Beet Soup

"Beets," she said.  "Let's make a beet soup."

What she didn't say, but what I knew, was that the soup couldn't taste like borscht.  I like borscht, and it's easy enough to make, but Rachel doesn't.  Borscht is cold and sweet, and she wanted something hot and not too sweet.  The soup should taste like beets, but not overwhelmingly so, we decided.  How in the world were we going to pull it off?  When added to a dish, beets have a way of making you forget about all the other ingredients, not always in a good way.

After sifting through some recipes she sent me, and a few more that I found myself, we agreed on the following course of action: put sliced beets (pre-cooked, vacuum sealed), onions, sweet potato, and carrot into a large roasting pan.  Pour over a glaze of honey, vegetable oil, cinnamon, salt and pepper.  Roast until the thin edges just begin to blacken things, then dump into a large soup pot.  Add water, and puree with a stick blender until it looks like tomato sauce.  Taste.

When's the last time you tasted food that elicited an involuntary smile?  As soon as we tasted this soup, Rachel and I looked at each other for unspoken confirmation - did you just taste what I tasted?  Warm, smooth, thick, and sweet, of course, but not a one-dimensional sugary sweetness.  It was carmelized and savory, like the root vegetables within, all the while with the distinct beet flavor.  This soup was no borscht, and yet it was definitely beet soup.  We had succeeded beyond our wildest dreams.