From the blog For love of the Table
1 1/2 T. olive oil
1 large onion (about 1/2 lb.), thinly sliced
1 shallot (1 oz.), thinly sliced
1 fat clove of garlic, sliced
1/2 t. coriander seed
1/2 T. picked thyme
1 T. unsalted butter
1 lb. gold beets, peeled, halved if small, quartered if large, and sliced a scant 1/4-inch thick
1/2 T. Arborio rice
1 large firm, but ripe, pear (about 1/2 lb.)
3 c. Chicken stock, plus more as needed for consistency
1 T. minced fresh ginger (or more to taste)
1/4 c. heavy cream
Freshly squeezed lemon juice, if needed
Salt & Pepper
Garnish of your choice: drizzle of olive oil, spoonful of crème fraiche, crumbled blue cheese (something like a Danish Blue or an aged Gorgonzola), minced toasted walnuts, etc.
In a large saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion, shallot, garlic, coriander and thyme, along with a generous pinch of salt. Cover and gently sweat until the onions are soft—about 15 minutes. Add the butter and melt. Add the beets and cook for 5 to 10 minutes—until they are beginning to soften. Add the rice and cook another 2 or 3 minutes. Add the pear and cook for a minute or two. Add the stock and bring to a simmer. Cover and cook until the beets are beginning to be tender—about 40 minutes, add the ginger and continue to cook until the beets are tender—about 20 minutes more. (It will seem like the beets are taking forever to cook. But don’t worry…at right about the one hour mark the will go from being a bit crisp to tender.) Purée the soup and pass through a fine meshed strainer.
Return the soup to the pot and add the cream. Add water or more stock if the soup is too thick for your liking. Heat through. Remove from the heat. Taste and correct the seasoning with salt & pepper. If the soup tastes flat or out of balance, add a small squeeze of lemon. The effect of the lemon should be to make the sweet flavors in the soup pop. You won’t need much…maybe a teaspoon. If you add too much, the soup will become tangy (which is not the goal). You may also add more freshly grated ginger if you like—but be careful, the flavors of the soup are subtle and too much ginger will overwhelm the beet and pear. Serve with a spoonful of crème fraiche, or a drizzle of olive oil, blue cheese crumbles and minced toasted walnuts.
Makes 5 cups or four servings (recipe is easily multiplied for more)
As published on forloveofthetable.com
Unless otherwise noted, all content and photos © 2010-2021 Paige Vandegrift, All Rights Reserved