Chilled Beet And Tomato Soup Recipe

You may think that beets are just for roasting at the holidays or pickling for salads, but a whole new world opens up when you consider using beets in a chilled soup. Their sweet and tangy flavor is delicious on warm days, or when you are looking for something light and different. This recipe combines roasted beets that have cooled, with crisp cucumber, sweet red peppers, sharp red onion, and juicy beefsteak tomatoes to give you a cold gazpacho-style of soup with a twist. Lemon juice and vinegar add just enough bitterness to balance the sweetness, and the earthiness of fresh parsley makes this soup taste straight from the garden.

"It's nice to have a few cold soup recipes for those times you're craving soup but not in the mood for something hot," wellness coach and recipe developer Miriam Hahn says. "I always have some form of soup in the fridge because it's a great way to pack in a lot of vegetables without even trying. This soup takes advantage of seasonal vegetables but can easily be made year-round for a dose of fresh flavors."

To make this recipe, start in the produce department and pick up beets, English cucumber, red bell pepper, beefsteak tomatoes, red onion, garlic, lemon, and fresh parsley. We're using an English cucumber here because they contain less moisture and won't water down the soup. If you want to use an alternate tomato, plum tomatoes or tomatoes on the vine work well also. Then grab some tomato juice, which will act as our broth, and check your pantry for avocado oil, salt, pepper, and apple cider vinegar.

Preheat the oven to 400 F.

Line a sheet pan with parchment paper.

Pierce the beets all over with a fork.

Place the beets on the sheet pan, brush them with oil, and sprinkle with ¼ teaspoon salt and ⅛ teaspoon pepper. Bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour.

In the meantime, combine the cucumber, red pepper, tomatoes, red onion, garlic, remaining salt, and remaining pepper in a large bowl or pot and stir well.

Add the tomato juice, lemon juice, and vinegar.

When the beets are done baking and slightly cooled, peel and discard the skin.

Dice the beets.

Add the beets to the pot with the other ingredients, cover, and chill for 1 hour.

Top with chopped parsley and serve.

When you are shopping for beets, choose ones that are firm with smooth skin. If they are soft, that indicates they are not at their peak of freshness. For this recipe we are using medium-sized beets which tend to be sweeter than large beets and quicker to cook. Large beets can take well over an hour in the oven, and can get a little dried out in the meantime. If the beets have greens attached, try and find some that are still bright and crisp.

Since beets are deeply pigmented, they can easily stain your hands, work surface, or clothes. To avoid this, make sure to wear an apron, wear gloves, and rinse your cutting board right away so the stains don't set.

When you get home from the store, chop the greens from the beets, wash them, and store them in your produce drawer. When prepping for this recipe, scrub the beets with a vegetable brush and dry them so that the oil and seasonings will adhere. When the beets are done roasting, let them cool, then peel and discard the skin. You might need to get the peel going by cutting a slit near the top of the beet. Another way to do this is to wrap a paper towel around the beet, and rub to release the skin. Once peeled, go ahead and dice, keeping your gloves on.

If you prefer to make the soup warm, that can easily be done with a few adjustments. Most hot soups start with sauteing aromatics, and that will make a nice addition to the soup. Just add 1-2 tablespoons of oil to a large pot and bring the heat to medium high. Add one chopped onion and two to three minced cloves of garlic. Cook those for about 5 minutes or until the onion is translucent.

For the warm version, it's best to swap the cucumber for zucchini, and add it to the soup with the tomatoes after the aromatics are done. You can use a can of diced stewed tomatoes or fire roasted tomatoes instead of fresh tomatoes. Keep this mixture on low heat as the beets finish cooking. Once they are done, add them to the soup along with the final ingredients, including the roasted beets. For this option you can keep the soup chunky or add a little cream or coconut milk, and blend the soup.