Wednesday, October 31, 2007

Soup art

So there I was, about to attempt a fancy, swirly sourcream pattern in some beetroot soup when I realised that the blobs had shaped themselves into a cute Scottie dog - or should that be a West Highland terrier? Hmmm, I thought. You can get coffee art, so why not (accidental) soup art? I've invented soup art!

Then I remembered that soup art already exists - in restaurants. That's what they do.

Oh well, it was still extremely tasty and a rather vibrant pinky-purple to boot.

And there's a sneaky, hidden ingredient to make this a proper winter warmer... vodka! Only a teeny bit, mind - 2 teaspoons per serving. Just enough to give a little kick.

But, seeing as I'd like to enter this recipe for the Weekend Herb Blogging event (hosted by Kalyn's Kitchen), let's concentrate on the beetroot and what it can do for you, as I think we all know what the vodka does in large enough quantities. And how.

After rummaging through a couple of books*, I found out that:

  • Beetroots are an excellent source of folic acid and a very good source of manganese and potassium.

  • However, don't throw away those beet greens - they're even more nutritious because they're richer in calcium, iron and vitamins A and C, as well as containing magnesium, phosphorus and vitamin B6.

  • Beetroots have long been used for medicinal purposes, mostly to treat liver disorders, because they stimulate the liver's detoxification process (bringing us back to that vodka...).

  • The amazing colour comes from a pigment called betacyanin, which is apparently a powerful cancer-fighting agent.

  • Beet fibre has been shown to have 'a favourable effect on bowel function' (such a lovely way of describing it).

  • Those last two points mean that beetroot is thought to help protect against colon cancer.
So there you go. Beetroot - an all-round winner in the 'good for you' stakes, as well as being pretty to look at (once cooked, admittedly) and a pleasure to eat. What more could you possibly want?

Tipsy beetroot soup from A Paradiso Year (Autumn and Winter Cooking) by Dennis Cotter

Serves 6 to 8 people

You'll need:

800g beetroot
3 onions
6 cloves garlic
half a bulb fennel or 1 stick celery
olive oil
100g potato
1,500ml vegetable stock
1 tablespoon fresh dill, fennel or lovage
large pinch cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
salt and pepper to season
vodka
sourcream to serve

1. Cook the beetroot in boiling water until tender, then peel under cold running water and chop coarsely.

2. Meanwhile, chop the onions, garlic and fennel or celery, heat some olive oil in a pot and cook them until the onions are soft.

3. Chop the potato and add it to the onions, along with the beetroot, the stock and your chosen herb. Bring this to a boil and then simmer, covered, for 30 minutes, or until the potato starts to break down. Add the cayenne pepper and the balsamic vinegar. Blend the soup to a smooth purée, season well with salt and pepper.

4. Pour the soup into the bowls and put a teaspoon or two of vodka into each serving. Then drizzle a little bit of sourcream over the top and serve.

Cook's notes

I'd maybe double the amount of potato suggested but that's just because I like a really thick soup.

Vodka - I tried the soup both with and without it, and it works both ways. So if you don't want alcohol in your lunchtime soup, don't worry, it's still delicious.

*The fantastic beetroot facts came from The Encyclopedia of Healing Foods by Dr Michael Murray and Dr Joseph Pizzorno, with Laura Pizzorno.

10 comments:

Kalyn Denny said...

It sounds very delicious. I really like the idea of the fennel bulb adding flavor to the soup. And I was laughing a little at your accidental soup art, because I'm such a failure at artfully drizzling sauces for food photos. Also have not heard of this cookbook and it sound very interesting.

Welcome to WHB! I'm subscribing to your blog so I can see what else you are writing about.

jenny said...

Hey Kalyn. I can't drizzle artfully either :-( I can drench things in sauce or add splodges and dollops but the more detailed work escapes me!

Dennis Cotter runs a restaurant in Cork called Cafe Paradiso. It's all veggie but it's a bit of a pilgrimage for any food-lover living here to go along, veggie or meat eater, because the food has such a good reputation. Haven't made it there yet, but one day! Dennis' writing is very thoughtful, insightful and there are some interesting recipes.

And thanks for subscribing. I think I've got that side of things set up properly. Just let me know if it doesn't work...

Jacqueline Meldrum said...

Great looking soup! What a fabulous colour and actually, I think you conjured up Greyfriar's Bobby! Oh that is such a sad story!

jenny said...

You know what, you're right! I used to walk past the statue of Greyfriar's Bobby every day during my first year at uni in Edinburgh, on my way to lectures. I've subliminally summoned him!

Anonymous said...

I don't know Jen, it looks just like a Bischon Frise to me...

Jacqueline Meldrum said...

No, it's definitely Greyfriar's Bobby, I know him well!
It is a sign Jen, you need a dog!

jenny said...

Laura and Holler - Oh no! Now I'm totally confused!

But, Holler, you might be a little bit pyschic as we're thinking about getting a cat in the near future. Nothing confirmed yet but will post about it if and when it happens. Very exciting!

Pille said...

I looooove beetroot - I've got almost as many beetroot recipes on my blog as Alanna does:) Your beetroot soup has a lovely colour, and I like the cheeky idea of adding vodka:)

Anonymous said...

What a wonderfully gorgeous soup! I bet it makes you happy just to look at it - and even happier to eat such delicious colours. I love the thought of soup art.

jenny said...

Hi Pille. It's funny, now that I've made one beetroot recipe I keep seeing many more I want to play with. This blog could soon become swamped with beetroot...

Hi Vegeyum. It's the kind of colour that lifts the spirits, it's so cheery-looking. And the flavour certainly makes me happy too!