Beet Soup for Any Season

It's a chilly June 3rd here in the mountains of Pocahontas County, West Virginia.  I just finished planting tomatoes and peppers in time for them to "enjoy" some cold drizzly weather.  You never know what the weather is going to be like lately, so when planning your weekly menu, a great idea is to include soups that can be enjoyed hot or cold.

I've been wanting to make a cold soup with a chicken bone broth base ever since my teleseminar on Bone Broth.  After hearing me go on about the wonders of gelatin and bone broth, a client asked me if it could be used in cold soups.  I actually had not been in the habit of making cold soups, but I didn't see why not. After a little research, I found that most any soup you enjoy hot can be enjoyed cold, but this works particularly well for pureed soups.

Enjoy the health benefits of bone broth year round.  Many soups you enjoy hot can be enjoyed cold.  Cream of carrot, beet, sweet potato, vichyssoise (potato and leek), and zucchini all work particularly well.

You can use any simple recipe, just make sure you avoid the refined vegetable oils (like canola) and opt for butter.  Use homemade chicken stock when it calls for bouillion or canned stock.  

Today I made beet soup or Borsht as it is commonly known.  It was absolutely delicious!  It was not a sweet soup, but more savory - especially with well-made, rich chicken stock and the addition of sourdough bread to garnish.  

Beet Soup or (Borsht)

Ingredients:

1 medium onion, sliced
4 medium-large beets
2 tablespoons butter
6 cups homemade chicken stock
Celtic sea salt to taste
Sourdough bread croutons to garnish (optional)
sour cream, yogurt, or creme fraiche to garnish (optional)

In a 4 quart pot, saute onion in butter on medium-low until tender.  Sprinkle with a 1/2 teaspoon of salt.
Add in chopped beets and chicken stock.  Simmer until beets are very tender.  Use a handheld immersion blender to blend, or blend in small batches in the blender.  Salt to taste.  Garnish with sourdough bread croutons and sour cream, yogurt, or creme fraiche (for enzymes).

The Bone Broth tele seminar will be held again on July 16 @ 8pm.  We'll be discussing the healing properties of gelatin and properly made stock to help with digestive and autoimmune issues, cooking techniques, and recipes.