Valentine’s Day is just around the corner, and this soup is a really LOVE-ly starter to a Valentine’s Day dinner. (We learned long ago that although it sounds romantic in theory, Valentine’s Day is not the best night to eat out.) The soup is a crazy fuschia color, reminiscent of an OPI nail polish color, although I don’t envision Indian-Spiced Roasted Beet Soup appearing on the bottom of one of their bottles any time soon. I think a bowl of this soup might be a little much, but a small cup of it is a beautiful beginning to a Valentine’s meal.
INDIAN-SPICED ROASTED BEET SOUP
Ingredients
- 6 large beets
- 1 tablespoon + 2 teaspoons olive oil, divided use
- 3 garlic cloves, chopped
- 1 small onion, chopped
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh ginger
- 2 14.5-ounce cans chicken broth
- ½ cup coconut milk
- ¼ teaspoon garam masala
- 2 teaspoons fresh lime juice
- Salt and pepper
- ¼ cup crushed macadamia nuts, for optional garnish
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
- To roast beets: Trim roots and leaves from beets, reserving greens for another use. Place beets in a medium baking dish, drizzle with 1 tablespoon olive oil, and season with salt and pepper. Cover dish with foil and bake until beets are tender, approximately 40 minutes. Allow beets to cool, then slip skins off. Cut beets into 1" pieces and set aside.
- Place remaining 2 teaspoons olive oil in a large stockpot. Saute onions until translucent. Add garlic and ginger and saute another 1-2 minutes until soft and fragrant. Add beets, broth, coconut milk, and garam masala and simmer, uncovered, 20 minutes.
- Allow soup to cool slightly, then puree in batches in a blender. Return to pot, add lime juice, and heat through. Ladle into small cups and garnish with macadamia nuts. Serve hot.
Trimmed, dressed with olive oil, seasoned with salt and pepper — ready for the oven
Feel the love (or at least the warm spices)
The beginning of a LOVE-ly Valentine’s Day dinner