Chef Eli’s
Beet Soup

Beets- Double Adobe Farm- McNeal, AZ

July 27th, 2021

Ingredients:

2-3 lbs. red beets, stems & leaves removed, tops and tails intact

1 T. balsamic vinegar

1 T. olive oil

2.5 quart saucepan with lid (or larger)

1 t. oil

½ t. salt (+more to taste)

1-2 small onions

1 bay leaf

1 sprig of thyme (optional)

2 c. vegetable stock (or water)

4-6 c. cooked beets, roughly chopped

½ c. toasted pepitas (+more for garnish)

Procedure:

Scrub beets to remove grit, rinse and pat dry.
Add beets to a small baking dish and drizzle with vinegar and oil.
Cover tightly with tin foil and bake at 450° for 45-75 minutes. Beets should be tender and easily pierced with a fork. Let stand uncovered until cool enough to handle.
Trim tops + tails and peel beets. Or, place room-temp beets in the refrigerator and finish the recipe the next day.
Sauté onion in oil over medium heat until translucent.
Add bay leaf and thyme, cook 1-2 minutes until fragrant.
Add vegetable stock and bring to a boil. Add beets and cover, cook for 15-20 minutes.
Remove from heat and allow to cool uncovered.
In a blender, add pepitas, ½ c. cooking liquid and ½ c. cooked beets.
Cover and, beginning on the lowest setting, puree.
Turn up the speed and blend until the mixture is completely smooth. (Add more liquid as necessary to get it moving. Be sure to return to the ‘low’ setting each time you start it up).
Once truly creamy, add half of the remaining soup and blend. Add the rest and blend again. Add water 1 T. at a time if necessary. Taste and season with salt.
Serve warm or chilled and top with toasted pepitas.