I know, right??!! I only made this soup on Saturday, and the next thing you know it’s swaggered straight to the front of the post queue like it owns the joint. Like it was special, or something.
Here’s the thing, dear readers – it is. In fact, I think this may well be the best thing I have ever invented. More to the point, I’d like you to stop whatever it is you are doing right now and drive to the store. Pick up some beets (beetroot) and some fresh tarragon and drive straight back home and MAKE THIS SOUP.
We can tell beet stories another day, because boy do I have some beet stories for you. Right now though – at this very instant – all you need is to eat this soup.
It is the most amazing color. The flavor completely rocked my world – almost off it’s axis. I am supremely happy knowing I have another bowlful slumbering in the ‘fridge for my lunch tomorrow.
And, because I don’t want to delay your beet-buying trip for one second longer, that is all I have to say.
- 3 cups / 1 1/2 pints chicken or clear vegetable stock
- 2 lb / 900g beets (beetroot), peeled and chopped into 1 ” pieces
- 1 TBSP coconut oil
- 7 oz. / 200g onion, chopped
- 2 TBSP fresh tarragon
- 1 tsp seasalt
- Ground pepper
- 1/2 cup / 4 fl oz. 2% Greek yoghurt
- 4 oz / 100g fresh spinach
- 1/4 tsp guar gum
- Bring stock and chopped beets to boil in a large pan, then reduce heat and simmer until beets are tender when pierced with a knife.
- Heat coconut oil and cook onion until transparent.
- Working in batches, place onion, beets, stock, tarragon, salt and pepper in blender and blend on high until completely smooth.
- Add Greek yoghurt and fresh spinach and blend until spinach has disappeared.
- During last 10 seconds of blending, shake guar gum through the food opening in the blender lid.
- Blend for 5 seconds.
- Re-heat if necessary and serve.
Top 10 SANE Recipes of 2012 » Carrie Brown | Marmalade and Mileposts[…] More To The Point […]
AliHey Carrie,
First of all, I love listening to you on The Smarter Science of Slim Podcast. I think you’re hilarious and love your real world perspective.
This soup looks amazing and I really want to try it, but I’ve never heard of tarragon and certainly never seen it in the fresh herbs section at the supermarket. I looked it up and apparently it’s native to the northern hemisphere, so that would explain it because I live in Australia.
Would you suggesting using dried tarragon if I can find it? Or would it be better with a substitute and if so, which herb would it be closest to in taste?
carrieHi Ali – thanks for the podcast love :-) Tarragon – interesting that no other Aussies have reported a problem finding tarragon, and I know a bunch of our Aussie friends have made this. Maybe we’ll be lucky and one of them will see this and help you locate it?! Yes, you can use dried tarrgon if you can’t find fresh, you just won’t need as much. I cna’t think of any other herb that tastes like it, so that would be my best suggestion. Let me know how it works out!
AliThanks Carrie. I decided to have a better look, since other Aussies didn’t seem to be having any trouble and I found it in the third place I checked out! So perhaps it’s not the most common herb in my neck of the woods, but certainly not impossible to find. I’m going to try making the soup this weekend. I can’t wait!
carrieALI – I am so excited for your tarragon find! I have several recipes with tarragon in and I would hate you to miss out on them :-)
AliThanks Carrie, just thought I’d let you know I tried the recipe and it turned out great! My boyfriend didn’t like the look of it (it probably looked a bit too healthy for him) but the second he had a taste of it he asked for a large bowl. It tasted really good with a bit of extra Greek yoghurt drizzled on top. I’ll definitely be making it again.
carrieYAY, Ali!!! I just love this soup, so it makes me happy when others do too!!
CherylI finally made this soup tonight and I LOVE it! I must confess that I don’t like tarragon so I substituted my beloved thyme. It was absolutely delicious! Anxiously awaiting the SANE soup cookbook!
I had SANE Rocky Road for dessert too! I think I need to experiment with different brands of thick coconut milk (no Thai kitchen in the UK). I’ve made a few of the ice creams that use thick coconut milk and I can always taste the coconut. Could I cut back on the coconut milk and add more double cream? Probably less SANE. The marshmallows are the bomb!
carrieHi Cheryl – yes you can swap out thick coconut milk for cream and vice versa. I could not taste the coconut in any of mine, except the ones that were supposed to! Aren’t those marshmallows fantastic?! Soup Book coming soon!
SherryHi Carrie- Is there a non-dairy sub for the Greek yogurt in this recipe you would recommend for those of us on a dairy-free diet? I just discovered you and SANE this past week…SO excited! Thank you!
carrieHI Sherry – welcome! Typically I would use thick coconut milk (comes in a can) to replace cream or yogurt in recipes, but bear in mind I have not tried that in this recipe. YOu could also just leave it out but it won’t have the richness and depth of flavor. Hope that helps!
SherryThanks Carrie, I’ll give the canned coconut milk a try (maybe let it thicken in the fridge first). Helps a bunch!
JayneThis soup really intrigued me since I love beets. I made this tonight, oh, my! One needs to make this just for the color of this scrumptious soup! Even my husband, who doesn’t care for beets said it was good. I thought I didn’t like tarragon but I’m so glad I tried it again after 30 some years of avoiding it. It added such an interesting dimension to the soup. I even tried the fresh leaves, and I like the flavor of tarragon after all! My daughter said it was quite a rich soup and indeed it tastes rich, but it is so healthy, a good way to get in your vegetables. Thank you, Carrie! Your recipes are always delicious!
carrieThanks for the beet soup love, Jayne! It is one of my favorites!!!