Beetroot and Caraway soup

This is a recipe I have invented myself. It turned out so well that I want to share it with you.

 

I had been clearing the last of my "Burpee's Golden" beetroot - all the little "tiddlers" that were left at the end of the season. It wasn't a lot (about 250 grams), but I was determined to make the most of them. These golden beetroots are quite a lot sweeter than their red cousins, so I was looking for something to provide a savoury foil to this characteristic, and I decided to try Caraway.

 

My first step was to roast the beetroots for about an hour. This made them go a lovely deep golden colour - almost orange.

 

 

While the roasted beetroot was cooling down sufficiently to allow me to remove their skins, I softened an onion over a low heat, added some stock and cooked a couple of potatoes in order to bulk-up the soup and give it a nice texture.

 

The diced beetroot was then added to the other ingredients, along with about half a teaspoonful of Caraway seed. [Note: Go easy on the Caraway. I know from experience that it can very easily overpower your dish if you use too much.]

 

 

I simmered the ingredients very slowly for about an hour, by which time the onions and potatoes were fully cooked andd the roasted beetroot had broken down to a very soft pulp. I then used a stick blender to blend everything into a nice creamy texture. That's it - job done!

 

 

The potato in this soup gave it a great smooth texture, and the balance between the sweetness of the beetroot and the warm spiciness of the Caraway was very enjoyable. I was very proud that Jane loved the soup as much as I did. She is such a good cook that I'm always a bit apprehensive when I dish up something I have invented myself. She agreed that I had got the level of Caraway right, which for me was a major criterion for success with this particular soup.

 

Here's the official recipe:-

 

Golden Beetroot and Caraway soup (serves 2)



• Ingredients
• 1 bunch (approx 250 grams) golden beetroot
• 2 medium-sized potatoes, peeled and cubed
• 1 medium onion, peeled and chopped finely
• Approx 1 tablespoonful vegetable oil
• 500 ml stock
• Half teaspoon Caraway seed

 

Method

• "Top and tail" the beetroots, wash them and place in a roasting tin; drizzle with oil and cover with foil
• Cook  for approx 1 hour at 160C, or until tender. (When cooked the beetroot skins should slip off easily)
• Allow to cool until it becomes possible to peel the beetroot
• Soften the onion over a low heat without letting it go brown (approx 10 mins)
• Add the potato, stock and Caraway seeds
• Roughly chop the peeled beetroot, and add to the pan
• Bring to the boil and simmer gently for approx 1 hour
• When all ingredients are very soft, allow the mixture to cool until safe to use stick blender
• Blend the mixture until it reaches the desired consistency (I wanted mine quite thick)
• Serve (or allow to cool and re-heat later)