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

Recipe by Lisa Turner Adapted from Madhur Jaffrey's World-of-the-East Vegetarian Cooking Cuisine: Indian Published on November 21, 2007 Simple, smooth and flavorful beet and tomato soup with gentle Indian seasonings Print this recipe Ingredients: 1/2 lb (225 g) beets (3 medium beets) 1 teaspoon butter or oil 1 teaspoon cumin seeds 4 whole cloves 1-inch piece of cinnamon stick 3 medium tomatoes, peeled and chopped 1 teaspoon sea salt fresh ground black pepper 1/2 cup cream (optional) Instructions: Peel the beets and chop. Put the beets in a food processor or blender, add 1 1/2 cups of water, and process for 1 minute. Transfer to a fine-meshed sieve and collect as much of the juice from the beets as possible. Heat the butter or oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. When hot, add the cumin seeds, cloves and cinnamon. Stir for a few seconds and then add the tomatoes. Stir for another 30 seconds and then add the beet juice, salt and black pepper to taste. Bring to a boil, cover, reduce the heat to low, and simmer for 10 minutes. Discard the cloves and cinnamon stick, stir in the cream if using, and gently simmer on low for another few minutes. Serve hot or warm. Makes 4 servings