Something about purple food seems to turn people off. I made my beet hummus for a potluck once, and it was barely touched. Had I made regular hummus, I think it would have been gone. I have also made it for myself several times, and my husband would not touch it until one day it was the only option. He reluctantly tried it, and unsurprisingly, kept digging his tortilla chips into the bowl. The next day, I made regular hummus and he finally agreed that he liked the beet hummus better. I know his tastebuds better than he knows his own, I swear.
This week, I made beet cauliflower soup. He won’t go near the stuff because he supposedly still “doesn’t like beets.” Even I was a little shocked by its bright shade of purple, but I know better than to be off put by out-of-the-ordinary food. Plus, all those fun colors of bright green, orange, purple, red…those are loaded with nutrients that we need. Purple is part of the rainbow too, and we want to be eating that rainbow on a daily basis. For some reason, we seem to find white foods more appealing…why is that?
Well, this soup is far from white, so get ready. Though for the white food lovers, we have some cauliflower added in for some creaminess.
All you need to do is some simple sautéing, simmering, and blending. Then top with chopped chives, a dash or cream if you like, and fresh ground pepper and you have yourself some purple soup.
Will you dare try it?
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 1-2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 2 beets, skins peeled and chopped
- 1 small head of cauliflower, cut into florets
- 4 cups // 1L chicken or vegetable stock
- 1-2 tablespoons of fresh thyme
- 2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- Fresh black pepper
- In a large pot, sauté the onion in olive oil until the onions are translucent. Add the garlic and sauté for one minute more. Add the beets, cauliflower, stock, salt, and thyme. Bring to a boil, and reduce to a simmer, simmering for 15-20 minutes, or until the beets and cauliflower are soft. Turn off the heat, and blend everything until pureed with an immersion blender (or pour everything into your regular blender).
- Once pureed, stir in the balsamic vinegar. Serve immediately, or store in the freezer for a later date!
