Beet and Fennel Soup with Kefir

With the turn in the weather over the past few weeks, I've starting thinking about some of my favorite comfort meals - soups, chili, stews - pretty much anything warm and different than salads. This beet and fennel soup recipe comes by way of my friend Nicola, who discovered a taste for fennel seeds after trying my roasted cream of tomato soup. Nicola sent me this recipe after finding it in a magazine a couple of month ago and her instincts were right. It's delicious!


The one thing I love about beets is the depth of flavour they can add to a dish, whether it's a salad, roasted vegetables or in this case soup. The combination of caramelized onions and fennel with beets and finished with kefir is stunning. The soup is full of colour, flavour and is a nice change from the usual soups I tend to make. If you're looking for something a little different, than take a leap of faith with this recipe and try it soon. You won't regret it!


Beet and Fennel Soup with Kefir (serves 3)
Source: Bon Appetit

Ingredients
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 yellow onion, chopped
1 small fennel bulb, chopped (leave out the rough core)
1 1/2 teaspoons fennel seeds
2 large (2 1/2- to 3-inch-diameter) beets, peeled, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
3 cups low-salt vegetable broth
1 cup unflavored kefir (add more to taste)
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions
Heat olive oil in large saucepan over medium heat. Add chopped onion, chopped fennel, and fennel seeds. Sauté until vegetables soften, about 5 minutes.

Add cubed beets, salt and pepper and stir to coat. Add vegetable broth and bring to boil. Cover; reduce heat to medium-low. Cook until beets are tender, 18 to 20 minutes.

Puree soup in batches in blender. Return to same saucepan. Whisk in 1 cup unflavored kefir, Taste and adjust seasonings if necessary.