Creamy Roasted Red Beet Soup

If you’re already a beet lover, like I’ve become since that fateful first CSA box, this roasted red beet soup will be right up your alley.

Every bowlful is designed to showcase and celebrate the brilliant root’s deep color, as well as its distinctly clean, fresh-from-the-ground flavors.

Seductively smooth and subtly sweet, this rosy red romance in a bowl demonstrates the versatility of roasted beets.

It embraces beautiful simplicity – both in the cooking methods and in the final presentation.

The only time-consuming step with this method is roasting the roots, but you can do that a few days ahead of time while you get some chores done around the house.

Roasting and then adding them to the other ingredients – instead of adding them raw – not only speeds up the soup-cooking process, but also imparts the deepened flavor that roasting graciously yields.

This dish is earthy and comforting, with a velvety texture due to the smart combo of adding dairy products and pureeing the soup in a high-speed blender.

For the garnishes, my eyes love feasting on the color contrast of a swirl of sour cream or creme fraiche and a few sprigs of fresh parsley on top.

We already made it twice in the last week in my house, first because we had some leftover roasted beets from dinner salads the other night, and later because we love it so much and wanted more!

Whether you’re looking for a vibrant pick-me-up on a cold night, or a hearty, beet-y dinner that’s both delicious and full of nutrients, this is the one to try.

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Cooking by the Numbers…

Step 1 – Roast the Beets

If you haven’t done so already, prepare and roast the beets according to our simple recipe.

To get roughly three cups of peeled, chopped beets, you’ll need to roast two large beets, or four small ones.

The texture of the soup will vary just slightly if you use more or less beets – with slightly more beets, the soup will be thicker. With slightly less, the soup will be thinner.

Don’t forget to first wash and scrub them in order to remove any dirt and debris – these root veggies can be covered!

You can cook and refrigerate the beets as far as two days in advance – leave them out at room temperature as you prepare the other ingredients in Step 2.

Step 2 – Prep Remaining Ingredients

Using a sharp knife and sturdy cutting board, cube the butter. Roughly chop the shallot and garlic.

Measure out the salt and pepper. Freshly cracked is best for the strongest, boldest, and freshest flavors – using a salt and pepper mill for grinding and cracking will make a big difference!

Measure out the stock and half-in-half. Choose a vegetable stock to keep this dish vegetarian. Chicken stock will impart a deeper, meatier flavor. Consider using our recipe for low-sodium chicken stock to control the salt levels.

If you prefer a few simple garnishes, a little sour cream or creme fraiche will provide a tart, acidic finish. And fresh parsley’s grassiness will also work well with the earthy beets. Set out both ingredients, if using.

Rinse and thoroughly dry the parsley – you can use the leaves whole, or rough chop them.

Step 3 – Saute the Shallot and Garlic

In a large pot, one that will be able to hold at least 3 quarts, melt the butter over medium heat. Watch it carefully – you don’t want it to brown or potentially burn.

Add the chopped shallot and 1/2 teaspoon salt and saute, stirring frequently. Let the shallot turn a lightly golden color – this will take about 5 minutes.

Add the garlic and continue stirring frequently just until the garlic is fragrant, about 30 seconds. Don’t let it burn!

Step 4 – Simmer the Stock and Beets

Add the chopped beets to the pot with the shallot and garlic, then pour in the stock.

Raise the heat to bring the stock to a boil, then reduce it to a gentle simmer. Continue simmering this mix, stirring occasionally, for about 15 minutes.

You don’t want to reduce the liquid too drastically, since you’ll need the liquid for quick and efficient pureeing results in the next step.

Step 5 – Puree

Work carefully in this step – the liquid will be hot!

Ladle the contents into a high-speed blender, but only fill it no more than halfway full. You don’t want to overfill the blender, or else the liquid will splatter out when processing. With a hot liquid, you should only partially fill it to prevent messes and kitchen injuries!

Many updated blender models have a vented lid feature, as well as recommended fill measurements, for safe processing of hot ingredients. Be sure to look for these features if you are buying a new appliance.

Place the lid on the blender, and puree the mixture until it is completely smooth.

Pour the pureed mixture into a large, clean bowl and repeat the blending process with the remaining mixture.

If a blender is not an option, you can also use an immersion blender, blending directly in the pot.

Step 6 – Strain

While not completely necessary, straining the pureed mixture removes any remaining small solids, and yields a particularly smooth end result.

Pour the pureed mixture through a fine-mesh strainer back into the original pot – no need to dirty another pot here, when the original one is empty already!

Dispose of any solids that remain in the strainer.

Step 7 – Add Dairy and Cook

Return the pot back to the stovetop, and whisk in the half-in-half.

Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer over medium heat. Once at a simmer, continue cooking, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes, or until the soup has thickened just slightly.

At this time, check the texture of the soup before serving. If you want it to be thinner, add more stock or water. If you want it to be thicker, continue cooking for 10-minute increments until you reach the desired thickness level.

Step 8 – Garnish and Serve

Divide and ladle the soup among four bowls. If using garnishes, dollop the sour cream or crème fraiche on the top, and sprinkle with some fresh parsley.

Supper is served – enjoy every spoonful while it’s still hot! We like serving ours with a side of crusty sourdough bread slices.

Use Other Veggies for More Inspiration

It’s worth mentioning that you can create other flavor-packed soups using the same techniques in this recipe!

Once you have the method down – from simmering to pureeing to straining, you’ll be able to confidently craft a comforting, creamy dinner idea ready when the time comes.

Do you have some leftover roasted broccoli, Brussels sprouts, or root vegetables from a side dish the other night? Making a pureed soup finished with a little milk or cream is a delicious method to salvage these ingredients without wasting your money or your food.