Beetroot & Celery Soup

Beetroot and Celery Soup

 with celery leaf ‘chop’ 

Autumn heralds the time for warming hearty soups, not that soup should be reserved for just the colder months, far from it, but that hug in a mug kind of soup is just what Autumn was made for. 
As the year goes on beetroot changes, becoming more akin to a root vegetable when compared to its more tender and sweet summer sibling. Celery also comes into the fray around this time, with its heavy fragrance and dominant flavour working its way into a plethora of dishes, predominantly as a flavour base. Both come together in this delicious soup to celebrate the first chilly Autumnal lunch.

A chop is quite simply a chopped sauce, a term first used in Tudor kitchens that has been lost or forgotten as more glamorous culinary terms from further afield have been adopted into our vernacular. Salsa Verde and chimichurri are perhaps the best example, but in this case a chop made from the celery leaves, garlic and a few choice spices makes a delicious drizzle to lift the soup.

Serves 2
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 50 minutes

Ingredients:
5 cloves of garlic
Oil of you choosing
Sea salt flakes
A pinch of fennel seeds
A pinch of cumin seeds
A pinch of caraway seeds
2 beetroot
6 stems of celery
Water or stock
Fresh ground black pepper
1 spring onion or shallot
Apple cider vinegar
A drizzle of honey

1.                Begin by gently frying the garlic in a large saucepan with a generous puddle of oil. Keep the garlic in large chunks and allow a bit of colour to develop around the edges. Then add the whole spices, giving them time to toast and become fragrant.

2.               Remove the top of the beetroot and give them a scrub. Leaving the skin on, cut into large chunks and add to the other ingredients in the pan. Season with a generous pinch of salt and cook over a gently heat with the lid on for 10 minutes, giving the occasional stir. 

3.               Roughly chop the celery, reserving the leaves, and add to the pan with enough liquid to just cover. Bring to the boil before turning down to a gentle simmer until the vegetables are soft.

4.               While the soup is cooking make the chop. Wash and dry the celery leaves, then finely chop and add to a bowl with enough vinegar to just be able to see in the bottom of the bowl. Season with salt, pepper and a small drizzle of honey. Finely chop a spring onion and mix through with the other ingredients. 

5.               Once the beetroot is tender, remove from the heat and liquidise, adding more liquid if necessary to achieve the desired consistency. Strain and serve.

6.               Drizzle a little of the celery leaf chop over the top and enjoy.

Serve with crusty bread and a blue cheese.

Chef Notes:
1.                Toasting the garlic for a few moments first allows the nutty flavour to come forth, complementing the beetroot and contrasting the celery.
2.               Adding the celery at the same stage as the liquid keeps more of its grassy floral flavour, a complementing contrast to the beetroot.