It’s only 10PM but I am drained and tired. Probably from politics, propaganda and worrying. The computer screen hurts my eyes, but before I crawl into bed with Barbara Kingsolver’s book Copperhead Demon let me give you this recipe before I forget or get distracted. I have a feeling you would appreciate it too. Because it’s like most of my recipes – humble and basic ingredients yet tasting like a high-end restaurant soup. I put it in a mug and sipped it like a latte.
Any recipe using the whole vegetable is brilliant. Do yourself a favor and adopt a zero waste mentality – it reduces garbage and makes you feel sustainable. Therefore I never discard beet tops unless they look like how I feel now. Also, the earthy beet leaves balance the sweet beets and give this soup its green color. You can puree it all, but two textures trump one. The smooth and chunky mix is more enticing for my Gerber haters.
Below is a video showing how I make it. If you make it and love it, please pass the recipe along so others benefit too (Maybe I’d finally earn money for my hard work!)
Good night and sweet & savory dreams!
xxs
PS. Another easy way to cook beet tops.
Beet and Beet leaves soup
Ingredients
- 2 candy beets or any type of beet - diced
- 6 beet leaves or bunch of other leafy green such as Swiss chard or kale - chopped
- 4 celery stalks (with or without leaves) - chopped
- 1 small onion - diced
- olive oil
- 1 bay leaf
- Salt
- Pepper
- 3 cups broth or water
Instructions
- In a large pot, sauté the onion in olive oil over medium heat until tender, about 5 minutes.
- Add the beets, beet greens, celery and bay leaf. Stir fry for 1 minute. Pour in broth/water and season with salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer until beets are tender, about 15-20 minutes.
- Remove bay leaf. Use an immersion blender to puree half the soup until smooth. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed. Serve hot with a drizzle of olive oil on top.
