Beetroot Soup with Goat’s Cheese Croutons

Serves: 4

Ready in: 15 to 30 mins

The goat's cheese croutons lift this soup to new heights, making it elegant enough for entertaining

Ingredients
Method

Ingredients:

500g cooked beetroot, cut into chunks
1 large onion, diced
1 garlic clove, crushed
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
750ml vegetable stock

[hd]For the croutons[/hd]
4 slices of baguette
olive oil for brushing
1 garlic clove, peeled and cut in half
1 small vegetarian goat’s cheese, cut into rounds
4 sage leaves, finely sliced

method:

Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas 6. In a large saucepan, sweat the onion gently in the olive oil for about ten minutes.
Meanwhile, brush the sliced bread on both sides with olive oil and bake in the oven for ten minutes or until they are crisp and dry.
When the onions are soft, add the crushed garlic to the pan, gently fry for a further minute and then add the beetroot, stock and balsamic vinegar. Bring to the boil and simmer for a couple of minutes.
Using a liquidiser blend the soup until really smooth. Keep warm while you finish the croutons.
Rub the garlic clove over one side of the dried bread slices and top each slice with a round of goat’s cheese. Sprinkle over the sliced sage leaves and finish with a drizzle of olive oil. Return to the oven for a few minutes until the cheese has begun to melt.
Pour the soup in bowls and float a crouton on top of each. Serve immediately.

Print Recipe www.lovebeetroot.co.uk