The Ultimate Roast Beetroot Soup (with Blue Cheese Toasts!)

Imagine a soup so stunningly vibrant, so deeply flavorful, and so luxuriously creamy, it stops you in your tracks. Picture a velvety, jewel-toned purée of sweet, earthy, slow-roasted beetroot, enriched with a touch of crème fraîche and a bright squeeze of lemon. Now, imagine serving it with a crunchy, gooey, and utterly decadent blue cheese and walnut toast perched on top. That, my friends, is the elegant, unforgettable magic of this Roast Beetroot Soup. This is, without a doubt, the most beautiful and sophisticated soup you will make this season.

I promise you, this soup is a true show-stopper, and the toasts are a non-negotiable part of the experience. The crispy sourdough, sweet caramelized onion chutney, crunchy walnuts, and the bold, tangy punch of the melted blue cheese are the perfect counterpoint to the sweet, creamy soup. It’s an incredible harmony of flavors and textures, perfect as an elegant starter for a dinner party or a truly special lunch.

Get ready to master the art of the perfect roasted vegetable soup and create a stunning, restaurant-quality dish that is an absolute feast for the senses.

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Why This Will Be Your New Favorite Elegant Soup!

You are going to be completely captivated by the stunning color and incredible flavor of this soup. It’s a guaranteed sensation. Here’s why you have to make it:

• Deep, Sweet Roasted Flavor: Roasting the beetroot first is the secret to an incredibly deep, sweet, and earthy flavor that you simply can’t achieve by boiling.
• Luxuriously Creamy and Velvety: Blending the soft-roasted vegetables with a touch of crème fraîche creates a soup with a beautiful, silky-smooth texture that feels incredibly indulgent.
• The Ultimate Cheesy Toasts: The crunchy, sweet, and savory blue cheese, chutney, and walnut toasts are the perfect companion for dipping and add a fantastic textural contrast.
• A Stunning, Vibrant Presentation: The jewel-toned, magenta color of the soup is absolutely breathtaking, making it a visually stunning starter for any dinner party or holiday meal.
• A Hearty and Wholesome Vegetarian Starter: This soup is not only delicious but also packed with the wonderful nutrients and earthy goodness of beetroot.

Recipe Snapshot

Your Shopping List for This Jewel-Toned Soup

This recipe uses a handful of beautiful, earthy ingredients. Here’s what you’ll need:

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→ For the Roast Beetroot Soup

• 1kg beetroots → Scrubbed clean, with tops and tails removed, and cut into large pieces.
• 1 red onion → Cut into wedges to roast alongside the beets.
• 3 cloves garlic → Left whole in their skins for roasting.
• ½ a small bunch of fresh thyme → For infusing the vegetables with an earthy aroma.
• 500ml vegetable stock → Use a good quality stock for the best flavor.
• 100ml crème fraîche → For a final touch of tangy creaminess.
• ½ lemon, juiced → The essential bright, acidic finish.

→ For the Blue Cheese Toasts

• 3 slices sourdough bread → Cut in half to make 6 toasts.
• 4 tbsp caramelized onion chutney → For a wonderful sweet and savory layer.
• 150g blue cheese → A creamy, tangy variety like Stilton or Gorgonzola is perfect.
• A handful of walnuts → Roughly chopped, for a nutty crunch.

Let’s Get Cooking! Your Step-by-Step Guide

Ready to create the most beautiful soup of the season? The key is in the slow, patient roasting.

Part 1: The Slow-Roasted Base

1. Preheat the Oven: Get your oven preheating to 200°C/fan 180°C/gas 6 (400°F).
2. Prep for Roasting: In a large roasting tin, place the beetroot pieces, red onion wedges, and the whole garlic cloves. Pour in 150ml of water, season well with salt and pepper, and scatter the thyme sprigs over the top.
3. Roast to Perfection: Cover the roasting tin tightly with a double layer of aluminum foil. This traps the steam and is the secret to tender beets! Roast for 1 hour and 15 minutes, or until the beetroots are completely tender and can be easily pierced with the point of a knife.

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Part 2: Blend the Soup and Make Toasts

4. Prep the Roasted Veggies: Once the beets are tender, remove the foil. When they are cool enough to handle, peel the skins off the beetroots (they should slip off easily) and chop the flesh into small pieces. Squeeze the soft, roasted garlic out of its papery skins.
5. Blend the Soup: Place the chopped beetroot, the roasted onion, the squeezed-out garlic, and the vegetable stock into a large pot. Bring to a boil, then remove from the heat. Using a stick blender (immersion blender), blitz the mixture until it is completely smooth and velvety.
6. Finish the Soup: Season the soup to taste. Stir in the crème fraîche and the fresh lemon juice, and give it one final whizz with the blender. Keep the soup warm over a very low heat.
7. Make the Toasts: Heat your grill (broiler) to high. Place the sourdough slices on a baking tray and toast them on both sides. Spread each toast with a layer of the caramelized onion chutney, then top with a piece of blue cheese, a few thyme leaves, and some chopped walnuts. Grill until the cheese is melted and bubbly.

Part 3: Serve

8. Serve: Ladle the hot, vibrant soup into bowls and top each with a crunchy, gooey blue cheese toast.

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Roast Beetroot Soup with Blue Cheese Toasts

Kick off your dinner party with this creamy roast beetroot winter soup. Slow-roasting the beets creates a deep, sweet flavor, perfectly complemented by crunchy, savory blue cheese, walnut, and chutney sourdough toasts.

