Beet Soup with Caraway

By LRay

Bon Appetit, January 2015, Page 38.

After making this soup, you'll have plenty of beets left over for tossing into salads at lunch.

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 tablespoon caraway seeds
• 1 medium onion, coarsely chopped
• 1 leek, white and pale-green parts only, thinly sliced
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 Big Batch of Oven-Steamed Beets (click here for recipe), chopped
• 1 cup buttermilk, divided, plus more for serving
• Fresh dill sprigs, cracked pepper (for serving)

Preparation

Step 1

Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add caraway seeds and cook, stirring, until they start to pop and dance around in the pan, about 1 minute. Quickly add onion, leek, and a splash of water to keep seeds from burning; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is soft, 5–7 minutes.

Add beets and 2½ cups water to pan; season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and cook, stirring occasionally, until flavors come together, 15–20 minutes.

Let mixture cool slightly, then purée in a blender in 2 batches, adding ½ cup buttermilk to each batch. Gently heat soup, adding water to adjust consistency if needed. Serve drizzled with buttermilk and topped with dill sprigs and cracked pepper.