Chilled Beetroot Soup

Wednesday, July 22, 2015
There's something about the earthiness of a beet that just allows me to embrace winter. They're definitely one of the stars of my roasted root vegetable repertoire and their color alone brings life to any horribly cold day. At this time of year, I never think to add them to my shopping basket but I've recently come to the conclusion that beets deserve some space at my summer smorgasbord. So I'm making room, moving a few tomatoes aside, (NOT all the way, of course) and introducing the newest member of the gazpacho family to the table, the Magenta Gazpacho, that is.  


I'm not claiming beet soup is my break-through discovery or anything, I'm just raising awareness of how perfectly it fits into a summer situation. It's refreshing and light without inevitable hunger pains an hour later, and it's filling without any impact on your bathing suit body.

YOU WILL NEED:

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped 
2 yellow onions, finely chopped
850g whole raw beets, scrubbed
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon sugar 
2 tablespoons natural yoghurt + more for garnish
sea salt and pepper 
handful freshly chopped chives

Bring a pot of water to the boil to cook the beetroot, making sure they're immersed in water for the most part. Depending on size, beets can take between 30 minutes to an hour and a half to cook but you'll know when they're ready — the skin slides off with your fingers and a knife cuts through them very easily. 
Sauté the finely chopped garlic and onions in the olive oil on low heat, covering them with a sheet of parchment paper (with the paper touching the base of the pan) and covering the pot with a lid. Remove lid to stir occasionally.

When the beets are cooked remove them from the water to cool. 
When the beets have mostly cooled and the onions and garlic are completely soft, blend the mixture in a food processor until smooth, adding up to a cup of water to thin it down a little. Add the lemon juice, sugar and two tablespoons of yoghurt with a pinch of salt and pepper to taste. 
When completely cool enjoy with a little more yoghurt, olive oil and chopped chives on top. (Or refrigerate and eat for up to 5 days).