There is something quite nice about eating such a splendidly rich, pink soup. Well, my daughters thought so anyway. And once the novelty of the vibrant hue was gone, the simple and distinctive flavours of this earthy soup took over. The combination of slow roasted beetroot, pan fried bacon and cabbage will fill you as they will nourish you.
All of this is complimented with a nice spoonful of crème fraiche and a little grating of horseradish. A splendid soup indeed!
1.3 kilos/2.9 lbs of beetroot (approx 4 large beetroot)
50 grams/1.7 oz of lard
150 grams/5.3 oz bacon
1 onion, finely chopped
2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
6 cups of chicken stock
270 grams/9.5 oz of white cabbage
1 carrot, finely chopped
1 teaspoon of red wine vinegar
Cayenne pepper
Fresh horseradish to garnish
A small tub of Crème fraiche to garnish
Pre-heat oven to 200c/392f. Wrap each beetroot in foil, roast until tender (1-1½ hours). Set aside to cool, then peel in running water (the skin should rub off very easily and I recommend using rubber gloves for this), coarsely chop and set aside.
Meanwhile, heat lard in a large saucepan over low heat, add bacon, onion and garlic and sauté until very tender (around 15-20 minutes). Add stock, cabbage, carrot and vinegar and simmer over medium heat until vegetables are very tender (40-45 minutes). Add roast beetroot, season to taste with sea salt, freshly ground black pepper and cayenne pepper, cook until beetroot is very tender (10 minutes), then purée with a hand-held blender until very smooth. Keep warm.
Sprinkle soup with extra cayenne pepper, top with horseradish and a spoonful of crème fraîche and serve with toasted rye bread or rye crackers.
Notes: As you can probably see from the images – I did not have fresh horseradish on hand so I finished it off with a little spoonful of horseradish sauce. Very nice too but try to use the fresh horseradish if you can.
Source: Australian Gourmet Traveller, June 2010
© 2010, Michelle. All rights reserved.
