Scented Beetroot Soup

We're in for a treat this week with a well deserved Indian summer so that gives us the perfect excuse to show off Marise's exquisite soup. As always she has the patience (unlike me!) to experiment with wonderful flavour combinations that make your taste buds tingle and this recipe is no exception to the rule. ... furthermore it uses one of our favourite vegetables. We think it would also make a superb starter when entertaining over Christmas because it's so light and fresh.

Ingredients

500g raw beetroot (scrubbed if dirty) peeled and diced
1 medium red onion (root on) halved through the root
2 whole, large star anise
600ml boiling water
2 rounded tsp low salt vegetable stock powder (use less if full salt)
1 grapefruit, juice only (about 100ml)
To serve
Spoonful light cream cheese and a little milk to make it 'flow' , or double cream

Serves 4

Method

Put the beetroot and red onion into a paln. Tie the star anise in muslin or use an empty bouquet garni bag. Add this to the pan with the boiling water and bring to the boil. Stir in the stock powder, cover and simmer very very gently for about an hour until the beetroot is tender. Then make sure you let it cook for about 30 minutes and take out the star anise so that the flavour remains subtle.

Next remove the onion, pressing as much liquid from it as possible (then discard). Strain the beetroot through a sieve, reserving the liquid and the beetroot pulp. Measure the liquid and make back up to 400ml with water if necessary.

Then put in a liquidizer along with 200g of the cooked beetroot. Keep the remaining beetroot for a salad or dip (try mixing with equal amounts yoghurt and French dressing with some oregano - nice!)

Finally add the grapefruit juice and whizz until the soup is smooth. Often best with citrus to keep some juice back and taste until you get the flavour you want. The end result should be a little tart with a hint of background grapefruit.

Serve hot or chilled depending on time of year (or what you fancy!)