This savory, earthy puréed vegetarian soup topped with a swirl of crème fraîche and a sprinkle of dill hits all of the right notes. It’s creamy but healthy and can very easily be made vegan by substituting the crème fraîche with soy sour cream or plain soy yogurt, since the broth itself is made using water, Vegeta seasoning, kosher salt, herbs, and vegetables. It’s truly the perfect, cozy soup for a cold winter’s night.
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In a large pot, heat the avocado oil on medium-high heat. Once the oil is rippling, add the garlic cloves and onions and sauté until fragrant, about 2-3 minutes.
Add the leeks and mix thoroughly. Sauté again until fragrant and softened slightly, another 5 minutes or so.
Add the beets, carrots, water, and half of the kosher salt and stir.
Add the celery, potatoes, and bay leaves, and bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook for an hour, stirring occasionally.
Once the beets are soft (these take the longest) enough to be pierced by a sharp knife and then slide right off, remove the bay leaves and purée with a submersible blender (or transfer to a standard blender and purée that way).
(Just try not to make a mess like I did)
Ladle the soup into the bowls you’re going to use for serving and drop a dollop of crème fraîche in, swirling it around (I use the handle of a dinner spoon). Sprinkle about a Tbsp of chopped dill all over the soup, focusing a little more in the center. Crack a bit of fresh black pepper over it, and serve hot.
Beet Soup with Crème Fraîche and Dill
Ingredients
- 2 lbs beets, peeled and chopped
- 1 small bunch dill, plus extra for garnish (very important for both flavor and presentation)
- 1 small bunch parsley, chopped
- 2 onions, chopped
- 5 cloves garlic, crushed under the flat side of a chef's knife
- 1 bunch carrots, chopped
- 1 bunch celery, chopped
- 2 bunches leeks (green and white parts), halved, rinsed, and chopped
- 2 qts water
- 2 bay leaves, whole
- 1 Tbsp avocado oil
- 2 Tbsp kosher salt
- 4 Tbsp Vegeta seasoning
- crème fraîche, at room temperature, for garnish
- freshly ground black pepper, for garnish
Instructions
- In a large pot, heat the avocado oil on medium-high heat. Once the oil is rippling, add the garlic cloves and onions and sauté until fragrant, about 2-3 minutes.
- Add the leeks and mix thoroughly. Sauté again until fragrant and softened slightly, another 5 minutes or so.
- Add the beets, carrots, water, and half of the kosher salt and stir.
- Add the celery, potatoes, and bay leaves, and bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook for an hour, stirring occasionally.
- Once the beets are soft (these take the longest) enough to be pierced by a sharp knife and then slide right off, remove the bay leaves and purée with a submersible blender (or transfer to a standard blender and purée that way).
- Ladle the soup into the bowls you're going to use for serving and drop a dollop of crème fraîche in, swirling it around (I use the handle of a dinner spoon). Sprinkle about a Tbsp of chopped dill all over the soup, focusing a little more in the center. Crack a bit of fresh black pepper over it, and serve hot.