One would expect a beetroot soup to be earthy in flavour, but your first spoonful will reveal a refreshingly acidic taste thanks to generous amounts of sour cream and the addition of a sour apple. Too hot outside for soup? Serve it chilled, gazpacho style.
Prep Time15 minutesmins
Cook Time1 hourhr
Total Time1 hourhr15 minutesmins
Course: Soup
Cuisine: Modern Australian, Russian
Keyword: beetroot, soup, sour cream
Servings: 5serves
Ingredients
500graw beetroot
25mlextra virgin olive oil
1 ½teaspoonssmoked paprika
30gunsalted butter
1leeksliced
1clovegarlic
1carrotgrated, minced
1applegrated
1litre vegetable stock
3bay leaves
¼teaspoonpepper
½teaspoonsalt
2teaspoonssugar
200g+ 100g sour cream
dill to garnish
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 220°C (fan forced 200°C).
Cut beetroot into medium sized pieces, toss in olive oil and smoked paprika, then arrange on a large baking tray and roast in the oven for 30 minutes until tender.
In a large pot, melt butter and sauté leek until soft. Add garlic and fry for a minute before stirring in carrot, apple and the roasted beetroot. Cook until fragrant, 2-3 minutes.
Pour in vegetable stock and season with bay leaves, salt, sugar and pepper. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 20 minutes.
Take off the heat, remove bay leaves, then drop in 200g sour cream. Blend with a stick blender until very smooth and creamy. Adjust seasoning if necessary.
Serve in bowls, with a dollop of sour cream and a few sprigs of dill to garnish.