Beetroot-Ginger Soup

This soup is delightfully warming, and especially recommended in the autumn and winter. It’s vegan and gluten-free, too. You can boil the beetroot first, or grate it into the pan, which shortens the overall cooking time – both methods work. This soup goes well with a sharp, non-dairy yoghurt, or add a squeeze of lemon juice and a pinch of salt to sharpen the yoghurt.

Prep time is 12 minutes, cooking time is 45 minutes, so it takes an hour overall. This recipe makes four servings.

Ingredients:

3 Tbsp light vegetable oil
1 large white or yellow onion, peeled and chopped
1” piece fresh ginger, peeled and grated – or more, if it’s very cold out
3 cloves of garlic, crushed
1 green finger chilli, finely chopped
1 lb fresh beetroot, scrubbed and grated (or chopped small)
1 small potato (about 4 oz) peeled and grated
3 cups vegetable broth
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

To serve: Sourdough or other savory bread, non-dairy yogurt, nigella (black poppy) seeds

Method:

1.   Heat the oil in a large pot and, when it’s nearly smoking, add the onion. Sauté, stirring for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the ginger, garlic, and chilli; continue to cook and stir for three minutes.

2.   Add the beetroot and potato, stir to coat, then pour in the broth and bring to a boil. Turn down the heat and leave to simmer for 30 minutes.

3.   Leave the soup to cool a little, then blend using a food processor or Nutri-Bullet. Taste and correct the seasoning.

4.   Transfer the soup into bowls and top with a spoonful of yoghurt and a sprinkling of black poppy seeds. Serve hot with the grilled sourdough or other toasted bread.

And, for the printer-friendly version, click HERE.