Hearty, delicious, spicy & full of goodness: this tasty beetroot soup with chive dumplings & hazelnut dukkah has it all! The velvety soup texture and soft dumplings contrast perfectly with the crunch of the nutty topping, while the chilli, coriander & cumin add deep, spicy base notes.
Whether you simply love the taste or have a big harvest to use up, this easy soup really makes the most of beetroot. High in a range of minerals like betacyanin, folic acid, fibre, manganese and potassium, beetroot is thought to be anti-inflammatory, cancer-fighting, and beneficial to gut health.
You can freeze this soup for later without the dukkah topping, or keep it in the fridge for 4 days. Any leftover dukkah is best stored separately, otherwise the nuts will soften.
Here’s how I made it.
Gather the first few ingredients then chop the veggies. The smaller you cut them, the faster they’ll cook!
After cooking the veggies for ten minutes, add the chilli, cumin & coriander seed and fry until aromatic. Add the vinegar and mix well.
Add 1.5 litres of the stock and stir. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat, cover and simmer for an hour or until the beetroot is tender.
Meanwhile, sift the dry dumpling ingredients into a large mixing bowl then chop the chives.
Add the chives to the bowl then mix in the milk to form a dough. Mix until all the flour is absorbed, but don’t over-do it.
Dry-fry the remaining cumin, coriander seed and nuts gently over a low heat. This should take 15-20 minutes. Meanwhile, add the remaining stock plus 500ml of water to a saucepan. Bring it to the boil then reduce the heat to a simmer.
Form the dumplings by carefully dropping spoonfuls of mixture into the simmering saucepan of stock. Poach the dumplings until they look light & fluffy.
When the dumplings are cooked, set them aside on a plate and add the leftover stock to the soup pot. While the soup finishes cooking, pulse the nuts & the remaining cumin and coriander seed in a food processor to the desired consistency. Mix the sesame seeds through and set the dukkah aside.
When the beetroot is tender enough to slide off a knife, the soup is ready. Depending on how small you chopped the veggies, this will take from 1-1.5 hours. Blend it thoroughly with a stick (immersion) blender, and it will come to the consistency of a thick soup.
Beetroot Soup w/Chive Dumplings & Hazelnut Dukkah
Equipment
- 1 large soup or stock pot
- 1 stick or immersion blender
- 1 large mixing bowl
- 1 blender or food processor
- 1 saucepan
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 whole red onions chopped
- 1 kg raw beetroot peeled & chopped
- 1 tsp dried chilli
- 1.5 tbsp cumin
- 1.5 tbsp coriander seeds
- 2 tbsp red wine vinegar
- 2 litres vegetable stock
- 2 cups plain flour
- 4 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 cup milk
- 50 grams hazelnuts
- 2 tbsp sesame seeds
- 4 tbsp natural yoghurt
Instructions
- Heat the oil over a moderate heat in a large soup or stock pot, then add the onions, beetroot and a pinch of salt. Cook for 10 minutes.
- Add the dried chilli and 1 tbsp each of the cumin and coriander seeds. Cook until aromatic, then give everything a good stir while adding the vinegar.
- Pour in 1.5 litres of the stock and bring to the boil, then cover & simmer for 1 hour, until the beetroot is tender.
- While the soup is simmering, prepare the dumplings. Sift the flour, baking powder, and salt into a large bowl. Mix them together.
- Add the milk and mix until no dry flour is visible. Don't over-mix or the dumplings may turn out tough. The batter should be thick enough to be scooped and dropped from a spoon. Let it rest until the soup is ready.
- Start making the dukkah by dry-frying the hazelnuts plus the remaining cumin & coriander seed in a small frying pan. Toast gently until the hazelnuts are golden.
- Meanwhile, start cooking the dumplings. Pour the remaining 500ml of stock plus 500ml of water in to a saucepan. Bring to the boil then reduce the heat to medium.
- Cook the dumplings in 2 batches. Make each dumpling by dropping a spoonful of mixture gently into the saucepan. Poach them in the stock for about 10 minutes or until they float and look light & fluffy. Transfer the cooked dumplings to a plate and set them aside until the soup is done. Add the remaining stock into the soup.
- When the nuts are golden, transfer the dukkah mixture to a food processor and pulse until the desired consistency is reached.
- Once the soup is ready (i.e. when the beetroot soft and cooked through), blitz it thoroughly with a hand blender.
- Serve soup in individual bowls with a dash of natural youghurt, a sprinkling of dukkah and dumplings.
