Five-Spice Beet Soup

I have a hard time putting beets on the menu. I love them, but I feel limited in how to prepare them. It can be difficult to introduce them into a meal because of their overly exuberant tendency to tinge everything pink. They’re delicious roasted, but they can dominate when roasted with other vegetables. I learned long ago they aren’t necessarily a great addition to pasta. I love them in a salad, but the beet and goat cheese combination, while admittedly perfect, sometimes feels a little dull. And most beet soup recipes look a lot alike. Sometimes it’s like the whole recipe-writing world has a case of beet boredom.

That’s why I really like this recipe: It’s a straightforward soup, but with a twist that makes beets interesting. The astringent ginger and rich Chinese five spice are a perfect match for earthy beets. And that deep purple beet color is kind of delightful when it’s not busy turning everything else pink. I served this alongside salmon and lentils, and while I first thought it was an odd combination, it really worked.

This is also a very easy soup to make, but for once, I wished that I had used the food processor rather than the immersion blender. Our kitchen got a thorough splattering of purple. I left this soup a little chunky and I think it was great, but if you want a smoother soup, just blend it a bit longer, and perhaps add a drizzle of olive oil to loosen it up, if needed.

If you’re unfamiliar with Chinese Five Spice, it is well worth tracking some down. It’s a spice mix that varies depending on the maker, but is usually made of star anise, clove, cinnamon, Szechuan peppers, and fennel seeds. As you can guess, it’s incredibly aromatic, and wonderfully versatile. I’ve used it in sweet and savory cooking to equally great effect. Here, it brings complexity to what could be a very flat, one-note soup.

Five-Spice Beet Soup

Adapted from Bon Appetit’s Food Lover’s Cleanse

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/2 medium onion, diced
• 1 celery stalk, diced
• 3-4 medium beets, scrubbed, trimmed, and quartered
• 3 cups vegetable broth
• about 2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger
• 1/2 to 3/4 teaspoon Chinese five spice powder
• salt to taste
• Greek yogurt or sour cream for serving
• chives for serving (optional)

In a large soup pot, heat the olive oil. Add the onion and celery, and cook until soft, about three minutes. Add the cut up beets and the vegetable broth, cover the pot, and bring to a boil. Lower the heat to simmer and let the beets cook until they are soft when pierced with a knife, about 15 to 20 minutes.

Remove the lid and stir in the ginger and the five spice powder. Transfer the soup to a blender, and blend until the soup is smooth. Alternatively, use an immersion blender, but watch out for splatters! Season to taste with salt (and pepper, if you like). Serve with a dollop of yogurt or sour cream, and some chives if you have them on hand.