Vegan Beet Soup with White Bean Spread for a Rainy Day

Okay, winter. You can show up now.

I'm a summer person through and through. Nothing makes me happier than summer fruit and a day at the beach. But I'm really starting to miss clementines, rain, and a sky full of clouds.

And what's winter without soup?

My love of soup is no secret. It's a great way to get more fluids, and one of my favorite ways to eat vegetables. (No, cooking doesn't destroy all their vitamins and minerals, in case you were wondering.)

This week, I'm sharing the kitchen with Gal (an Israeli DIY blogger), the lovely new blogger behind gulidiy.

I love collaborating with bloggers who are just getting started, especially when they come from a world outside cooking.

Gal stopped by my apartment this week, and we made vegan beet soup along with a thick, two-tone white bean spread. It paired beautifully with the soup and gave it some extra richness.

We couldn't resist spreading some on thick slices of spelt bread I'd baked, too.

Once we finally stopped snacking and chatting, we got the beet soup going. Gal used the beet peels to dye some gorgeous cotton table napkins, which you can read about on her lovely blog. (Seriously, you have no idea how pretty it is…go take a look.)

A Little About This Recipe

This vegan beet soup is thick and hearty—not brothy like the beet soup served with kubbeh (Middle Eastern stuffed dumplings), for example.

It has a deep, rich color and a gently sweet beet flavor that doesn't feel heavy.

You don't need to make vegetable stock ahead of time. The bean cooking liquid becomes the broth.

Instead of cream, I decided to add white bean spread in two colors. It looks beautiful, and it adds protein, fiber, and iron to the bowl.

I really recommend making the white bean spread—it takes this soup to another level. But the soup is delicious on its own, too.

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How do you make it a meal?

A bowl of soup with a slice of whole-grain bread or another carbohydrate source makes a comforting lunch or a satisfying dinner, with plenty of protein, quality carbs, dietary fiber, and vitamins.

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Nutrition information from Noam Bachar (an Israeli clinical dietitian and fitness trainer):

One serving of soup, out of 3, contains:

375 calories

49 g carbohydrates

13 g protein

11 g fat (1.7 g saturated fat)

10 g dietary fiber

20 mcg folate

3 mg iron

90 mg calcium

Vegan Beet Soup

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 40 minutes

Total Time 45 minutes

Yield 3 servings

Ingredients

For the Soup

• 1.5 beets peeled and diced
• 2 potatoes small, washed and peeled
• 1 stalk celery sliced
• 1 celery root washed and peeled
• 1 tablespoon chopped parsley
• 1 onion quartered
• 1 tablespoon paprika

For the White Bean Spread

• 1.5 liters (about 6 1/3 cups) water
• 2.5 cups white beans, soaked in plenty of water for at least 8 hours 300 g (10.6 oz)
• Juice of half a lemon
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast flakes
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon baking soda

Instructions

1. Start with the white bean spread.
2. Drain the soaked beans and transfer them to a large pot.
3. Pour in 1.5 liters (about 6 1/3 cups) water, add 1 teaspoon baking soda, and bring to a boil.
4. Simmer over low heat for about 30 minutes, until the beans are tender. Keep an eye on the pot so it doesn't boil over.
5. Once the beans are tender, transfer them to a food processor, leaving the cooking liquid in the pot for the soup.
   
6. Add the garlic, nutritional yeast, 3 tablespoons olive oil, lemon juice, and 1 or 2 tablespoons of the bean cooking liquid to the food processor. Blend until smooth.
   
7. Scoop half the bean spread into a bowl and set aside, leaving the other half in the food processor.
8. Add the vegetables, parsley, and paprika to the pot of bean cooking liquid. Season with a little salt and cook for about 20 minutes, until the vegetables are tender.
   
9. Remove a small, finger-size piece of cooked beet from the soup.
10. Add it to the bean spread remaining in the food processor and blend until pink. If the color isn't pink enough for you, add a little more cooked beet.
11. Use an immersion blender to blend the soup until smooth.
12. Serve the soup in deep bowls, each topped with a tablespoon of white bean spread and a tablespoon of pink bean spread.
    

A Quick Note

If you want a cleaner, brighter red color, leave out the paprika.