This recipe is the first soup recipe I came up with entirely on my own. It stems from my love of beets, and it borrows heavily from other roasted vegetable soups I’ve tried and liked. Anyone who likes beets will enjoy this recipe; it is an absolutely delicious — and gorgeous — way to warm up a cold winter day.
Roasted Beet Soup
makes about 8 servings
Ingredients:
4-5 medium fresh beets, trimmed and washed
olive oil
2 small/1 large shallot, or 1 medium red onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
4 carrots, sliced
14 oz can pears, drained (or 2 fresh pears, quartered and peeled)
1 cup dry white wine
quart vegetable stock*
Jane’s mixed-up salt
salt and pepper
dill (fresh is best, although dried is fine too)
lemon
yogurt (garnish)
1. wash and trim beets. place in a glass dish, fill the dish with water, and wrap in foil. roast in 400 degree oven for about 1 hour*
2. splash olive oil in large pot; add shallot, garlic, and a pinch of salt; cook over medium-low heat until soft and translucent (5-8 mins)
3. add carrots, cook until soft (about 8 mins)
4. remove beets from foil; peel and slice; add to pot. add pears
5. add wine and enough vegetable stock* to cover
6. add season salt, salt and pepper, and dill
7. bring to a simmer and then lower heat; cook for 20-30 mins
8. puree with immersion blender (or transfer to regular blender in batches to puree) until about 80% smooth
9. stir in juice from 1 lemon
10. taste; warm soup and add additional salt/pepper if needed
11. serve; garnish soup with dollop of plain yogurt and another sprinkle of dill
*stock variation; after roasting beets, strain and add the (now deep purple) water from the beet pan in place of vegetable stock (use additional seasoning salt)
Thanks for this gorgeous recipe! (I found your link on JD’s blog.) I am part of a lunch group and tomorrow’s the day I bring in lunch for four – this is going to be a hit! I think I’ll serve it with a side of spinach or arugula salad for a colorful and slightly-bitter side.
Yay! I hope it goes well. Thanks!
update: I made this and it went over well. Instead of the salad I served it with smashed chickpea salad from smitten kitchen.
you didn’t specify how much dill should go in the soup, so I did 2 teaspoons fresh and it was very subtle (bordering on not tasteable) but I brought in more fresh dill & lemon wedges to use after heating up the soup, and that was fine.
the beets took FOREVER to roast, like two hours. My coworkers recommend boiling, then roasting next time.
Two hours to roast the beets — good grief! I’m glad it all turned out well in the end, and I do admire your perseverance!
Can not wait to try this! I’m going to have to share with my Mom and Dad who will both fall in love with it too.
This was beet soup weekend for me! I didn’t have any problems with the hour long roast. I used a 13 x 9 glass dish and filled it 1/2 to 3/4 way up with the beets in it. But one difference I may have incorporated was removing the foil covered dish from the oven and letting the beets continue to steam under the foil for about a half hour (and also cool enough to handle). I didn’t measure the water because I thought I’d use vegetable stock, but then I just used the refuse roast beet water and ended up having at least a quart (as the recipe calls). I did, however, have the foresight to roast an extra beet. I’m enjoying it in a salad right now!
One of my favorite things about this soup: the fragrant pears! I didn’t actually taste them, but the smell was really nice!
I tried the dollop of plain yogurt (Fage), and I also tried a few bites with a teensy bit of creamy horseradish. One of my favorite side dish recipes is shredded beets with creamy horseradish, so I thought this might work. It was good, but it really did overpower the delicate beet and pearness of the base soup.
I’d make it again…..but may add a veggie bundle to the roasting water to create a beet/vegetable stock.
Thanks for the recipe! I think I’ll try peppery chicken soup next!