Beetroot soup
You can make beetroot soup from boiled beets, but roasted ones give a noticeably deeper, sweeter soup. The difference is three quarters of an hour in the oven, during which the sugars caramelise at the edges. Ginger, apple and a dash of vinegar balance the sweetness, and a spoonful of sour cream rounds it off.
Your own work in that: 0 min.
- Roasting the beetroot 45 min
- Ginger base 6 min
- Simmering 12 min
- Blending 6 min
Step by step
0 / 5 doneRoast the beetroot
Peel the beetroot and cut into 3 cm wedges, the onion into eighths. Toss with 2 tablespoons of the oil, the thyme and salt and roast at 200°C for 45 minutes, until the beetroot is tender and the edges begin to darken and caramelise.
Ingredients: 800 g beetroot · 1 pcs onion · 3 tbsp olive oil · 1 tsp thyme · 1 tsp salt
TipThose dark charred edges are caramelised sugar — scrape them off the tray into the pot along with the beetroot rather than leaving them behind.
The charred edges carry the depth of the whole soup.Fry the ginger and garlic
Towards the end of roasting, fry the grated ginger and garlic in the remaining tablespoon of oil in a pot for a minute, add the peeled, chopped apple and cook 5 minutes until soft. The apple brings the acidity beetroot needs.
Ingredients: 20 g ginger · 2 cloves garlic · 1 pcs apple · 800 ml vegetable stock · 1 tbsp wine vinegar · 1 tsp salt · ½ tsp pepper
Simmer with stock
Add the roasted beetroot and onion and pour in the stock. Bring to the boil and simmer 12 minutes to bring the flavours together. Do not go longer — the colour starts to fade.
Ingredients: 20 g ginger · 2 cloves garlic · 1 pcs apple · 800 ml vegetable stock · 1 tbsp wine vinegar · 1 tsp salt · ½ tsp pepper
Blend and sharpen with vinegar
Blend smooth and season with wine vinegar, salt and pepper. The vinegar does more than balance sweetness — acid brightens and fixes the pink colour, which without it turns brownish.
Ingredients: 20 g ginger · 2 cloves garlic · 1 pcs apple · 800 ml vegetable stock · 1 tbsp wine vinegar · 1 tsp salt · ½ tsp pepper
Acid gives beetroot back its full magenta.Serve with toppings
Ladle into bowls, add a spoon of sour cream and drag it into a spiral with a skewer. Scatter toasted walnuts and dill.
Ingredients: 4 tbsp sour cream · 40 g walnuts · ¼ bunch dill
Before you start
Shortcut with cooked beets
Vacuum-packed cooked beetroot cuts the recipe to 25 minutes. The colour is the same but the caramelised depth is missing.
Vegan version
Use coconut cream or soy yoghurt instead of sour cream. The white-on-pink contrast survives.
Served cold
This soup is just as good chilled. Thin it with about 100 ml more stock, as it thickens when cold, and season more boldly.
