Golden Beet Soup with Thai Basil Puree

Peak beet season is coming to a close, though they miraculously seem to stay around for most of the year in many places. I’ve eaten a huge quantity this year, but I’m still buying them every time I see them.

I was feeling lazy about doing beet tartare (if any of you reading this have not tried this recipe from The Breakaway Cook, it’s one of my favorites in the book), so just decided to drain the boiled golden beets and toss them in the blender along with some milk, chicken stock, and tangerine juice, along with plenty of s&p (the salt was dried tangerine salt). Victory declared! If I was feeling fancier, I probably would have sieved it once, to give a smoother texture, but I was so hungry and it tasted so good that I pretty much wolfed it down (with plenty of leftovers). And just for fun I had the last remnants of some Thai basil, so pureed that in blender along with some olive oil and drizzled the green goo on top. A keeper! Served with a dollop of full-fat Greek yogurt and a hunk of La Brea whole grain, barely toasted.