Maple Balsamic Roasted Beet and Butternut Soup (with Coconut Milk)

I have a new love. It's heart bleeds red.

 

Well, technically, it's all red. Though some are Gold!

Seriously. I NEVER thought that I would say I LIKE Beets, let alone LOVE them.

But after making this soup, I have to confess that I now love beets.

 

At least in this soup, I do. You can keep the pickled ones. I am never going to like THOSE. I mean it. That's a whole other flavor profile and I'm just not interested. 

 

I just want the silky smooth sweet creaminess that Roasted beets have to offer. Especially in THIS phenomenal sweet and savory Soup.

 

Even my husband couldn't get enough of it. I was so sad when I'd reheated the last of it. I'm making more this weekend. I must have it in my belly.

 

 

  Normally I would not have gone out of my way to buy beets at the store, but I got some in my Bountiful Basket, and I promised myself I would roast the heck out of every veggie I would normally turn my nose up at.  I have found, happily, that I have more greatly enjoyed every vegetable I have roasted. Even Radishes, which is crazy, but they totally change and become as sweet as candy! So I figured beets would have a good chance of becoming palatable for me.

 

So this soup started out as these roasted Veggies:

 

 

While I liked the flavor, I felt like it should have cooked longer. I had done my standard high heat method of roasting, but wished I had slow roasted them for several hours instead. They were a little firm for my liking. When you make them, you can choose between the two methods depending on how firm/crisp you like your veggies.

 

I completely neglected to take a photo of the veggies BEFORE they roasted, and when I tossed them together before serving, everything took on the hue of the red beets (as seen above), even though the other 3 vegetables in the medley are orange/gold. That's beets for ya! They color everything they touch!

So here are two recipes for you to enjoy! The first is for the Roasted Medley, and the second is for the soup to make with the Medley. I will only be having the soup from here on out. It's so completely amazing that I must proceed immediately to recipe 2 from now on. But don't think you can skip the roasting and just make this with fresh produce! It will NOT be the same flavor or texture at all!

 

 

Maple Balsamic Roasted Beets and Butternut Squash Medley 

 

I always use my Baking Stones for roasting. For this medley, I also added a piece of parchment paper for easy clean-up. You can do it on a regular baking sheet, but I would make sure to use parchment or a silpat mat to help with sticking to the pan.

 

3 large Red Beets, washed and scrubbed well, stem removed (If desired, you can peel them)
3 large Gold Beets, prepared the same as the red
1/2 Large Butternut Squash, peeled (or 1 small)
1 cup Baby Carrots (optional, but I liked them in it)
1/4 cup Real Maple Syrup
2 TBL Balsamic Vinegar
1 TBL Kosher Salt

Cut the beets and squash into similar bite-sized chunks. Add carrots to mix. Whisk together the remaining ingredients, and pour over the mixture, stirring to blend. Bake at 425° for 30 minutes, stirring halfway through (For a more firm texture). OR bake at 300° for 90 minutes, then stir before placing under the broiler for 5 minutes (for a softer texture).

Scatter fresh herbs over the top before serving, if desired.

Roasted Beet and Butternut Soup with Coconut Milk

This recipe can easily be halved. Save the remainder of the coconut milk for another purpose.

1 batch of Roasted Beet Medley
2 cans Chicken Broth
salt and pepper to taste
1 tsp Balsamic Glaze (optional)
1 tsp ground Sumac (optional)
1 can Coconut Milk (can be light if desired)

Bring the beet medley to boil in the chicken broth. Reduce to low and let simmer for 30 minutes. Puree with a blender or immersion blender (I used my Blendtec and it really got it smooth!). Add additonal seasonings and the coconut milk. Bring to desired temperature. Serve hot or at room temperature, or even chilled. Garnish with Coconut Cream (skimmed from top of can), Whipped Cream or Cream Fraiche. Fresh herbs, croutons or cheese toast is also a nice touch.  

 
I've decided that this soup will be PERFECT for shooter cups at my next party. I think this soup will be on my appetizer table menu forever. And Ever. Amen.

Also, I added a new spice that I've been experimenting with: Sumac. It is very lemony. If you don't have it, you can substitute some lemon juice or zest for the acidic element.

 

 

Leftovers Soup....2 ways

I have a BlendTec, and I really love to make the most of that wonderful tool sitting on my kitchen counter.

This week's leftovers soup started with a lot of Sunday dinner leftovers, and a few Saturday afternoon goodies thrown in.

I ended up making TWO soups...both delish, but very different flavors.

Cream of Asparagus (front) and Cream of Broccoli Cheddar (back)

For the Asparagus soup, I started with leftover roasted asparagus, and boiled potatoes.

For Asparagus Soup:

• 1 cup Mirepoix mix (*see notes)
• 1 TBL Butter, or oil of choice
• 1/4 cup "Shirley J" Whisk Bliss (**see notes)
• 1 can Chicken Broth
• 1 cup cooked Asparagus
• 1 cup cooked Potatoes
• 1/2 cup Cream or Half and Half
• 1-2 tsp dried Thyme (or 1 TBL fresh)

1. Saute the mirepoix mix in butter until onions are transparent. Do not let brown.
2. Add Whisk Bliss and cook for 2 minutes.
3. Stir in broth and cook until slightly thickened.
4. Add vegetables, cream and thyme. 
5. Cook until desired temperature is reached.
6. Puree with an immersion blender, or with a blender.

