Chilled Cucumber Soup With Roasted Baby Beets Recipes

CHILLED CUCUMBER SOUP WITH ROASTED BABY BEETS

Steps:

• Heat oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions, garlic, and 1 teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onions are translucent, about 3 minutes. Stir in 1/4 cup water. Cover, and cook until soft, about 2 minutes. Let stand until cool.
• Place onion mixture and cucumbers in a food processor, and process until smooth. Add yogurt, 1 teaspoon salt, and remaining 1/2 cup water, and process until smooth. Transfer to a bowl, cover, and refrigerate until chilled, at least 2 hours, or overnight.
• Meanwhile, make the beets: Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a piece of foil with parchment. Place beets in center, drizzle with oil, and season with salt and pepper. Fold parchment and foil over beets, crimping along edges to create a packet. Place on a baking sheet, and roast until beets can be pierced easily with the tip of a knife, about 45 minutes. Remove from oven, and let stand until cool enough to handle, about 30 minutes. Rub skins off beets with a paper towel. Cut beets into 1/2-inch cubes, 1/2-inch-thick wedges, or a combination. (Beets will keep, covered and refrigerated, for up to 2 days.)
• Stir parsley and lemon juice into chilled soup. Season with salt and pepper. Divide among 8 bowls. Garnish with beets and sprinkle with parsley just before serving.

COLD BEET AND CUCUMBER SOUP

Steps:

• Cook beets in large pot of boiling water until very tender and knife pierces through to the center easily, about 50 minutes. Drain beets; cool slightly. Peel and coarsely chop.
• Transfer beets, scallions, cucumbers, horseradish, and wine vinegar to food processor. Add some of the liquids to blend. Puree, but not too fine. Thin to desired consistency with beet juice and broth. Transfer to bowl, season, and chill several hours. Check seasoning before serving. Pour into individual bowls and garnish with spoonful of sour cream and sprinkling of dill. Can be made up to 3 days in advance, covered, chilled.

CHILLED CUCUMBER SOUP WITH ROASTED BABY BEETS

Steps:

• Heat oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions, garlic, and 1 teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onions are translucent, about 3 minutes. Stir in 1/4 cup water. Cover, and cook until soft, about 2 minutes. Let stand until cool.
• Place onion mixture and cucumbers in a food processor, and process until smooth. Add yogurt, 1 teaspoon salt, and remaining 1/2 cup water, and process until smooth. Transfer to a bowl, cover, and refrigerate until chilled, at least 2 hours, or overnight.
• Meanwhile, make the beets: Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a piece of foil with parchment. Place beets in center, drizzle with oil, and season with salt and pepper. Fold parchment and foil over beets, crimping along edges to create a packet. Place on a baking sheet, and roast until beets can be pierced easily with the tip of a knife, about 45 minutes. Remove from oven, and let stand until cool enough to handle, about 30 minutes. Rub skins off beets with a paper towel. Cut beets into 1/2-inch cubes, 1/2-inch-thick wedges, or a combination. (Beets will keep, covered and refrigerated, for up to 2 days.)
• Stir parsley and lemon juice into chilled soup. Season with salt and pepper. Divide among 8 bowls. Garnish with beets and sprinkle with parsley just before serving.

NINA'S RUSSIAN COLD BEET SOUP (KHOLDNYK)

Steps:

• Mix the buttermilk, cucumber, beets with their juice, green onions, dill, salt, and vinegar in a bowl; stir to mix thoroughly, and chill, covered, in refrigerator at least 2 hours or overnight for best flavor. Serve cold.

BEET-AND-GINGER SOUP WITH CUCUMBER

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Place the beets in a bowl and sprinkle with 1 tablespoon of oil and season with salt. Toss to coat. Place the beets on half of a large sheet of aluminum foil and fold over to make a pouch. Seal tightly. Place in the oven and roast until a fork easily pierces the beets, about 1 hour and 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool. Peel off skin and cut beets in quarters.
• In a soup pot, warm the remaining olive oil over medium heat. Add the leek and cook until it begins to soften, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and ginger; cook 2 minutes more. Season lightly with salt. Add the beets, chicken broth and 3 cups of water. Bring to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes.
• Transfer the soup in batches to a food processor and process until smooth. Then return the soup to the pot and place over medium heat. Taste and adjust seasoning, adding more salt, the lemon juice to taste and more ginger if you wish. Just before serving (the soup should not be served too hot; it could even be served chilled or at room temperature), add the cucumber to the soup and stir. Then ladle into bowls and serve immediately. You may serve this with a dollop of crème fraîche.

COOL CUCUMBER AND DILL SOUP

Steps:

• Process the cucumbers in a food processor until smooth. Add the remaining ingredients and pulse to combine.
• Chill the soup in the refrigerator until cold, about 1 hour.
• Divide among 4 chilled soup bowls and garnish with the chopped cucumber.

CHILLED MELON, CUCUMBER, AND MINT SOUP

Steps:

• Peel, halve, and seed 2 cucumbers, then coarsely chop. (You should have about 4 1/2 cups.) Halve and seed remaining (unpeeled) cucumber; cut into a 1/4-inch dice. Working in batches, puree chopped cucumbers, melon, 1/2 cup lime juice, mint, and ice in a food processor or blender. Season with salt and more lime juice. Transfer soup to a bowl, cover, and refrigerate until ready to serve, up to 2 hours.
• Smear 1/4 cup yogurt onto two sides of each serving bowl. Spoon chilled soup into bowls, drizzle with oil, and sprinkle with diced cucumbers and mint. Serve, with lime wedges.

CHILLED BEET SOUP WITH BUTTERMILK, CUCUMBERS, AND DILL (CHLODNIK)

Steps:

• Using a large knife, separate greens and stems from beets. Thoroughly wash greens and stems; set aside. Scrub beets, transfer to a medium pot, and cover with 1" water. Cover pot and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium, uncover, and cook until beets are tender when pierced with a knife, about 10 minutes. Drain beets; discard cooking liquid. Let cool.
• Meanwhile, chop beet greens and stems. Transfer to a large pot and add 1/2 tsp. salt and 4 cups water. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium and simmer, without boiling, until greens are tender, about 5 minutes. Let cool to room temperature, about 30 minutes.
• Peel and coarsely grate beets, preferably wearing gloves. Add to pot with cooled greens. Gently stir in cucumbers, pickle, pickle brine, buttermilk, sour cream, and scallions. Season with salt and pepper.
• Cover pot and chill soup at least 30 minutes. Adjust seasonings, if desired. Divide soup among bowls; top with eggs and dill.
• Do Ahead
• Soup can be made 2 days ahead; cover and chill.