MADE: Beet Soup

Apparently beets are mysterious? When my Saudi Arabian roommate mistook my beet soup for some kind of strawberry gelato (and subsequently refused to believe that it was soup and made of vegetables), I assumed that it was some kind of cultural divide.

But then my other--very American--roommate and his girlfriend exhibited similar confusion, just moments later. Did you guys never have to eat beets as a child? I remember being grossed out by them, and confused as well. They were one of those vegetables that straddled the line between savory and sweet--an unacceptable breach for my fragile childhood psyche.

I've rediscovered them in my cooking adventures, however, and they've fallen onto the "Ingredient Obsessions" list. (Other past list-makers include spinach, sweet potatoes, and sour cream. Ask my beleaguered boyfriend, who frequently has to gently pull me back from cooking frenzies with questions like "Do we really need to put sweet potatoes in the lasagna?" and "Are you sure that you should buy another three bags of spinach at the grocery store?")

Beet soup is both delicious and aesthetically pleasing--that bright red color makes a cozy winter soup that much cheerier. Also, chopping up beets leaves you with red hands and knives--a fun little reminiscence of Lady Macbeth, for those who are inclined to be amused by such things. (Me.)

Soupstravaganza #1
Beet Soup
1 tsp olive oil
1 clove garlic, chopped (or ZOOMED)
1/3 onion, diced
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 medium potato, peeled and diced
3 medium beets, peeled and diced
4 cups water or chicken broth
1 bay leaf
1 tsp lemon juice
Sour Cream, for serving

In a medium pot or large saucepan over medium-high heat, sauté garlic and onion in olive oil until onion is tender and begins to clear, but not brown, about four minutes. Add salt and pepper and sauté one minute more. Add potato, beets, water or broth, and bay leaf. Bring the ingredients to a boil, partially covered. Once boiling, continue to cook for about 20 minutes, or until potato and beet pieces are tender.

Remove from heat and allow to cool for five minutes. In three batches, transfer soup to a blender and blend for about 10 seconds, until soup is somewhere in the median state between chunky and smooth. Mix blended soup back into the pot, add lemon juice, and stir until mixed. 
Distribute among bowls or package in airtight containers for freezing and storing. For serving, stir in a dollop of sour cream. DEVOUR, of course.