Roasted Beet Soup

Recipe by The Gourmet RD

I tell ya' what. I'm totally, absolutely, 100% in love with beets.  They're sweet, bright, beautiful, and when cooked properly, just melt away in your mouth. I know, I know, some people just don't like

Ingredients

• 4 medium beets, peeled and diced
• 3 medium carrots, peeled and cut into rounds
• 3 medium parsnips, peeled and cut into rounds
• 1 small red onion, peeled and sliced
• 2 tbsp olive oil ((divided))
• 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
• coarse salt and ground black pepper
• 4 cups (32 oz.) unsalted vegetable stock
• 4 sprigs fresh thyme
• 2 tbsp honey
• ¼ cup plain yogurt or cream
• 2 tsp ground cloves
• 1 tsp ground nutmeg
• cayenne pepper
• arugula and/or nuts (optional)

Method

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place beets, carrots, parsnips and red onion on a large greased baking sheet. Toss with olive oil, vinegar and a generous pinch of salt and black pepper. Roast 35-45 minutes, until vegetables are tender and slightly browned. Transfer roasted vegetables to a Dutch oven or stock pot with stock and thyme sprigs (stock should just cover vegetables). Bring to a simmer and allow to cook until vegetables are very tender, about 20 minutes. Remove thyme sprigs and discard. Use an immersion blender to puree soup until very smooth, or transfer vegetables and stock to a blender and puree until very smooth. Season with a generous pinch of salt and black pepper. Stir in honey, yogurt/cream, cloves, nutmeg and cayenne. Taste and adjust seasoning, if necessary. Serve with arugula and/or nuts, if desired.

View the recipe instructions at The Gourmet RD