 it's so nice to see all of the jewel tones back in the market, even if we are sad to say goodbye to summer. One of the loveliest of the jewel tones is provided by beets, of course, and this soup is gorgeous to look at whether made with red or golden varieties. It is also sweet and tart, with warmly spiced beet pickles (optional, but worth the effort), and crunchy with toasted walnuts. If you leave out the butter, it's vegan, so it's a versatile dish for your next dinner party, or, heck, just for a weeknight meal.
Honey-Thyme Beet Soup with Beet Pickles and Honey-Thyme Butter:
Yield: (4) 1-cup servings
For the soup:
4 large beets (approximately 2 pounds, trimmed, peeled, and quartered)
3 stems fresh thyme or 1/4 teaspoon dried
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 medium sweet onion, such as Vidalia (approximately 3/4 pound), chopped coarsely
1/2 teaspoon fresh thyme or 1/4 teaspoon dried
2 cups vegetable stock
kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper
Pickles:
1 large beet, trimmed, peeled, and cut into 1/4-inch cubes
1 cup white wine vinegar
1 cup water
1/4 cup honey
1 cinnamon stick
1/2 teaspoon coriander seed
1/2 teaspoon black peppercorns
3 stems fresh thyme or 1/4 teaspoon dried
Honey-Thyme Butter:
1 stick unsalted butter, softened
1 tablespoon honey
1/2 teaspoon fresh thyme or 1/4 teaspoon dried
Garnish (optional):
whole walnuts, toasted at 350 degrees for 12-15 minutes
If you're wondering how you might schedule the preparation of these four components of the dish, everything but the walnuts can be made while the beets are roasting, otherwise, you can make the pickles up to a week in advance then store them in the refrigerator in an airtight container.
Likewise, the walnuts can be toasted a week in advance and stored in an airtight container (at room temperature), and the butter can be made a day or two in advance (and, yep, stored in an airtight container in your trusty fridge).
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Grab a medium or large baking dish and enough foil to wrap the beets completely - we're steaming them a bit here, so we don't want any steam escaping, and we're going to add the liquid from this beet-roasting-slash-steaming process to the soup.
Toss the quartered beets with the olive oil, then transfer them to the foil-lined baking dish. Drizzle the honey over the beets, then nestle the thyme amongst the beets. Seal up the foil, and cook the beets for 55 minutes to 1 hour, until they are easily pierced with a fork.
In a large saucepan or stockpot, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and thyme, and saute for 3 to 5 minutes, until the onion becomes translucent. Add the beets and the accumulated beet-honey juice from the baking dish, then pour in the vegetable stock. Bring the stock to a gentle simmer, cover, and cook for 20 minutes.
Allow the beet concoction to cool to room temperature, then process it in a food processor, blender, or with an immersion blender until the soup is smooth. Return the soup to the pot, season with salt and pepper, and warm to your desired serving temperature.
(this is the pickle part)
While the beets are roasting, let's make some pickles, shall we? Or, hey, let's make them a few days ahead of time, that sounds good, too.
Combine the vinegar, water, honey, cinnamon, coriander seed, peppercorns, thyme, and beet cubes in a medium saucepan. Bring the mixture to a low boil over medium-high heat, and boil until the beet cubes are easily pierced with a fork, 15 to 20 minutes.
Remove the pot from the heat, and allow the pickles to cool to room temperature. At this stage, you can transfer the beets and the pickling liquid to a storage container and refrigerate them if you're making them ahead of time.
If you'd like to can the pickles, you can go ahead and do that, filling the sterilized jars to within a quarter-inch of the rim with the pickling liquid, making certain that the mouths of the jars are clean before putting the lids on, and using a hot water bath to seal those jars of yours.
(now the butter part)
While the pickles boil away, let's make the butter. Mash the softened butter up with a fork, then pour in the honey, toss the thyme into the bowl, and get back to mashing until the honey and thyme are blended into the butter.
That was easy.
Remember to refrigerate the butter if you aren't using it right away. I know you know, but I just have to say it.
(and the walnuts - gotta toast the walnuts)
So, while the soup is being warmed to your desired serving temperature, go ahead and toast the walnuts at 350 degrees Fahrenheit until golden brown, 12 to 15 minutes. Allow the walnuts to cool slightly, then rub them between a kitchen towel to remove any loose walnut skin.
(now back to assembling and serving)
Now it's time to assemble. Ladle the soup into four individual bowls, add a dollop of butter, then place 6 or 8 beet pickle cubes around the butter to form a butter-beet pickle sun, toss a few walnuts over the magenta soup for contrast and crunch, and serve it forth.
Copyright 2010, Amy McCoy/Poor Girl Gourmet. May not be reprinted without permission.
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