This thick and mildly sweet soup tastes lovely on a cold winter’s day. The color is beautiful and the hint of fennel is a tasty addition to the beets.

Serving Size: 4

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon light olive oil
• 1 med. red onion, chopped
• 2 med. carrots, peeled and chopped
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1 teaspoon cardamom, ground
• 2 pints vegetable bouillon
• 12 ounces cooked beets (not in vinegar or sweet sour sauce), sliced
• 1 tablespoon freshly ground fennel seeds
• 1 pomegranate
• garnish with walnut pieces, soy yogurt and a few fennel leaves

Directions:

1. Place the oil oil in a large pot, add the red onion pieces and begin to saute until glassy.
2. Add the carrot pieces and cook until the begin to soften.
3. Using a mortar and pestle or the back of a spoon in a bowl, or a coffee grinder, smash or grind the fennel seeds. Add the fennel to the cooking onions and carrots.
4. Add the cooked beets, and the vegetable bouillon.
5. Bring to a boil, and then reduce the heat to simmer.
6. Add the coriander and cardamom.
7. Puree the soup to a smooth consistency.
8. Cut the pomegranate in half and using a citrus press, extract the juice.
9. Add the pomegranate juice to the soup.
10. Season to taste with extra salt and pepper, and perhaps a touch more of the coriander and cardamom spices.
11. The soup can be thinned with more pomegranate juice, or if you do not want it to become too sweet, use a bit of water.
12. Serve garnished with a walnut pice, soy yogurt, and optionally a few fennel sprigs.

Notes:

If you can not get a fresh pomegranate, you can use pomegranate juice, but be careful not to get those with added sugar or other juices.

adapted from BBC Good Food “Vegetarian Christmas” Issue 2008