Beet Soup With Tarragon, Chives and Yogurt

Published May 11, 2022

Beet Soup With Tarragon, Chives and Yogurt
David Malosh for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.
Total Time
40 minutes, plus time for cooking beets
Rating
4(413)
Comments
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Freshly cooked beets, though they take a while to prepare (see Tip), are so delicious that they’re worth the effort. Cook them the day before you need them and keep them in the fridge for up to a week, to use in salads or for a soup. For this borscht-inspired soup, a splash of vinegar tempers the beets’ natural sweetness, which is perfectly complemented by a splash of tart herby yogurt. The good news is this soup may be served warm or chilled; each way is refreshing.

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Ingredients

Yield:6 to 8 servings
  • 2tablespoons olive oil
  • 1medium onion, diced
  • 2garlic cloves, minced
  • pounds cooked, peeled red beets, chopped (See Tip)
  • Salt and pepper
  • Pinch of ground cayenne
  • ¼cup red-wine or apple cider vinegar, plus more to taste
  • 8cups water or broth
  • 1cup whole-milk yogurt
  • 3tablespoons chopped tarragon leaves
  • 2tablespoons thinly sliced chives
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (8 servings)

104 calories; 5 grams fat; 1 gram saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 3 grams monounsaturated fat; 0 grams polyunsaturated fat; 13 grams carbohydrates; 3 grams dietary fiber; 8 grams sugars; 3 grams protein; 884 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Put olive oil in a heavy-bottomed soup pot or deep, wide skillet over medium heat. Add onion and garlic, cook slowly, stirring, until softened, about 10 minutes.

  2. Step 2

    Add beets and season generously with salt and pepper. Add a pinch of cayenne and pour in vinegar. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, then add water and raise heat to a brisk simmer. Taste broth and adjust. Cook for another 10 minutes, until beets are completely soft.

  3. Step 3

    Purée in a blender, in batches if necessary, and strain through a fine-mesh sieve. (Consistency should be like heavy cream, no thicker – thin with water or broth as necessary). Return puréed soup to pot and reheat. In a small bowl, combine yogurt with tarragon and chives. Add a good pinch of salt and beat with a fork to loosen yogurt.

  4. Step 4

    Taste soup, and adjust for salt and vinegar. Ladle into individual bowls. Swirl a large (2 to 3 tablespoons) spoonful of herbed yogurt across the surface of the soup.

Tip
  • To cook beets, cut off the greens and reserve for another use. Wash beets well, put them in a low baking dish and add 1 inch of water. Put on a tightly fitting lid or wrap tightly with foil. Bake at 350 degrees until they are fork tender, about 1 hour 15 minutes. While beets are still warm, slide off the tough “skin” with the aid of a kitchen towel. Refrigerate cooked beets for up to 1 week.

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Ratings

4 out of 5
413 user ratings
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Comments

Simple and delicious as a cold soup. We substituted dill for the tarragon.terrific!

Our yoghurt had morphed into a science experiment, so I used sour cream mixed with heavy cream, fresh chives and dill — then garnished this gloriously purple soup with pistachio nuts. YUM!

I made this w gold beets and dry tarragon otherwise verbatim. I like it better cold. But also the herbed yougurt, with just a little of the beet soup like a beet sauce if you will, is also very tasty. I really like this recipe, very versatile and easy to amend for people.

A quick easy way to cook beets is to steam them. Cut them in quarters and steam them for 10 minutes. After they've cooled the peel comes off easily. Used this technique for the soup and it was fabulous, a lovely combination of flavors.

I had beets in my farm share that were an odd color but we’re still tasty. The soup was going to be such an odd color already I added the beet greens and stems at the end and cooked till soft. Blended it all. It was ugly but tasted amazing.

Use fresh tarragon. I used dry tarragon and it was like eating hay in my soup. Very unpleasant.

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