Roasted Beet Soup (Printable Version)

Earthy roasted beet soup with velvety cream, thyme, and lemon. Vegetarian, gluten-free, and utterly comforting.

# Ingredient List:

→ Vegetables

01 - 4 medium beets, trimmed and scrubbed
02 - 1 medium yellow onion, diced
03 - 2 medium carrots, peeled and diced
04 - 2 cloves garlic, minced

→ Liquids

05 - 4 cups vegetable broth
06 - 1 tablespoon olive oil

→ Dairy

07 - 1/2 cup heavy cream

→ Seasonings

08 - 1 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
09 - 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
10 - 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
11 - 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves

# How-To Steps:

01 - Preheat oven to 400°F. Wrap each beet individually in foil and arrange on a baking sheet. Roast for 40 to 45 minutes until tender when pierced with a fork. Allow to cool slightly, then peel and chop into chunks.
02 - Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add diced onion and carrots, sautéing for 5 minutes until softened. Add minced garlic and cook for 1 additional minute.
03 - Add the roasted chopped beets, thyme, salt, and pepper to the pot. Stir thoroughly to combine all ingredients.
04 - Pour vegetable broth into the pot and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes to allow flavors to meld.
05 - Remove pot from heat. Using an immersion blender, purée the soup until completely smooth. Alternatively, work in batches with a countertop blender.
06 - Stir in heavy cream and fresh lemon juice. Taste and adjust seasoning with additional salt and pepper as needed.
07 - Ladle soup into bowls and serve hot. Garnish with a cream swirl and fresh thyme if desired.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The deep earthiness of roasted beets tastes nothing like canned, and people will actually ask for seconds.
  • It comes together in under an hour and feels impressive enough to serve at dinner without the stress.
  • That velvety cream swirl at the end makes ordinary beets taste like something you'd find at a fancy restaurant.
02 -
  • Don't skip the lemon juice—I learned this the hard way when my first batch tasted flat and dull, and a single tablespoon transformed it completely.
  • If your soup breaks or the cream curdles, it means the heat was too high after adding dairy, so always add cream to a pot that's off the stove or barely warm.
03 -
  • Don't peel the beets until they've cooled slightly—the heat makes them easier to peel, and you'll waste far less precious beet flesh.
  • Taste constantly throughout cooking and adjust salt before you add the cream, because cream can mask flavors and you might end up over-seasoning.
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