Beetroot Soup with Horseradish Dumplings and Chives
- Total Time: 40 mins
- Yield: 4 1x
Description
The earthy flavors of the vibrant beetroot soup are perfectly punctuated by spicy horseradish dumplings.
Ingredients
for the soup
- 1/2 medium onion, chopped
- 4 large beets (1lb or 460 grams) roasted, peeled and chopped
- 1 tbsp (15 ml) olive oil
- 1 tbsp (15 g) butter
- 1/2 cup (120ml) white wine
- 1 cup (240ml) chicken stock, plus more to thin soup if necessary
- Sea salt, freshly ground black pepper and nutmeg to taste
- 1-2 tsp lemon juice, for seasoning
- Sour cream to garnish
for the dumplings
- 1/2 cup (120ml) milk
- 3 tbsp (40g) butter
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 1/8 tsp ground white pepper
- 1 pinch nutmeg
- 1/2 cup (80g) semolina
- 2-3 tbsp (40g) prepared horseradish
- 1 egg
- 1 small bunch chives, minced- set aside a few longer pieces to use as garnish
Instructions
for the soup
- Heat the oil and butter in a large soup pot, add the chopped onions.
- On a medium high heat, sweat the onion for 3 minutes, then add the chopped beets, continue to cook and stir for 3 more minutes.
- Add the white wine and simmer for a few minutes to reduce, add the chicken stock, season the soup and continue to simmer for 3-5 minutes to slightly reduce liquid.
- Remove from heat, blend the soup (blender or immersion blender) and check seasonings.
- Place back in soup pot and set aside.
for the dumplings
- In a medium sauce pan on high heat bring the milk, butter and seasonings to a boil.
- Whisk in the semolina and horseradish, cook and stir until the dough is firm (1-2 minutes).
- Remove from heat, continue stirring mixture to cool.
- Stir in egg and chives.
- Form into small 1″ size dumplings, place on tray.
- Bring a medium saucepan filled with salted water to a boil, add the dumplings and simmer until they rise to the top (about 10 minutes).
- Ladle the hot soup into bowls with dumplings placed on top, garnish with sour cream and chives.
- Prep Time: 20 mins
- Cook Time: 20 mins
- Category: Soup
- Cuisine: Eastern European
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 250
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Frequently Asked Questions
What kind of dumplings are these, and why is semolina used instead of flour?
These are semolina dumplings (a German Griessnockerlsuppe style), not the typical flour-based variety. Semolina is whisked into hot milk and butter with the horseradish to form a stiff dough — it gives the dumplings a denser, slightly grainy texture that holds up well when simmered in water for about 10 minutes until they float.
Does the recipe use raw beets or pre-cooked beets for the soup?
The soup calls for 4 large beets (about 1 lb / 460 g) that are roasted, peeled, and chopped before they go into the pot. The roasting step happens before you start the soup — this is why the total time is listed at 40 minutes, not including the roasting time.
What role does the white wine play in the soup?
After the beets and onion are cooked together for a few minutes, 1/2 cup of white wine is added and simmered to reduce before the chicken stock goes in. This reduces the wine’s alcohol while leaving behind acidity that balances the earthiness of the beets. 
