Chilled Beet And Fennel Soup Recipes

CHILLED GOLDEN BEET AND BUTTERMILK SOUP

Steps:

• In a small bowl, combine chopped shallots and vinegar and let macerate for 20 minutes. Whisk in 2 tablespoons olive oil and season with a few grinds of black pepper. Set aside.
• Put beets in a large pot over medium heat and add 1 teaspoon salt and enough water to cover. Boil for 25 to 40 minutes, depending on size, until tender when poked with the tip of a knife. Drain beets and let cool, then peel off the skins with your fingers.
• Cut 1 beet into a small, even dice, then add to the shallot mixture, season with a pinch of salt (or to taste) and set aside. Cut the remaining beets into large chunks and purée in a blender with buttermilk and lemon juice until smooth. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Refrigerate for 1 hour, or until completely cool.
• Ladle the soup into bowls and drizzle with a teaspoon of olive oil. Serve with marinated beets, herbs and sour cream on the side, so people can garnish their own bowls as they like.

CHILLED FENNEL SOUP

Steps:

• Place fennel in a 5-quart casserole with a tightly fitting lid. Toss with olive oil. Cook, covered, at 100 percent power in a high-power microwave oven for 32 minutes, stirring twice.
• Remove from oven and uncover. Immediately scrape mixture into a food processor. Process for several minutes, stopping from time to time to scrape sides of bowl, until mixture is very smooth.
• Add fromage blanc and process until smooth. Add lemon juice and 2 cups of the chicken broth and process until smooth.
• Scrape mixture into a large bowl. Whisk in remaining 2 cups chicken broth, salt and pepper.
• Refrigerate until cold. Coarsely chop 1/2 cup of the fennel tops and sprinkle some over each serving.

BEET AND FENNEL SOUP

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375°.
• Leave root and 1 inch of stem on beets; scrub with a brush. Place beets on a large sheet of aluminum foil; sprinkle beets with water. Wrap beets in foil; arrange packet of beets and the WHOLE onion on a baking sheet. Bake at 375° for 1 hour or until tender. Cool.
• Combine broth, chopped fennel, and apple in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil; reduce heat, and simmer 15 minutes or until fennel is tender. Cool.
• Trim off beet roots; rub off skins, and coarsely chop. Peel and quarter onion. Add beets and onion to broth mixture in pan, stirring to combine. Place half of beet mixture in a blender; process until smooth. Pour pureed beet mixture into a large bowl. Repeat procedure with remaining beet mixture. Stir in vinegar, juice, salt, and pepper. Return pureed beet mixture to pan.
• Place the pureed beet mixture over medium heat, and cook 2 minutes or until thoroughly heated. Ladle soup into bowls, and top with sour cream. Sprinkle evenly with chopped fennel fronds.

BEET AND FENNEL SOUP

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400°F.
• Trim beets, leaving 1 inch of stems attached, and scrub well. Wrap beets tightly in foil and roast in middle of oven until tender, about 1 1/2 hours. Unwrap beets carefully and let stand until cool enough to handle. Peel beets. Cut half of 1 beet into 1-inch-long matchsticks for garnish and chop remaining beets.
• In a large heavy saucepan heat oil over moderate heat until hot but not smoking and cook onions with fennel seeds, stirring, until softened, about 15 minutes. Add sliced fennel and water and cook, covered, stirring occasionally, until fennel is very soft, 15 to 20 minutes. Stir in chopped beets and broth and simmer, uncovered, 15 minutes. In a blender purée soup in batches, transferring it as puréed to another saucepan. Soup may be prepared up to this point 2 days ahead and chilled, covered. Reheat soup until hot, thinning with water if necessary. Stir in orange juice, liqueur if using, and salt and pepper to taste.
• Garnish soup with beet matchsticks and fennel leaves and serve with breadsticks.

CHILLED BEET-AND-FENNEL SOUP

Steps:

• Leave root and 1 inch of stem on beets; scrub with a brush. Place beets and fennel seeds in a medium saucepan; cover with water, and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 35 minutes or until tender. Drain beets through a fine sieve into a bowl, reserving fennel seeds and 3 cups cooking liquid. Rinse beets under cold water; drain. Peel beets; cut into 1/2-inch cubes, reserving 3/4 cup for garnish. Combine remaining beets, reserved cooking liquid, and fennel seeds in a bowl; set aside.
• Add oil to a medium non-stick pan and saute onions for two or three minutes. Add sliced fennel and 1/4 cup water and bring to a low boil. Reduce heat to a simmer, cover and cook for simmer 20 minutes or until fennel is tender.
• Combine fennel bulb mixture, beet mixture, yogurt, milk, salt, and pepper in a food processor or blender; process until smooth. Pour soup into a bowl; cover and chill thoroughly. Ladle 3/4 cup soup into individual bowls, and top with 2 tablespoons reserved beets.

BEET AND FENNEL SOUP WITH KEFIR

Steps:

• Heat olive oil in large saucepan over medium heat. Add chopped onion, chopped fennel, and fennel seeds. Sauté until vegetables soften, about 5 minutes. Add cubed beets and stir to coat. Add chicken broth and bring to boil. Cover; reduce heat to medium-low. Cook until beets are tender, 18 to 20 minutes. Puree soup in batches in blender. Return to same saucepan. Whisk in 1 cup unflavored kefir and season soup with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Rewarm soup.
• Ladle soup into bowls. Drizzle with additional unflavored kefir; garnish with fennel fronds.