How to Make Beet Velvet Soup

Beet soup with kidney beans and tomatoes.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• 1 medium beet, peeled and diced
• 1/8 teaspoon red-pepper flakes
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 cup plain yogurt or low-fat sour cream, optional, for garnish
• 2 tablespoons snipped chives, optional, for garnish (about 1 cup)
• 1 (15-ounce) can kidney beans, drained
• 1 tablespoon canola oil
• 1/2 Spanish onion, chopped
• 1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes, with their liquid

1. When chopping beets, cover your work surface with waxed paper to avoid staining it. Cooking with beets is messy but worth the work.

2. Boil the beetroots in 4-1/2 cups cold water for 35 minutes in a saucepan. Add the beans; cook further until both the beans and beet are very soft, 20-25 minutes minutes. Remove from heat, reserve.

3. In a crock pot or saucepan, heat the oil over medium heat. Saute the onion for 5 minutes or until soft. Add the red pepper flakes tomato. Cook until the onion is translucent, 15-18 minutes.

4. Using a colander, drain the beans and beets set over a bowl to catch their juice. Add the beans and beets to the tomato mixture. Remove the pot from the heat. Cool contents before mixing in blender, about 15 minutes.

5. 
   Beetroot ; beet

   Puree the soup in a blender. If the soup becomes thick, add some of the reserved beans and beets juice. Season the soup to taste with salt and pepper if necessary.
   
   Divide it among 4 bowls, garnished with chives, a dollop of sour cream or yogurt, if desired.

Resources

• A Collection of Beet Recipes
• How to Use Beets and Their Nutritional Value