My love for beetroot is well documented. In fact, I wrote a version of this post ranting about how underrated beetroot was and then realised that I’d written the exact same post last time I posted a beetroot-centric recipe. So this is a re-write. Oops. But at least it shows I’m consistent in my affections. Beetroot rules. 

A great thing to do with beetroot is make soup. This one is full of flavour with a thick consistency. The blue cheese really complements the natural sweetness of the beets. 

Olive Magazine

Ingredients

• 1 kg beetroots topped, tailed, scrubbed clean and cut into large pieces
• 1 red onion cut into wedges
• 3 cloves garlic
• 1/2 small bunch thyme plus a few leaves
• 500 ml vegetable stock
• 100 ml crème fraîche
• 1/2 lemon juiced

TOASTS

• 3 slices sourdough cut in half
• 150 g blue cheese
• 4 tbsp caramelised onion chutney

Instructions

• Heat the oven to 200C/fan 180C/gas 6. Put the beetroot, red onion and garlic into a roasting tin, pour in 150ml of water, season well and scatter over the thyme. Cover with a double layer of foil and put into the oven for 1 hour 15 minutes or until the beetroots are very tender to the point of a knife.
• Remove the foil, then peel the beetroots and discard the skin, then chop into small pieces. Put into a pan with the onion, garlic and vegetable stock, bring to the boil then use a hand blender to whizz until completely smooth, or ladle into a blender and whizz. Season, then stir in the crème fraîche and lemon juice, and whizz again. Keep warm.
• Heat the grill to high. Put the bread pieces onto a baking tray and toast on either side. Spread on some onion chutney and then add the blue cheese. Grill until melted.
• Spoon the soup into bowls and top with the toasts.

Nutrition

Kcals442, Fat19.4g, Saturates10.8g, Carbs42g, Sugars23.1g, Fibre6.4g, Protein15.1g, Salt1.5g