Beetroot Soup with Coconut

Beetroot Soup with Coconut

This easy Beetroot Soup highlights the earthy sweetness of roasted beetroot. It is enhanced with the gentle heat and lemony flavour of fresh ginger and the creamy richness of coconut.  Although it is easy to make and the ingredients are simple, it does taste quite subtle and sophisticated.    It is great for a simple autumn lunch or supper but is not out of place as a starter at a dinner party.

What you need to know about my Beetroot Soup
  • Roasting the beetroot (step 1) is important as it intensifies the flavour and earthy sweetness of the vegetables. If you wrap them in foil while they are roasting they will retain their juiciness and it will also mean that the skin is easy to remove.
  • You can use larger beetroot, up to the same weight of 350 g, if you do not have small beetroot. If so, cut them in half before roasting.
  • The natural starch and fibre of the beetroot thickens this soup rather than flour. This adds an additional element of nutrition and makes the soup perfect for anyone who is gluten intolerant.
  • Cooking the chopped onions slowly is really important (step 4). It caramelises the vegetables and gives the soup a real depth of flavour.
  • Using fresh ginger (step 5) is really important. I think this is one recipe where dried ginger will not do. Fresh ginger has a complex lemony flavour, in addition to its hit of ginger heat. It makes a huge difference to the flavour of this simple soup.
  • My recipe is vegetarian but it is easily converted into a vegan recipe. Just replace the butter with vegetable oil.
  • This soup freezes very well so  you can make a batch and keep it for when you need a quick beetroot fix!

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Other easy vegetarian soup recipes

I have lots of easy, vegetarian soup recipes. If you like this Beetroot Soup, you might like some of the others. All my soups are vegetarian and all can be made vegan by substituting animal fats, such as butter, for vegetable fats. Some of them are pretty simple such as Tomato Soup, Fennel SoupJerusalem Artichoke Soup  or Sweetcorn Chowder and showcase a single vegetable. Others combine vegetables which have complimentary flavours such as Curried Parsnip and Apple SoupMoroccan Spiced Sweet Potato SoupCeleriac and Apple SoupMushroom and Chestnut SoupPumpkin and Sweetcorn Soup or Leek and Potato Soup. A few have more unusual combinations of flavours such as Butternut and Peanut Butter SoupNettle Soup uses foraged ingredients. I also have a few chilled soup recipes, which are fantastic cold in the summer, but can also be served warm such as Asparagus and Pea.

Other beetroot recipes

I love the sweet, earthy taste of roasted beetroot and the fantastic rich carmine pink colour that it brings to every dish.  The flavour is autumn on a  plate and the colour cheers me up as days are getting cooler and I know winter is on its way.

In addition to soup, I think beetroot is a brilliant ingredient in salad. I make a very quick and salad, Raw Beetroot and Carrot Salad with Citrus Dressing and also a Middle Eastern-inspired Roasted Beetroot Salad with Yogurt and Tahini. I also have a fantastic recipe for a Beetroot Tart which can be eaten either hot or cold.

Recipe for Beetroot Soup with Coconut

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Beetroot Soup with Coconut

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 5 from 4 reviews
  • Author: Tastebotanical
  • Prep Time: 15
  • Cook Time: 45
  • Total Time: 1 hour
  • Yield: Serves 6
  • Category: Soup
  • Cuisine: English

Description

This autumnal vegan soup combines the earthy sweetness of beetroot with the gentle heat of fresh ginger and the the creaminess of creamed coconut.


Ingredients

Scale
  • 6 small beetroot (around 350 g or 1 lb in total)
  • 25 g (1 oz) butter and 1 teaspoon oil (or 2 teaspoons of oil if vegan)
  • 1 onion
  • Salt and pepper
  • 2 garlic cloves
  • 1 cm of fresh ginger
  • 500 ml (1 pint) water
  • Half teaspoon of vegetable bouillon powder
  • 50 g (2 oz) of creamed coconut

Instructions

  1. Set your oven to 200 C/Gas Mark 6. Wash your beetroot and loosely wrap each one in kitchen foil.  Place the wrapped beetroot on an oven tray.   Roast the beetroot in the oven for around 40 minutes until soft.   Remove the beetroot from the oven and allow to cool.  When they are cool enough to handle, remove the skins using a sharp knife.   Roughly chop the peeled beetroot.
  2. Heat the butter and oil in a large heavy-based pan
  3. Peel and chop the onion, add it to the pan and season with salt and pepper.
  4. Cook very gently for around 30 minutes until the onion is soft and sweet. Slow cooking caramelises the natural sugars in the onion and greatly improves the flavour of the soup.
  5. When the onion is cooked, add the chopped beetroot together with the peeled and crushed garlic cloves. Peel the fresh ginger and finely grate it into the pan.
  6. Add the water and vegetable bouillon power to the pan. Gently cook the soup for 5 minutes.
  7. Add the coconut cream to the soup.
  8. Blend the soup until it is smooth using a food processor or hand-held blender.
  9. You can add a final swirl of coconut cream to each portion for an added creamy richness if you wish.

This recipe has been shared on #CookBlogShare with Apply to Face Blog and #FiestaFriday with Fiesta Friday and Liz @ Spades, Spatulas & Spoons

10 thoughts on “Beetroot Soup with Coconut”

  1. I love beetroot soup – though I’ve never had it with coconut; but now I’m inspired!
    Thank you, Joanna.
    Emma 🙂






  2. Gosh I bet this tastes gorgeous. I love the flavours you have used here. What a warming and flavourful recipe ideal for the cooler weather. Thank you for sharing it with #CookBlogShare






    1. Thank you! It is one of my favourite soups and seems to go down well even with those who are a bit suspicious of beetroot😊

  3. I keep getting beets in my CSA box and have run out of recipes. Thank you so much, this soup is very timely and I love the fact I can freeze it. Thank you for sharing on Fiesta Friday.

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