I saw this recipe from www.chow.com, featured as part of a Valentine’s Love/Hate menu. It looked really good and the mom-in-law had fresh cauliflower and beets handy, so I thought I’d give it a try. Hubby was out of town for Valentine’s, so I ended up making this a little later, for my dad’s birthday. My grandparents were in town, too, so it was a multi-generational (4?) party. I forgot to take photos of the finished soup as it was being served, but it was quite lovely, with the colorful, crispy beets on top. (I’ve posted a photo of Hubby, me, Boy, Girl and my grandparents at the birthday dinner, instead.) I only made one batch of soup, which is only supposed to serve 2, but there were 8 of us, so I served small, appetizer portions in ramekins, as an “amuse bouche” before my mom’s dinner of bruschetta, salad and lasagna. The soup was very yummy and creamy, especially for something so healthy. I did substitute chicken broth for the water, just to add a little more body. The parsnips gave a tangy, refreshing gingery flavor.
The leeks, sauteeing.
The soup, simmering, before being pureed.
These beet chips were SO yummy. They would be tasty on top of a salad, instead of croutons.
