Beetroot, Caraway & Black Pepper Soup
A vegetable-packed borscht-style soup with a hint of caraway and a good dose of cracked black pepper. With a secret ingredient of pickled gherkins to add a gentle sweet-sour flavour. The key is to finely slice (onions and celery) and grate (carrots and beetroot) the vegetables so they are a similar size and mingle together into one delicious combination of vegetables that all become vibrantly dyed by the beetroot.
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 onion, thinly sliced
- 2 celery stalks, thinly sliced on an angle
- 2 carrots, grated
- 2 medium beetroot*, about 300g, grated
- 4 pickled gherkins, grated
- 5 cups (1.25 litres) vegetable stock
- 1 tsp caraway seeds or crushed coriander seeds
- ½ tsp salt
- Generous grind of black pepper
- 2 tsp apple cider vinegar
- Sour cream and chopped chives to serve
Instructions
- In a large saucepan add the oil and onion, sauté over a low heat for 10 minutes. Prepare the celery and carrots, and add to the pan as they are ready. Continue to cook over the gentle heat to create a flavour base for the soup (similar to a mirepoix).
- Add the beetroot, gherkins, stock, caraway, salt and pepper. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook for 20-25 minutes, until the beetroot is tender*.
- Add the vinegar and check the taste, adding extra salt and/or pepper if needed.
- Serve hot bowls of soup with a dollop of sour cream and sprinkle of chives.
Notes
*Pre-cooked whole beetroot can also be used (roasted or boiled). Simply peel, grate and use as above. Reduce cooking time by 10 minutes.