Creamy Beet, Apple & Horseradish Soup Recipe

Bee’roo.
Bee’root.
B’root.
Beet.
Root.
I just can’t seem to say it right.

The first person to notice my mangled pronunciation was my girlfriend, who regularly teases me about the word “beetroot.” A typical conversation at home might go like this:

Me: “Do you fancy some bee’roo soup for lunch?”
Gf: “B’ROO?”
Me: “OK, let’s try again. Would you like a bowl of homemade beeTrooT soup?”
Gf: “B’ROO?”
Me: “I’ll take that as yes.”
(Grossly exaggerated)

Dropping sounds from words is common in many English accents. People lose their h’s and t’s for a number of reasons—habit, regional accent, or just to sound casual. Even fictional characters reflect this, such as ‘Enry ‘Iggins from My Fair Lady.

Putting pronunciation aside, last week I tested a couple of beetroot soup variations to find a recipe worth sharing. After a few tastings, one clear favorite emerged—the version below. The runner-up has since been revised and may appear here once it’s retested.

This beetroot, apple and horseradish soup is ideal for days when mornings are still brisk but sunlight is returning. It’s bright, warming and tangy—comforting without being heavy—and it’s perfect for the kitchen when it’s chilly outside.

Beetroot, apple and horseradish soup

By Gavin Wren
3.5/58

Serves 4
Takes about 1 hour 30 minutes, or 30 minutes if using pre-cooked beetroot
Uses 2 pots

Ingredients

650g raw beetroot, with root and 1″ of stem remaining, or 600g pre-cooked & peeled beetroot (not vinegar-dipped)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, crushed
250g Bramley apple, peeled and diced
750ml vegetable stock
1.5 tablespoons horseradish sauce

50g walnuts, very roughly chopped
12 tablespoons yoghurt

Directions

Put the beetroot in a saucepan large enough to hold them, cover with water and bring to the boil. Simmer, covered, for 1 hour. Drain and leave to cool for about 15 minutes. When cool enough to handle, slip the skins off—the skin should slide away as you squeeze the beetroot gently—then chop into 1cm chunks. If using pre-cooked beetroot, simply chop into 1cm pieces.

While the beetroot is cooking or cooling, heat the olive oil in a large pan over low heat and sauté the onion and garlic for about 5 minutes until softened. Add the apple and continue to cook for another 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. If the beetroot isn’t ready, turn off the heat and cover the pan to keep the mixture warm.

When the beetroot is prepared, add it to the pan with the onion, garlic and apple, pour in the vegetable stock and stir in the horseradish sauce. Heat gently until the mixture is simmering, then use a stick blender to purée until smooth—take care to avoid splashing.

To serve, toast the walnuts in a dry pan over medium heat until they are lightly browned. Ladle the soup into bowls, add three tablespoons of yoghurt to each, and scatter the toasted walnuts on top.