Beet Bisque Recipes

Steps:

• Melt margarine in large pot over medium heat. Add beets, onions, ginger, and lemon peel. Cover; cook 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add 6 cups broth and bring to boil. Cover; reduce heat and simmer until beets are very tender, 1 hour. Remove from heat; let stand 20 minutes.
• Puree soup in blender in batches until smooth. Return puree to pot. Add 2 tablespoons lemon juice to soup and thin with more broth, if desired. Season with salt, pepper, and more lemon juice.
• Slice enough beet greens to measure 3/4 cup. Microwave greens 1 minute to wilt; place in blender. Add 3/4 cup soup; puree greens until smooth. DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover soup and puree separately; chill. Rewarm both separately before using.
• Ladle soup into bowls. Drizzle some of greens puree over soup and serve.

Steps:

• Fry onion and chopped garlic in olive oil over medium heat in pan for about 5 minutes, or until soft. Mix in chopped beets and cook for 2 minutes more.
• Stir in vegetable stock, salt, and pepper. Cover and let simmer for 25 minutes or until the beets are tender.
• Pour beet mixture into blender or food processor (you may have to do it in batches). Blend until creamy.
• Pour soup back into the pan and mix in cinnamon, allspice, and sugar. Cook for additional 3 minutes. You can add 1/2 cup of water to get the texture you want.

Steps:

• Heat oven to 400 degrees F.
• Scrub the beets and put them on a large piece of aluminum foil; season with salt and pepper, add 3 thyme sprigs, and drizzle with 3 tablespoons olive oil. Bake until the beets are tender, about 1 hour. Set aside. When the beets are cool enough to handle but still warm, slip off their skins, and chop them into large chunks.
• In a large heavy bottomed pot over medium heat, add the remaining 3 tablespoons olive oil. Put in the onion, carrots, garlic, and remaining 3 thyme sprigs and cook until softened and just starting to color, about 10 minutes. Add the chicken stock and simmer until the vegetables are tender, about 20 minutes. Remove the thyme sprigs. Put the chopped beets into a blender and add the cooked vegetables and most of the stock. Blend until smooth, add more stock if the puree is too thick. Add the vinegar and honey; season with salt and pepper. Blend again to incorporate flavors. Borscht can be served hot or cold.
• To make the garnish, grate the apple on the large holes of a box grater and mix in the dill. Serve in bowls, garnished with a big dollop of sour cream and topped with the apple and dill mixture.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F. Wrap beets in foil and roast until tender when pierced with fork, about 1 hour. Cool. Peel beets. Cut 1/4 of 1 beet into 1/4-inch cubes; reserve for garnish. Cut remaining beets into 1/2-inch pieces.
• Melt butter with oil in heavy medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add leek, onion, and celery and cook until beginning to brown, stirring frequently, about 13 minutes. Stir in ginger, allspice, white pepper, and 1/2-inch beet pieces. Cook until vegetables begin to stick to bottom of pot, stirring frequently, about 7 minutes. Add 2 cups water, bay leaf, thyme sprig, and parsley sprig. Bring to boil. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer until vegetables are very tender, about 25 minutes. Remove bay leaf, thyme sprig, and parsley sprig. Cool soup slightly. Working in batches, puree soup in blender with cream. Season to taste with salt and pepper. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cool slightly, cover, and refrigerate.)
• Gently rewarm soup (do not boil). Divide between 2 bowls. Garnish each with 1 tablespoon crème fraîche. Sprinkle with reserved beet cubes.

Steps:

• On medium-high heat in a stockpot, fry the spices until fragrant. Add the onions, garlic, carrots and celery and sweat until transluscent.
• Add the potatoes and beets, sauté for a couple more minutes.
• Add the stock.
• Bring to a boil and simmer until the beets are cooked.
• Puree using a handheld blender.
• Slowly add in the coconut milk and the orange juice and blend a little bit more.
• Season with salt and pepper.
• Serve piping hot!