Beet soup with Crème Fraîche

This jewel coloured soup is delicate in flavour and very easy to make.

• 6-8 medium size beets
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• 1 shallot, finely chopped
• 1 crushed clove of garlic
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• ¼ cup white wine (optional)
• 750ml (approx.) vegetable or chicken stock
• 1 cup sour cream or crème fraîche (lucky for me, I had put my hands on unpasteurized sour cream and the soup was brought to another dimension!)
• 1 Tbsp butter

Peel and cook the whole beets in a pot of salted boiling water until tender. (Or boil beets first and peel after if you prefer)

1. Reserve one beet for garnish.
2. Dice up the other beets in large chunks
3. In pot, over medium/high heat, add olive oil and then add onion, shallot and garlic. Sweat without colouring
4. Add the wine and cook for 1-2 minutes
5. Add the beets and cook another 1-2 minutes
6. Add stock: the stock should cover the beets by about 1-2 inches
7. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for about 15 minutes or until the beets are extremely tender.
8. Using a blender or an immersion blender, purée the soup until it is smooth. Add sour cream and butter.
9. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper to flavour. And of course, you can always add more butter to your taste!
10. Garnish: finely dice the remaining beet and sprinkle on top of soup. Add a few dots of sour cream to soup and run a knife through to create little hearts