You know, reading it back I’m not sure that ‘Turning My Tongue Purple’ is really the most appealing way to title a new recipe. I mean, there’s probably a niche out there somewhere, or perhaps a rebel Smurf (presumably without a cause), but on the whole was it a wise title? I guess we’ll just have to wait and see.
Last week I decided that it was time for the Christmas Recipes page to be taken out of the menu at the top of the page, it was to be replaced by Soup Recipes; it simply seemed more fitting for this time of year. It’s also the beginning of much wider changes that will be happening across the blog, but that’s a story for another day. Creating the new graphic for the page I was kind of stunned to see how few soup recipes I actually had on the blog. I make soup all the time in winter, but there were only four recipes in the last two years - it seemed rather odd.
It’s probably not surprising that it was a mere few hours before I was looking up all manner of soup recipes and ingredients. Then it hit me - most of my soups are leftover vegetables that have been languishing in the fridge for a couple of days too long, the soups they make vary in colour greatly, but often could be described as ‘sludge green’ or similar. Not so appetising for photos.
During all of this I discovered that I had a couple of beetroots that had been bought in a pitch to broaden my vegetable consumption away from the regulars. Could beetroots be soup? I didn’t see why not, so after a quick spot of online research I decided that they would be roasted, then mixed with vegetable stock and completed with a little balsamic vinegar.
It’s a great recipe. So easy and can happily be put in the oven for 30 minutes whilst you get on with something else. I didn’t really think about the colouration consequences for my tongue - it’s very temporary, don’t let it put you off - but that aside I would say it was a great success, great for those beetroots which you bought with the best of intentions but simply aren’t going to use.
Roasted Beetroot Soup
This recipe was made up after discovering some beetroot in the fridge and the weather demanding lots of soup be consumed, so it’s original to The Usual Saucepans. It makes enough for 2 people, although could be easily scaled up to feed more.
Ingredients
3 medium sized beetroots
250ml vegetable stock
1 onion
2 cloves of garlic
6 sage leaves
1 tsp fennel seeds
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 tbsp rapeseed oil/olive oil
Directions
Put the oven on quite high (190ºC) and line a tray with tin foil, ensuring the piece it big enough to fold back over the tray. Chop up the beetroot into pieces about the size of the top of your thumb - remember beetroot stains everything, so don’t use your favourite wooden chopping board! Dice your onion and crush the garlic. Put the beetroot, onion and garlic onto the tray and then pour over the oil and the balsamic vinegar, season with salt and pepper and scatter most of the fennel seed across the top. Mix it all together so everything is evenly distributed, then fold the foil back over, sealing it so no steam escapes. Roast in the oven for 25-30 minutes until everything is soft (it will all depend on the size of your beetroot).
Put a large pot on the hob and pour in your stock, put it on a medium heat and add the sage and remaining fennel seeds. Let it simmer gently for 6-7 minutes so that all the flavours are infused. Add the contents of your roasting tray into the pot and all it to come to a rolling boil.
When it starts boiling, spoon off any scum that comes to the top of the pot then remove it from the heat and blend until smooth. Check the seasoning and then serve.
Edinburgh-dwelling, baking and food-obsessed, twenty-something adventure enthusiast. Runs on liberal amounts of coffee, cheese, cake and gin; bribable with same.
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