Beet And Fennel Soup

By Published On: February 24th, 2023Categories: Soup4 Comments on Beet And Fennel Soup

Welcome to my new blog site! I hope it is easier to navigate and more useful for your cooking pleasure. I would love your comments on both the new site and the new blogging format. My intention is to blog more frequently using only one recipe at a time. I have enjoyed telling you the story of an entire dinner party–soup to nuts!, but realize that is just too much food at one time!

So, here goes…

Beet and Fennel Soup

This soup is full of flavor and goodness. It's good either hot or cold.

Ingredients

  • 2 Tbsp. Cooking Fat I used olive oil, but you can use rendered animal fat, as well--duck, tallow or suet.
  • 1 Large Fennel Bulb Ends removed, thinly sliced.
  • 2 Cloves Garlic Minced,
  • 1 1/2 inch Ginger Root Peeled and minced.
  • 4 Cups Bone Broth/Soup Stock I used half chicken and half beef broth.
  • 2 Lbs. Beets About 3 large beets. Peeled and cup into 1 1/2 inch chunks.
  • 1 Bay Leaf
  • 1 tsp, Salt
  • 1/2 Fresh lemon juice About 2 Tbsp.

Instructions

  • In a heavy bottomed pot, melt the fat (or heat olive oil) on medium heat. When the pan is hot, add the fennel and saute for about 10 minutes or until is softens. Add the garlic and ginger to the pot and cook for a few more minutes, stirring.
  • Add the broth, beets, bay leaf and salt. Bring to a boil, cover, turn down the heat to a simmer. Cook for 1 hour, 15 minutes, or until the beets are very tender.
  • Remove the bay leaf. Add the lemon juice. Let the soup cool. Carefully transfer the soup to a high-powered blender or food processor. Blend until very smooth. Add more broth if it's too thick. Serve warm with a scoop of sour cream or Greek style plain yogurt. Garnish with fennel fronds.

Notes

If you are sticking with a strict Paleo version, you would not add the sour cream/yogurt garnish, as dairy is a "no-no" in a Paleo diet. I also added about 1 Tbsp. butter (another "no-no") to the soup after it was blended, which adds a bit more richness. 

Believed to have originated in the Mediterranean area, beets have been around for centuries. They were first cultivated for their leaves, but if you have ever eaten steamed beet greens, you know they are quite bitter unless cultivated when the leaves are still very small. Beet greens are tasty when lightly steamed and served with butter and a squeeze of lemon juice.

Beets are also believed to be an aphrodisiac in many cultures. The ancient Romans thought that beets and their juice promote amorous feelings. Folklore also believes that if a man and a woman eat from the same beet, they are destined to fall in love.

Beets and fennel are a wonderful combination! I hope you enjoy this soup as much as I did!

4 Comments

  1. Kirk VandenBerghe February 25, 2023 at 11:01 am - Reply

    Looks savory and delicious. I can almost smell it… :-)

    • Cindy Rabbitt February 27, 2023 at 9:02 am - Reply

      Kirk, you’ve done such as awesome job getting this site up and running. You and designer Darlene have been fabulous to work with. I hope you do try the soup!

  2. carpemomento February 26, 2023 at 7:50 am - Reply

    Good job! I like the new site!

    • Cindy Rabbitt February 27, 2023 at 9:00 am - Reply

      Thank you my good friend!

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