Thai beetroot soup

Thai Beetroot soup, an aromatic soup which marries the earthiness of beetroot with the fresh favours of Thailand. This Thai beetroot soup is a favourite winter warming bowl of soup, earthy beetroot balanced with just the right amount of spice.

Beetroot is one of those vegetables that we often walk past in the shop or we turn it into pickle, but there really is much more you can do with it.

I have always grown my own beetroot in the garden so, I wanted to find something new to do with this earthy root vegetable.

This particular spicy beetroot soup blends the earthiness of the beetroot with the freshness of Thai flavours and cooling coconut milk.

It is a combination that works really well, the Thai spices add freshness, without masking the lovely earthy flavour of the beetroot.

Key flavours in Thai cooking

Key flavour ingredients:

There are 4 key flavours in Thai cooking and most Thai dishes will contain at least 2 of these flavour combinations in any one dish.

• SALTY: fish sauce; shrimp paste
• SWEET: palm sugar; coconut sugar; fruit
• SPICY: chillies; galangal (ginger); pepper
• SOUR: lime juice; tamarind

More complex dishes will include all 4 flavours. The real skill in Thai cooking, is balancing all of these flavours together.

Thai beetroot soup – recipe steps

Recipe substitutions and variations

• Beetroot – has a lovely earthy flavour, however, you could also add in other vegetables to bulk up the soup. Carrot and parsnip would also work alongside the beetroot.
• Chillies – add a real kick to this Thai beetroot soup. I’ve suggested using between 3-6 de-seeded chillies. However, my kids don’t enjoy it too hot, so I would use 3 if feeding the family, more if cooking for myself. However, adapt the chilli heat as you see fit and if you want a real spice kick, don’t remove the seeds!
• Root ginger – if you can find fresh galangal you can use this in place of the ginger. I find it difficult to source galangal locally so substitute with root ginger instead.
• Lemongrass – if you can’t find fresh, then look in the supermarket for either frozen, dried or minced.
• Salt – if I’m not serving this soup to vegetarian or vegan diners I sometimes replace the 1 teaspoon of salt in the paste and instead add Thai fish sauce to season the soup at the end of the cook.
• Recipe toppings – this Thai beetroot soup recipe suggests finishing the soup with some freshly chopped coriander and a squeeze of lime to balance the flavours in the soup. However, you could also add some dried beetroot crisps and some toasted pumpkin seeds as we have done here for some added crunch!

Can I made this spicy beetroot soup ahead of time?

This simple beetroot and coconut soup is a great make ahead dish. Make the soup then allow to cool completely before placing into a container with a lid.

• Fridge: this spicy beetroot soup can be made 2-3 days ahead of when you want to serve it and kept in a covered container in the fridge.
• Freezer: once frozen this soup will keep for up to 3 months in the freezer.

Useful hints and tips

1. Grind the garlic, lemongrass, chillies, ginger and salt in a pestle and mortar: this really works to extract the oils from these herbs, resulting in a tastier bowl of soup.
2. Don’t have a pestle and mortar: use a food processor or stick blender to form the paste instead.
3. Make extra to freeze: this recipe for beetroot and coconut soup is really easy to double up. So, double the quantity, enjoy some soup today and pop the rest in the freezer to enjoy homemade soup at a later date.

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Additional recipe suggestions

If you like this recipe then try some of myother soups:

• Simple Curried Chickpea and Lentil Soup
• Creamy Jerusalem Artichoke Soup
• Creamy Parsnip & Nutmeg Soup
• Leek & Potato Soup
• Simple Chicken Noodle Broth

For some great hints and tips on how to make a great bowl of soup, have a read of my 20 Simple Soup Recipes post. This features lots of delicious soup recipes for you to try!

Thai Beetroot Soup

An aromatic soup which marries the earthiness of beetroot with the fresh spices of Thailand. A perfectly spicy bowl of soup.

5 from 11 votes

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Prep Time: 15 minutes mins

Cook Time: 30 minutes mins

Total Time: 45 minutes mins

Servings: 8 servings

Calories: 208kcal

Author: Lesley Garden

Ingredients

• ▢ 1 tbsp sunflower oil
• ▢ 1 large red onion (chopped)
• ▢ 4 cloves garlic (crushed)
• ▢ 2 stacks lemongrass (white inner part only, chopped)
• ▢ 5 cm piece root ginger (grated)
• ▢ 3-6 red chillies (de-seeded and chopped)
• ▢ 1 tsp salt
• ▢ 1 kg cooked beetroot (you can use fresh and cook the soup for longer)
• ▢ 60 g coconut cream
• ▢ 1 ltr vegetable stock
• ▢ 400 g tin coconut milk
• ▢ fresh coriander (chopped)
• ▢ fresh lime

Instructions

• Heat the oil in a large saucepan, add the red onion and saute gently over a medium heat to soften, but not colour the onions.
• Place the garlic, lemongrass, ginger, chillies and salt into a pestle and mortar and grind to a smooth paste. Add to the pan along with the onions and cook for a further minute.
• Add the beetroot and coconut cream to the pan along with the vegetable stock and simmer gently until the beetroot is really soft.
• Add the tin of coconut milk to the pan. Put the soup into a liquidiser and blitz to a smooth consistency. Serve the soup hot with a sprinkling of fresh coriander and a squeeze of lime juice.

Notes

You should add the chillies to the soup depending on your own taste. I added 3 de-seeded chillies and my children happily ate the soup. If you like it hotter like I do then add more chilli.

Nutrition Facts

Thai Beetroot Soup

Amount Per Serving

Calories 208 Calories from Fat 135

% Daily Value*

Fat 15g23%

Saturated Fat 11g69%

Sodium 397mg17%

Potassium 630mg18%

Carbohydrates 17g6%

Fiber 4g17%

Sugar 9g10%

Protein 3g6%

Vitamin A 200IU4%

Vitamin C 32.6mg40%

Calcium 37mg4%

Iron 3.2mg18%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

• Please note that the nutrition information provided above is approximate and meant as a guideline only •

Course : Soup

Cuisine : British

Keyword : beetroot, chicken soup, coconut, comfort food, Simple, spicy, vegan, vegetarian

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