Jellied Beet Soup

Jellied beet soup recipe

What you’ll need:

• 1 pound red beets, peeled, cut in half if large
• 4 ½ cups water
• 1 thick-sliced unpeeled onion
• 1 Bouquet Garni
• 1 envelope (2 ¼ tsp) unflavored gelatin
• ½ to 1 teaspoon red wine vinegar or fresh lemon juice

Garnish for each serving:

1 teaspoon caviar
1 teaspoon sour cream
Snipped dill

What to do:

1. Combine beets, onion, 4 cups of water and Bouquet Garni in a saucepan, and simmer, covered, until the beets are tender, about 20 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, combine gelatin and ½ cup of water for 5 minutes to soften the gelatin.
3. Strain the hot beets liquid mixture through a fine-mesh sieve lined with cheesecloth into a large glass, measure and reserve the beets. You should have 2 cups; add more water if necessary.
4. Stir the gelatin into the hot liquid until dissolved, then pour into a bowl. Dice the beets, and stir them in, along with vinegar or lemon juice.
5. Chill until firm but wobbly, about 4 hours. Gently break up the soup with a spoon before serving.
6. Garnish each serving with caviar, sour cream and dill.

Makes 5 cups

Any clear broth, especially consommé, can be served this way. Stock made from veal knuckles and beef bones, may jell enough naturally to be served without added gelatin. Watch the salt content of these soups. If you prepare them in advance, their saltiness is intensified.

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Bouquet Garni

A bouquet garni is a combination of herbs, vegetables and, occasionally, spices bundled in cheesecloth or tied with a string and used to flavor soup, stock, and sauces. They are removed before serving. You can buy bouquet garni from a gourmet grocery store or make your own.

Bunch together:

3-4 sprigs of parsley
½ bay leaf
2 sprigs thyme
1 leek, white portion only
2 cloves

To make removal easier, you may place them inside several overlapping celery ribs or leek greens and bind tightly with kitchen string.