As we move into the deep, dark depths of winter there's nothing more comforting that a steaming bowl of soup. Warm, filling, and perfectly in line with your New Year's resolutions.
You may also be in need of a little colour to brighten the near-constant cloudy sky and slushy sidewalks. Having just returned to Canada after a month-long vacation on the beach, I for one was definitely in need of a little vibrance.
This roasted beet soup was the antidote. Wonderfully simple, yet flavourful bright- it was just what I needed to help cure my cold-weather blues.
Roasting and peeling the beets is the only real bit of work in this recipe, after that the soup is finished in about 15 minutes.
Beet Tip: To make the roasted beets easier to peel, and save yourself from stained hands, peel the beets under cold running water. This also prevents beet juice from splattering all over your kitchen and helps cool down the hot beets so they are easier to manage.
For flavour, I added roasted garlic, fresh thyme, and a squeeze of lemon at the end for a pop of freshness.
As a garnish, I made a quick dukkah, an Egyptian spice mix made of crushed seeds, spices, and nuts. It's a staple in Egyptian cooking and can be sprinkled on a whole variety of things. I used a combination of hazelnuts, pistachios, and za'atar, a Middle Eastern spice mix which adds a zesty flavour to dishes. Try sprinkling any leftovers on hummus or eggs for a lil' something extra!
Roasted Beet Soup with Lemon and Dukkah
serves 4
3 tbsp olive oil
3 large beets
1 head of garlic
1 large leek, thinly sliced
2 tsp of fresh thyme leaves
3 cups of low-sodium vegetable stock
salt and pepper, to taste
juice of 1/2 a lemon
For the Dukkah
2 tbsp of sesame seeds, toasted
2 tbsp of hazelnuts, toasted
2 tbsp of pistachios, toasted
2 tbsp Za'atar
1/8 tsp sumac
1. Preheat the oven to 400 F. Place beets and head of garlic on a baking dish lined with foil and drizzle with 1 tbsp of olive oil. Wrap the beets and garlic in the foil so they are completely covered, and place in the oven until beets are tender and garlic is soft and caramelized (a knife should easily slip in and out), about 1 hour. Allow to cool slightly then remove the skin from the beets and chop into quarters. Squeeze garlic form the skin and set aside.
2. Heat the remaining 2 tbsp of oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the sliced leek, and cook, stirring until tender, about 5-7 minutes. Add the beets garlic, thyme leaves, vegetable stock, and season generously with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer and cook for 5 minutes.
3. Allow the soup to cool slightly, then add in the lemon juice and blend in a blender until smooth.
For the Dukkah:
1. Reduce the oven temperature to 350 F. Place the hazelnuts and pistachios on a sheet tray and cook in the upper rack of the oven until toasted and fragrant, about 5 minutes, Finely chop or crush the nuts once cool enough to handle.
2. Add the sesame seeds to a dry frying pan and cook over medium-high heat until toasted and fragrant, 5-10 minutes,
3. Combine the toasted nuts, sesame, seeds, za'atar, and sumac. Sprinkle on top of the soup before serving.