For the Broccoli Cheddar soup, I started with leftover Mac 'n Cheese, cooked broccoli and potatoes, and some leftover roasted mirepoix.

For Broccoli Cheddar Soup:

• 1 1/2 cups cooked Macaroni and Cheese (***see notes)
• 1/2 cup cooked Broccoli
• 3/4 cup cooked Potatoes
• 1/4 cup roasted Mirepoix (*see notes)
• 1 can Chicken Broth
• 1/2 cup "Shirley J" Whisk Bliss (** see notes)
• 1/2 cup Cream, or Half and Half

1. Add all ingredients to a saucepan, using a whisk to mix the Whisk Bliss. 
2. Heat to desired temperature.
3. Puree using an immersion blender, or a blender

NOTES:

* Mirepoix: A combination of aromatic vegetables, usually consisting of 50% onions, 25% Carrots and 25% Celery. The size of the cuts is less important that having all the vegetables cut to the same size so they cook evenly. Mirepoix is often used a base for soups and sauces, but is usually pureed into the base so that chunks are not left whole. I make Roasted Mirepoix when I do a meat roast, and I cut the pieces larger to enjoy with the roast after all items are roasted together.  For the broccoli cheese soup, I used leftover roasted mirepoix as my base. For the Asparagus soup, I used a lovely convenience item that I have just discovered within the past year: Frozen Mirepoix. My local Smiths (Kroger) carries it and it's only about $1.00 for a bag....it's wonderfully convenient to have on hand in the freezer when I don't want to go to the extra work of cutting a small mirepoix blend for a soup or sauce.

**"Shirley J Whisk Bliss": About 6 months ago, I started working as a sales rep for this company. The Whisk Bliss product is amazing, and I use it frequently to thicken and/or flavor my soups and sauces. It's very easy to use, and the texture cannot be beat. I often use the "White Cheddar" flavor for soups, but the original and the cheese flavor can be used the same.  In the asparagus soup, I used it in place of flour as for a roux base. In the broccoli soup, I simply stirred it in. Either way works fine. For information, or to order some for yourself, please visit my webpage here. 

***Macaroni and Cheese: In soup?? Heck yes! I used a store-bought Stouffers-type product that I had previously made for the youngsters in our house, and there was some left in the fridge, so I popped it in. I would not try this with a boxed Mac 'n Cheese product like Kraft. I call THAT kind of mac 'n cheese "Yellow Death". haha. I really do not think you would get nearly the same outcome with that type of mix. 

For another soup using this technique, please visit this post.

Blender Leftovers Soup

To see where this soup started, please visit here.

For two more versions of blender soups, please visit this post!

"Leftovers" Soup with Cheese Toast
Serves 2

• I cup leftover Cooked Vegetables of choice
• 1 cup Cooked Rice, divided
• 1/2 cup Alfredo Sauce, Supreme Sauce, or Cheese Sauce
• 1 can Chicken Broth
• 1/2 tsp Dried Thyme
• Salt and Pepper, to taste
• Sour Cream, or Greek Yogurt for garnish (My FAVORITE brand is ZOI)

1. Hold out 1/2 of the rice to add at the end.
2. Blend all ingredients on the "soup setting" until smooth.
3. Add the remaining rice.
4. Heat to desired temperature.
5. Serve with garnish and sprinkle with additional dried thyme.

Cheese Toasts: Broil sliced Artisan Bread topped with shredded Italian Cheese.

Please Note: I made this soup in a Blend Tec Blender. Other blenders may not have a
       soup setting, so use a "puree" setting.

Pork Tenderloin Sliders

I decided the make the leftovers of my White Balsamic Pork Tenderloin into grilled sliders. The small size of the tenderloin pieces lent themselves perfectly to the little baguette slices that I had on hand. Topped with some of the grilled onions, White Balsamic Glaze, and then grilled in my panini press, they were little bites of delightfulness. I served them to myself and my husband right along side a hot cup of my Butternut Squash soup. A perfect Saturday afternoon lunch.

The recipe for the version of Pork Tenderloin used in these sliders can be found in my previous post.
For more Pork Tenderloin ideas, please go here as well as viewing this recipe.
Soup recipe coming soon!

Broccoli-Wild Rice Hearty Soup

Broccoli-Wild Rice Soup

• 2 pkgs Rice-A-Roni Long Grain and Wild Rice Mix
• 7 cups water
• 1 tsp Dehydrated Onion
• 1 carrot, shredded or small dice
• 1/2 package Chopped Broccoli (*see note)
• 1/2 package Sweet Corn
• 1 can Cream Of Chicken Soup
• 1 8 oz block Cream Cheese, cut into cubes
• Optional: 1 cup Cooked Meat of Choice (Chicken, Ham, etc)

1. Bring water, with Rice and seasoning packet, to a hard boil for 5 minutes. 
2. Add onion and vegetables. Reduce to low for 15 minutes
3. Add soup and cream cheese and simmer for 15 minutes, until cream cheese has melted.
4. Add cooked meat, if desired.

*Note: I've noticed it's getting harder to find chopped broccoli in the freezer section these days. 

In a pinch, you can defrost some broccoli florets and run it through a food processor. However, 

if you like full chunks of broccoli in your soup, you needn't bother. I just prefer the texture that 

chopped broccoli adds to this soup.

  

For more about this recipe and ways to garnish it, go here.