In Johannesburg thunderstorms are common in summer. And when it rains, no matter how humid or hot it is, I always make a pot of soup for supper. Soup is low in calories and doesn’t have to be made with a lot of fats.

This particular one materialized on a rainy day in December from leftover beets boiled for a client wanting a giant salad. I didn’t think much about it and added carrots to my soup for a thicker texture. The end result was surprisingly sweet and very tasty with some yogurt and micro greens.

Did you know: Beetroot is an edible taproot. It can be used as food colouring and for medicinal purposes. The green, leafy parts of the beetroot is edible and can be cooked like spinach. Beetroot is also high in fiber and a good source of iron and vitamin C. It improves blood flow and is known to lower blood pressure because of it’s potassium and enhance endurance activity because of it’s dietary nitrates. One cup of beetroot contains less than 60 calories. It is also a high oxalate vegetable so be aware of this if you suffer from kidney stones.

Ingredients

1 tsp olive oil

4 beetroot, boiled, peeled and sliced

4-5 carrots sliced

1 onion

1 tsp garlic

1 tsp ginger

1 sprig fresh thyme

squeeze of lemon

1 tsp sugar/xylitol

1/2 litre vegetable stock/water with a Knorr vegetable stock

Method

1. In a large stock pot, add onions and thyme and let it sweat a little.

2. Add carrots and sugar and let it brown for some flavor before adding your ginger and garlic to the pot.

3. Give it a quick stir, add beetroot and then cover the vegetables with water/vegetable stock. Approximately 1/2 liter. If your veg is still sticking out, add a little bit more water.

4. Let this boil for 25 minutes and let it cool for a little bit. Add salt and pepper to taste and squeeze in some lemon juice.

5. Liquidize everything with a stick blender/in a food processor.

6. Enjoy warm with plain yogurt and micro greens.