health benefits such as antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. And, soup is one of the easiest and healthiest meals you can make so it is one of my go-to dinners when I need something quick and healthy.

CREAMY ROASTED BEET & GARLIC SOUP (serves 6)

INGREDIENTS

5 large beets (red or yellow, I chose red for color and flavor) peeled and cut into quarters
1 head of garlic (about 12-15 cloves) with tips cut off (peel can be left on for roasting)
2 onions, peeled and cut into quarters
8 -10 cups of chicken or vegetable stock (You can use any broth but I made my own using this recipe from goop)

DIRECTIONS

Pre-heat your oven to 375 degrees F/ 190 degrees C.
Place the peeled, sliced beets, onions and garlic (I like to leave the peel on the garlic for roasting because it keeps the garlic from drying out) on a piece of wax paper on a baking tray.
Lightly coat the vegetables with olive oil and 1 tsp sea salt. Roast for about 50-60 minutes or until the veggies are soft in the middle when poked with a fork. I like to roast the beets, onions and garlic prior to boiling them because it gives them an added sweetness.
Place the roasted beets, onions and garlic (you can now remove the garlic peel by gently squeezing out each garlic clove) into a large pot on the stove. Use just enough broth to cover the tops of the vegetables and bring the liquid to a boil.
Once the liquid comes to a boil, lower the temperature and let the vegetables and liquid simmer for about 30 minutes. Remove the pot from the heat and let it cool slightly (so you don't burn yourself in the next step).
Using a hand blender (also referred to as an immersion blender), carefully puree the soup until all of the vegetables have been liquified. You may add additional broth if you prefer a thinner consistency (continue to add a little at a time until you achieve your desired thickness).
Add salt and pepper to taste. You can add 1-2 Tbsp of heavy whipping cream if you prefer a creamier soup (but it isn't necessary).

TIPS

When serving, I like to add a few sprigs of fresh thyme and a dollop of sour cream or full fat yogurt.
Soup is pretty forgiving. I usually start with less liquid and gradually add more to ensure that I don't end up with a runny soup.
The vegetables do a very good job of thickening the soup so you don't need any additional additives like flour, butter, cornstarch, etc. This leaves you with a healthy soup full of flavor. You can make this soup with almost any type of vegetable (carrots, cauliflower, sweet potatoes, etc.) so feel free to experiment!