Beetroot and apple soup with Lancashire cheese scone fingers recipe

By delicious. team

Serves 8
Takes 25 minutes to make, 1 hour to cook
Rate 1 star Rate 2 stars Rate 3 stars Rate 4 stars Rate 5 stars
Rating

This light vegetarian soup is a perfect starter for Christmas Day because it's appetizing but not too heavy.

Beetroot and apple soup with Lancashire cheese scone fingers

Ingredients

1kg beetroot, peeled and quartered
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tsp caraway seeds, plus extra, toasted, to serve
4-5 fresh thyme sprigs
Knob of unsalted butter
2 bramley apples, peeled, cored and chopped
1 eating apple, peeled, cored and chopped
1.6 litres vegetable stock
Crème fraîche to serve

For the scones

250g self-raising flour, plus extra
for dusting
½ tsp baking powder
1 tsp English mustard powder
¼ tsp salt
50g butter
20g poppy seeds
100g Lancashire cheese, grated
About 150ml buttermilk

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C/fan180°C/gas 6. Toss the beetroot with the olive oil, caraway seeds and fresh thyme sprigs in a roasting tin. Season with salt and black pepper, then roast for 40-45 minutes until tender. Remove, then turn the oven up to 220°C/fan200°C/gas 7.
2. Meanwhile, for the scones, sift the flour, baking powder, mustard powder and salt into a bowl. Rub the butter into the flour with your fingers until it’s incorporated. Stir in the poppy seeds, three-quarters of the cheese and enough buttermilk to bind the dry ingredients into a soft dough. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead briefly.
3. Dust a baking sheet with flour. Shape the dough into a rectangle about 20cm x 10cm and 2.5cm thick. Cut into 8 fingers, place on the baking sheet, sprinkle with the remaining cheese, then bake for 10-15 minutes until golden and risen. Set aside on a wire rack.
4. For the soup, heat the butter in a pan. Fry the apples for 5 minutes until golden. Add the roasted beetroot and stock, then cook for 10 minutes. In a blender or with a stick blender, whizz the soup until smooth. Check the seasoning. Serve in bowls with crème fraîche swirled through, toasted caraway seeds scattered over and the scones on the side.

Nutritional info

Per serving: 348kcals, 16.6g fat (7.5g saturated), 17.5g protein, 41.7g carbs, 15.7g sugar, 2g salt

Chef's tip

Wear rubber gloves when preparing the beetroot to prevent your hands from staining. Freeze the soup in airtight plastic containers for up to 3 months. Defrost fully before reheating.