Cool Beet Soup with Kefir and Pickled Beet Stems

5 from 1 vote

Cool Beet Soup with Kefir and Pickled Beet Stems

A Delicious Cold Blender Beet Soup with personality! Steam fresh beets - then whirl with healthy Kefir and seasonings - it's that easy! Serve with garnishes that ARE ELEMENTS OF THE SOUP!

Prep Time15

Cook Time45

Total Time1

Course: first course, Soup, Special Soups

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Beet soup, beet soup with kefir, cool beet soup

Servings: large servings, or 8 smaller ones

Author: Karen Sheer a zest for life

Ingredients

2 1/2 pounds fresh ruby beets 3 large
3 teaspoons fresh garlic peeled and coarsely chopped
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
3 tablespoons juices from Pickled Beets (recipe below)
3 1/2 cups Kefir*

Mini Ingredients that are Garnishes:

1/3 cup cucumbers small dice (use local cucumbers from a framers' market)
2 tablespoon garlic scapes thinly sliced (can substitute fresh chives or scallions)
3 tablespoons fresh dill
1 tablespoon small basil leaves
4 tablespoons Pickled Beet Stems (Recipe below)
3 tablespoons greek yogurt (will thin with milk)

Instructions

Make Pickled Beet Stems (recipe below) - Will use the juice for the soup; stems for garnish.
Scrub beets; save stems. Steam beets in at least 2 inches of water for 45 minutes, will feel softened when pierced with a knife. (Check to make sure the water has not evaporated.) Under running water peel beets - the skins should fall off with a nudge of the back of a small knife.
Cool slightly, coarsely grate the beets - will have 4 cups of grated beets.
To a blender add 2 1/2 cups grated beets, garlic, sea salt, pepper, 3 tablespoons of pickled beet juice (from pickled beets) and Kefir. Whirl from low to high speed for one minute until well blended.
Add to a bowl to fit, fold in 1 1/2 cups remaining grated beets. Taste for seasonings. Refrigerate the soup base until cold, at least 3 hours.

To Serve:

Portion the soup into individual bowls. Swirl 1 teaspoon milk (or water) into the greek yogurt - add a portion on top of each bowl of beet soup in a decorative, swirled fashion.
Add the remaining garnishes on the soup: cucumbers, garlic scapes, dill, basil leaves and pickled beet stems. Serve and enjoy.

Notes

Pickled Beet Stems: Add 2 tablespoons rice vinegar, 2 tablespoons pure cane sugar, one tablespoon diced shallots, one slice fresh ginger and 1/8 teaspoon sea salt in a small skillet. Bring to a boil - add 1/3 cup cleaned beet stems, in small dice. Reduce to a simmer and cover, cook only three minutes. Remove from heat and cool. Use the liquid to add to the soup in the blender - use drained pickled beet stems to garnish the soup.

Alternately, if you do not make the pickled beet stems - add 1 teaspoon sugar and 2 teaspoons vinegar (red wine or rice) to the blender. Taste for seasonings.

*Kefir - is a cultured, fermented milk drink with gut-supporting probiotic bacteria. Can substitute yogurt thinned with milk.

Substitute for Kefir: a mix of 75% yogurt and 25% milk (but try Kefir!)

This recipe may not be reproduced without the consent of its author, Karen Sheer.

Nutrition