Chilled Golden Beet Soup with Dill & Beet Greens Gremolata
It reached 112 degrees fahrenheit here at the farm today. We were sweating our way through our CSA harvest and boy oh boy did we need something light and refreshing for dinner when it was finally time to call it a day. This is hands down the hottest weather we’ve ever farmed in. It’s days like this that really make me appreciate all the folks out there whose jobs require them to be outside in weather like this. After work I went to fill our truck with gas and the woman filling my tank said she’d been there all day. She was soaked with sweat but didn’t complain. Honestly, I wish I had a bowl of this chilled beet soup on hand when I was filling up because I would have given her some to cool off with. This weather is intense and my heart is with everyone working in these uncomfortable conditions.
This soup is absolutely delicious while being incredibly simple. The soup itself (not including the topping) only has 3 ingredients. But those ingredients are so flavorful that it doesn’t need anything else. And I know some of you probably aren’t huge fans of chilled soups (my husband is one of those people!) But you have to trust me on this particular one. When I told Taylor I was making a chilled beet soup he was less than thrilled. However, he was so hot and tired that he was up for pretty much anything that didn’t require heating up the house. After one bite of soup he said “this isn’t that bad.” And folks, “not that bad” is basically a 5 star rating from someone who swears he hates cold soup. I thought this was one of the best chilled soups I’ve eaten and I cannot wait to hear what our CSA members think if they decide to whip it up with the week’s harvest. The dill and beet greens gremolata is a lovely condiment that tastes great spooned into the soup and equally good spread onto toasted bread or as a dip for crackers and raw veggies. If you’ve never made a gremolata before it’s about time! Gremolata is a zesty Italian herb sauce that usually consists of parsley, garlic and lemon zest. This particular version is not traditional by any means but is a great use of beet greens and fresh dill. The addition of some lightly toasted walnuts adds a depth of flavor that I love and the usual suspects of lemon and garlic are thrown into the mix as well. I hope you all give this soup a try if you are in the mood for something light and refreshing. Serve this soup with a simple salad and slice of sourdough bread for dunking.
Cheers from a hot and sweaty Tumbleweed Farm
Chilled Golden Beet Soup with Dill & Beet Greens Gremolata
Prep Time: 20 minutes Cook Time: 25 minutes Serves: 4 as a side
Dill & Beet Greens Gremolata- 2 cloves of garlic, chopped
- 3 scallions, chopped
- 1/2 cup firmly packed fresh dill, chopped
- 1/2 cup firmly packed beet greens, chopped
- 1/2 cup toasted and chopped walnuts
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice
- zest of one lemon
- 1/4 cup olive oil + more to thin if desired (the consistency is supposed to be a bit crumbly, not runny like a pesto)
- fat pinch of salt
- 1 bunch of golden beets, greens removed and roots cut into 1/2 inch chunks (no need to peel)
- 2 cups full fat plain yogurt
- 1/2 a lemon, juiced (about 1 Tablespoon)
- fat pinch of salt and pepper
Preparation
- Prepare the gremolata by adding all the ingredients to a food processor and processing until finely chopped. Taste for seasonings and adjust as needed. If the gremolata is too thick or chunky for your liking you can add more oil to thin as needed. We like this on the thicker side but feel free to thin it out to your personal preference.
- Add the beet to a pot and fill with enough water to cover the beets by 2 inches. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer until the beets are tender and can easily be peireced with a fork, about 12-15 minutes. Drain the beets reserving 1 cup of the cooking liquid.
- Add the beets to a food processor or blender along with the yogurt, lemon juice and salt. Add 1/2 cup of the reserved cooking liquid and blend until smooth. If the soup is too thick add the remaining 1/2 cup of reserved cooking liquid. Season to taste with more salt and pepper.
- Divide the soup between bowls and serve with a spoonful of the gremolata on top.
Notes
Use this recipe as a guide and adjust measurements and ingredients as necessary
I didn’t think I like cold soup but this IS delicious! And easy. Love.
So happy you loved it too!!
The gremolata really makes this soup special! I made the soup with veg stock in my instapot (12 min hi pressure, 10 min natural release) then hit it with the immersion blender. Had to freestyle a bit, added some carrots, too, as only had 4 not very big beets, and a leek that needed to be used up. Added the yogurt and lemon once it cooled off a bit. So delicious. Thank you!
Yay! I’m so happy to hear. Love your adaptations!