Beet Soup with Orange and Walnut Crunch

Beets do not only give vegan burgers their reddish, “bloody” coloring, they are also damn tasty and healthy. Now in the cold time of the year they are in season and can be found almost everywhere, both fresh and pre-cooked. That’s reason enough for us to come up with a delicious, warming beet soup with orange, served with a slightly spicy walnut crunch.

If you are looking for the ultimate taste experience, buy fresh beetroot and cook it yourself. To do this, simply cook the beets with the skin in water for about 40 minutes. Then rinse cold and peel like a potato. The aroma is definitely more intense than using the pre-cooked version from the stores.

This vegan beet soup tastes great as an independent main meal, but is also suitable as a starter. How about, for example, as part of your Christmas menu? The soup can easily be cooked in advance and warmed up again before serving. The walnut crunch can also be prepared in advance. This reduces the Christmas stress factor and thus spares the nerves. This is exactly what you need during the holidays.

BEET SOUP WITH ORANGE AND WALNUT CRUNCH

Ingredients for 4 servings (about  1,00 Euro each):

BEET SOUP

• 500 g beetroot, pre-cooked
• 1 onion
• 1 garlic clove
• 450 ml vegetable stock
• 150 ml orange juice
• 100 ml oat cream
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• cress
• salz + pepper

WALNUT CRUNCH

• 75 g walnuts
• 60 g sugar
• 1/2 tsp chili flakes

Preparation
1. Finely dice the onion and garlic. Sweat in a saucepan with the olive oil at medium temperature for a few minutes until translucent.

2. Dice the beetroot roughly and add to the pot with orange juice and stock. Bring to a boil over high heat, then simmer for about 20 minutes at low to medium temperature with the lid closed. Blend the soup and season with salt and pepper.

3. Heat walnuts, chilli and sugar in a pan with 3 tablespoons of water at medium temperature. Stir from time to time. The sugar-water mixture should first become liquid, then crystallize and finally become liquid again while caramelizing. At this point please be careful so that the caramel does not get too dark and burns. Carefully pour the walnuts onto a baking paper to cool. Once cooled and firm, remove from the baking paper and chop with a knife.

4. Serve the soup with a dash of oat cream. Finally top with chopped walnut crunch and cress.