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Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 1 hour hr 30 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr 45 minutes mins

Servings: 6

Course: Appetizer, Soup, Starter

Cuisine: European, Vegetarian

Calories: 442

Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients

  

For the Soup

• 1 kg beetroots, scrubbed and cut into large pieces
• 1 red onion, cut into wedges
• 3 cloves garlic
• 1/2 a small bunch thyme
• 500 ml vegetable stock
• 100 ml crème fraîche
• 1/2 lemon, juiced

For the Toasts

• 3 slices sourdough, cut in half
• 4 tbsp caramelised onion chutney
• 150 g blue cheese
• a handful walnuts, roughly chopped

Equipment

• Roasting tin
• Aluminum foil
• Large Pot
• Hand blender (immersion blender)
• Baking tray

Method

 

Part 1: Roast the Vegetables

1. Preheat oven to 200C/fan 180C/gas 6 (400F). Put the beetroot, red onion, and garlic into a roasting tin. Pour in 150ml of water, season well, and scatter over the thyme sprigs.
2. Cover tightly with a double layer of foil and roast for 1 hour and 15 minutes, or until the beetroots are very tender.

Part 2: Blend the Soup and Make Toasts

1. Remove the foil. Once cool enough to handle, peel the beetroots and chop into small pieces. Squeeze the soft garlic from its skins.
2. Place the chopped beetroot, roasted onion, and garlic in a pan with the vegetable stock. Bring to a boil, then use a hand blender to purée until completely smooth.
3. Season the soup, then stir in the crème fraîche and lemon juice and whizz again briefly. Keep warm over low heat.
4. Heat the grill to high. Toast the sourdough pieces on both sides. Spread each with chutney, then top with blue cheese, a few thyme leaves, and walnuts. Grill until the cheese is melted and bubbly.
5. Spoon the soup into bowls and top with the cheesy toasts to serve.

Notes

Roast, Don’t Boil: Roasting the beetroots is the key to developing their deep, sweet, and earthy flavor. This step is essential.

Cover is Key: Roasting the vegetables in a covered tin with a little water steams them, ensuring they become incredibly tender.

Vegan Option: To make this vegan, use a plant-based crème fraîche or creamy coconut yogurt in the soup, and your favorite meltable vegan blue cheese on the toasts.

WiseRecipes’ Top Tips for the Perfect Beetroot Soup

These simple secrets will ensure your soup is flawless and bursting with flavor.

1. Roast, Don’t Boil. Roasting the beetroots is the absolute key to this soup’s incredible flavor. It concentrates their natural sugars and develops a deep, sweet, earthy taste that you simply cannot get from boiling them.
2. Cover While Roasting. Trapping the steam with a tight foil cover is crucial. It ensures the beetroots cook through evenly and become incredibly tender without drying out.
3. The Toasts Are Not Optional! The soup is lovely on its own, but the full experience comes from the contrast of the cheesy toast. The combination of sweet chutney, salty-tangy blue cheese, and crunchy walnuts against the sweet, creamy soup is pure perfection.
4. Don’t Forget the Lemon Juice. The final squeeze of fresh lemon juice is essential. It cuts through the earthiness of the beetroot and the richness of the crème fraîche, making all the flavors taste brighter and more vibrant.
5. Wear Gloves (If You Wish!). Handling roasted beets can stain your hands a beautiful shade of pink! If you’re concerned about it, wear a pair of disposable gloves when you’re peeling and chopping the cooked beets.

Keep It Fresh! Storing Your Soup

This soup is a fantastic make-ahead dish, as the flavors get even better on the second day!

• Refrigerator: Store the leftover soup in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Store any leftover toasts separately at room temperature.
• Reheating: Gently reheat the soup in a saucepan over medium heat until warmed through. Re-crisp the toasts in a toaster oven or under the grill for a few minutes before serving.

FAQs: Your Beetroot Soup Questions, Answered!

Can I make this soup vegan?

Yes, absolutely! To make it vegan, simply use a plant-based crème fraîche or a thick, creamy coconut yogurt in place of the dairy version. For the toasts, use your favorite brand of meltable vegan blue cheese alternative.

What if I don’t like blue cheese?

No problem! The toasts would also be delicious with a sharp, mature cheddar, a tangy goat cheese, or a nutty Gruyère instead of the blue cheese.

Can I freeze this soup?

Because this soup contains dairy (crème fraîche), freezing can sometimes slightly alter the texture upon reheating. For the best results, you can freeze the soup before adding the crème fraîche. Let it cool completely, freeze, and then stir in the fresh crème fraîche after thawing and reheating.

Do I have to use an immersion blender?

No, you can carefully blend the soup in a traditional blender. Just be sure to let the cooked vegetable mixture cool down for at least 10-15 minutes first. Blend in small batches, never filling the blender more than halfway, and remove the small cap in the lid (covering the opening with a folded towel) to allow steam to escape safely.

Final Thoughts: A Bowl of Edible Jewels

There is something truly magical about a dish that is so stunningly beautiful and deeply nourishing. This Roast Beetroot Soup is a true celebration of earthy, seasonal flavors, transformed into something elegant and luxurious. It’s a rewarding, delicious, and unforgettable soup that I know will become a new favorite in your cold-weather recipe collection. Happy cooking!