BEETROOT SOUP

Recipes from the award winning cookbook, A Dainty Morsel, a collection of recipes from former pupils of St Anne’s in Hilton KZN, were cooked and styled by Theresa Rattray and photographed by our very own freelance photographer Sally Chance

INGREDIENTS

• 450g beetroot – unpeeled
• 500ml boiling water with vegetable stock
• A dollop of butter
• 2 medium leeks or 1 large onion
• 2 cloves garlic – crushed
• 225g peeled potatoes – sliced
• 400ml milk
• 1t cumin seeds or ½t ground cumin
• juice of 1 lemon
• 250ml cream
• 1T chopped fresh chives
• Salt and pepper

METHOD

1. Boil the beetroot in the vegetable stock until very tender.
2. Peel and slice the beets, reserving the cooking liquid.
3. Melt the butter in a large saucepan and cook the leeks with the garlic until tender, but not coloured.
4. Add the potatoes and cook over a low heat.
5. Add the milk and cumin to the potato mixture and simmer until potatoes are tender.
6. Liquidise the beets with the stock and pour into a large bowl.
7. Liquidise the potato mixture and stir into the blended beets.
8. Season with lemon juice and plenty of black pepper and a little salt – if needed.
9. Swirl the cream over the soup when serving and top with chopped chives.