Beet and Vegetable Soup

Chunky root vegetables in a mild beef broth warmed with lots of pepper make this a rich and hearty soup.

Beet and Vegetable

Serves 5 - 6

Every year for Christmas I come up with a theme that I base my menu on. For Christmas 2024 the theme was foods from the Redwall series by Brian Jacques. This soup was inspired by the “Deeper ‘n Ever Turnip and Tater and Beetroot Pie”. How did I wind up at a soup from a pie? My savory menu included turnovers from the book and I figured, turnovers and savory pie, on the same plate would be too heavy, hence, soup. However, in switching to soup I added beef bullion a wide deviation from the mostly vegetarian diet of the woodland creatures but, the pie was now a soup so why not? Though simple, this soup is delicious with each vegetable cooking. to a different texture and taking on the color of the beets in differing shades. The carrots and muu are tender and sweet, the potato is creamy and the beets are cooked through but toothsome.

“Recipe Tips:

*1. Dashida is Korean dry/powdered bullion or soup base. If using another brand of dry beef bullion start with 3 T. Before adding the carrots, taste the broth and add more bullion if necessary. The flavor of the beef should be subtle and not too strong.

2. Though I listed a measured size, the best way to describe the ideal size for the vegetables is chunky bite-size.”

Ingredients

15ml (1 T) vegetable oil

100g (1 small) onion, sliced thinly with the grain

5g (1 t) ginger, minced

5 garlic cloves, minced

500g (a little more than 1 lb) red beets, 1.25in dice

340g (0.75 lbs) muu (Korean radish), 1.25in dice

*30g (2 T) beef dashida

1,000ml (5 c) water

340g (0.75 lbs) carrots, 1in dice

340g (0.75 lbs) potato, 1in dice

30ml (2 T) fish sauce

5g (1.25 t) freshly ground black pepper

4g (0.75 t) sugar

Method

1.      Heat a large pot over medium-high.

• Add the vegetable oil and heat for 1 minute.

• Add the onions, ginger and garlic sauteing for 90 seconds.

• Add the beets, muu, bullion and water.

• Bring to a boil covered.

• Reduce heat to low and simmer for 20 minutes.

• Add the carrots and simmer for 15 minutes.

• Add the potatoes, simmering for 15 minutes longer.

Test the vegetables, each should break apart easily with a spoon. If not simmer 5 minutes longer or until everything is tender before moving on.

• Add the fish sauce, pepper and sugar. Simmer 5 minutes.

• Taste and adjust the seasoning as desired.

2.      Serve with hot rice.