Can't Beet This Soup



Beets.
Among my friends, it seems, people either love them or hate them.There's no in-between.
Some of my friends won't eat them at all, some will eat only the greens and some only the roots (the red part that is mostly associated with beets). Some of us eat both.
While I have most often eaten the roots pickled, I have been trying to work the roots into more recipes and serve the greens in a salad to accompany the entree or soup that I make.
Beets, at about $3 a pound at my local farmers market, are not the cheapest thing on the menu. The health benefits are great. My doctor tells me that the benefits make them a bargain if you factor in the money you might save in health care down the road...interesting perspective.
In recent lab studies on human tumor cells, for example, the betanin pigments in the red roots have been shown to lessen tumor cell growth through a number of mechanisms, including inhibition of pro-inflammatory enzymes. The tumor cell types tested in these studies include tumor cells from tissues in the colon, the stomach,the lungs, the breasts, the prostate and the testicles. 
That should be enough to get you to, at least, try beets.
Here's a tasty soup to warm you through the cold of winter. Try it with a beet green salad and a good sourdough bread. The ginger in it is enough to take away the natural sweetness of the beet, but is not a strong flavor in the soup.

Beet and Ginger Soup with Coconut Milk
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large yellow onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 tablespoon finely chopped ginger
3 large red beets, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch pieces
5 cups vegetable stock, divided
1 can (14.5 ounces) low-fat coconut milk
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

  • In a large pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat.
  • Sauté the onion for 5 minutes and Add the garlic and ginger; cook, stirring often, for 5 minutes.
  • Add the beets and 4 cups of the stock and bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer until the beets are fork-tender: about 20 minutes.
  • Puree the soup in a blender, adding the remaining cup of stock to make it as thick or thin as you like it.
  • Stir in the milk, salt and pepper.

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