I hate to admit that there was a long period of time when I wouldn't eat beets, simply because I had no idea how to prepare them. Then the brand Love Beets came out with non-gmo, pre-cooked beets, and changed my mind forever. The convenience of being able to toss these on top of salads, stuff them in sandwiches, and blend them into smoothies got me addicted.
Beets have an extremely earthy flavor, so I decided to combine them with more fresh, bold ingredients to find a perfect balance. The addition of citrus juices, cilantro, and ginger make this a light and refreshing soup. My favorite part is the crème fraîche topping. Crème fraîche is typically made from soured buttermilk, which is easily replaced with coconut cream and lemon juice. It is sweet and tangy at the same time, and almost tastes like cheesecake. Try not to eat spoonfuls of it like I did.
If you would like to skip the crème fraîche topping, the beet soup is still wonderful on its own. I served mine warm because there is still snow on the ground, but it tastes delicious when eaten cold as well. I will make this again in the summer without heating it up! It is a great soup for cleansing the blood (beets), increasing digestion (ginger) , and removing toxins (cilantro).
YIELDS
2 bowls of soup
PREP TIME
COOK TIME
TOTAL TIME
- 3 cooked beets
- 1 cup coconut (or almond) milk
- 1 cup vegetable broth
- 1/2 cup diced purple onions
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1/2 lemon
- 1/2 lime
- 1/4 cup cilantro
- 1 tablespoon fresh ginger
- to taste salt & pepper
- to top alfalfa sprouts
- for the crème fraîche:
- 1 can coconut creme
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- to taste salt
Directions
1. If you are using raw beets, you will have to peel and steam them for about an hour until they cook. Otherwise, open up your packaged beets and set them aside.
2. Heat up the olive oil in a sauce pan over medium heat and add in the onions. Let them caramelize for a minute or two and remove from heat.
3. Add the beets, cooked onions, milk, broth, cilantro, and fresh ginger to a blender. Squeeze the juice from the lemons and limes into the blender. Add salt and pepper to taste and blend well.
4. Pour this into a pot and warm it over medium heat.
5. To make the crème fraîche, take the thick top layer of coconut cream from the can and scoop it into a small blender or pulser. Add the lemon juice, sugar, and salt. Blend until smooth.
6. To serve, top soup with crème fraîche and alfalfa sprouts. I put the crème fraîche into a plastic baggie and cut off one of the corners to pipe it onto the soup.
2. Heat up the olive oil in a sauce pan over medium heat and add in the onions. Let them caramelize for a minute or two and remove from heat.
3. Add the beets, cooked onions, milk, broth, cilantro, and fresh ginger to a blender. Squeeze the juice from the lemons and limes into the blender. Add salt and pepper to taste and blend well.
4. Pour this into a pot and warm it over medium heat.
5. To make the crème fraîche, take the thick top layer of coconut cream from the can and scoop it into a small blender or pulser. Add the lemon juice, sugar, and salt. Blend until smooth.
6. To serve, top soup with crème fraîche and alfalfa sprouts. I put the crème fraîche into a plastic baggie and cut off one of the corners to pipe it onto the soup.
Also by Lauren: Pistachio Rose Water Belgian Waffles
Related: Roasted Veggie and Wild Green Salad
Rosemary and Garlic Candied Root Vegetables
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Photos: Lauren Sacerdote
