Pink Beet & Orange Soup

This soup from Spitsuurkoken is one to fall in love with. The gorgeous rosy color makes it ideal for Valentine's Day or a romantic dinner, but it is such a cinch to make and so delicious to eat, you could serve it any time, really. It should be noted that peeled, cooked beetroots are sold in Dutch supermarkets. You can, of course, also prepare them yourself. For an extra romantic presentation, cut some hearts out of a thinly sliced disk of cooked beetroot.

This recipe has been translated from the original Dutch in Spitsuurkoken, and reprinted with the permission of the publisher.

• 2 1/2 cups diced cooked red beetroot (500 g)
• 1 regular vegetable stock cube, or 2 small ones
• 4/5 cup orange juice (200 ml)
• 2 small containers of creme fraiche (approx. 1 cup or 250 ml)
• Worcester sauce, to taste
• Salt & freshly ground pepper, to taste
• 1/2 cup full cream yoghurt (100 ml)

If the cooked beetroot still has its skin on, rub the skin off, cut the woody bits off the ends and cut the rest into cubes. In a soup pot, add the beet cubes to 2 1/2 cups of water (600 ml) and the stock cube/s and bring to the boil. Allow to cook gently for four minutes.

Take the pot off the heat and puree the soup with a stick blender until smooth. If you don't have a stick blender, you can also carefully spoon the soup into a food processor or blender. Add the orange juice and the creme freche and allow to come to the boil again. If the soup is too thick, add 1/4 to 1/2 cup of water (50-100 ml).

Season the soup with worcester sauce, salt and pepper. If preparing this dish ahead of time, allow the soup to cool and store it in the fridge. If you plan to eat it straight away, pour the soup into bowls. Stir a bit of salt through the yoghurt and, using a spoon, carefully create yoghurt spirals in the soup.

Serves 4.

Tips:

Serve with triangles of toasted white bread.

Variation: Add 3 tbsp vodka and some tabasco sauce to the soup.

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