Monday, April 27, 2009

Roasted Beet Soup






Over the weekend I bought some beets at the farmers market.  I've been told that beets are an acquired taste but I just don't understand.  What is there to not like about beets??  They're amazing!  I roasted some beets in olive oil and thyme and made it into a soup.  The color of roasted beets is phenomenal.  They let off this bright pink juice that is very sweet.  It stained my fingers and I kind of liked the way it looked.  I also had some of the beets with just a bit of lemon-lavender goat cheese and that made me very happy.  

Ingredients
2 beets
5-8 sprigs of thyme
mushrooms of your choice
1/2 a onion
4 cloves of garlic
5 baby carrots
1 cup spinach
1 cup red wine
2 cups chicken stock
1/4 cup of sausage or any other ground meat
1/4 cup broccoli and cauliflower 
olive oil
salt and pepper

1. preheat oven to 400 degrees
2. scrub and trim the beets and put them in a large square of foil along with 2 tablespoons of olive oil, salt, and 4 sprigs of thyme
3. make a little pouch with the foil by drawing the corners together so that the foil is airtight
4. roast in the oven for 1 hour
5. in the meantime cook down onions and meat in olive oil
6. when the onions are slightly browned, add crushed garlic cloves, thyme, mushrooms and carrots
7. let everything brown and then add the cup of spinach until it has wilted
8. add broccoli and cauliflower
9. de-glaze with the red wine, making sure to scrape all the brown bits from the bottom of the pot
10. add chicken stock and bring the soup to a boil and then take it off the heat
11.  take the beets out of the oven and peel and then dice into cubes
12. add to soup and bring the soup back to a boil until the broth is a deep red color
13. salt and pepper to taste and serve with a spoonful of sour cream

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