Pretty Pink Beet Soup

I picked up the recipe card for this soup in a lovely organic store in Notting Hill on my trip to London this week. Perfect coincidence, as there were beets and leeks in the fridge at home. I made the soup yesterday and we had it chilled today for lunch. I didn't think the kids would eat it easily, but Margot loved it and although Edgar had to be coaxed to try it, he added bread crumbs and ended up finishing it all.

INGREDIENTS (serves 4):

450 g / 1 lb beets, cooked, skinned and diced

2 onions, chopped

1 leek, chopped

1 tbsp olive oil

grated rind of one lemon

1.25 litres / 2 pints vegetable stock

1 tbsp red wine vinegar

1 tsp sugar

1 glass red wine (optional - I didn't add any)

a pinch of nutmeg

a fresh bouquet garni (optional - I didn't have any)

salt and pepper

creme fraiche and chopped chives to serve

PREPARATION:

Saute the onion in the olive oil in a large pan until soft but not brown. Add the beets, nutmeg, lemon rind, bouquet garni and stock, bring to a boil, then simmer for 15 minutes. Add the wine, vinegar and sugar and simmer another 15 minutes. Taste to judge you have a good balance of sweet and tart.

Remove bouquet garni. Puree soup in a food processor or blender until perfectly smooth, using a sieve if necessary, then return to the saucepan and add seasoning. To serve, either re-heat carefully avoiding boiling, or chill. Add a generous dollop of creme fraiche and chopped chives on the surface of each bowl.