Beet and Tomato Soup

My photograph doesn't begin to capture the unique elegance of this Beet and Tomato Soup, adapted from Madhur Jaffrey's World-of-the-East Vegetarian Cooking. Combining the typically strong flavors of beet and tomato results in a perfect balance of flavors and a surprisingly subtle soup that can only be tasted to be appreciated. This is an ideal soup to be served as a first course.

Beet and Tomato Soup

1/2 pound of fresh beets (approximately 3 medium beets)
1 teaspoon of butter or oil
1 teaspoon of cumin seeds
4 whole cloves
1 inch piece of cinnamon stick
3/4 teaspoon of freshly cracked black pepper
3 medium-sized tomatoes, peeled and chopped
1 teaspoon of sea salt
1/2 cup of cream (optional)

Peel the beets and chop. Put the beets in a food processor or blender, along with 1 1/2 cups of water and blend for about a minute. Transfer the blended beets to a fine sieve and collect as much of the juice from the beets as possible.

Heat the oil in a medium-large pot over medium heat. When hot, add the cumin seeds, cloves and cinnamon. Stir for a few seconds and then put in the tomatoes. Stir for another 30 seconds or so and then add the beet juice, salt and black pepper. Bring to a boil, cover, reduce the heat to low and simmer for about 10 minutes. Remove the cloves and the cinnamon stick, stir in the cream and gently simmer on low for another few minutes. Serves 4.