Chilled Beet-and-fennel Soup

Total Time: 1 hr 5 mins Preparation Time: 20 mins Cook Time: 45 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 4
• 1 lb red beet (look for smaller ones)
• 2 teaspoons fennel seeds
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 3/4 cups fresh fennel bulbs, sliced thin
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 1 cup nonfat milk or 1 cup reduced-fat milk
• 1/2 cup plain nonfat yogurt
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper

Recipe

• 1 leave root and 1 inch of stem on beets; scrub with a brush. place beets and fennel seeds in a medium saucepan; cover with water, and bring to a boil. cover, reduce heat, and simmer 35 minutes or until tender. drain beets through a fine sieve into a bowl, reserving fennel seeds and 3 cups cooking liquid. rinse beets under cold water; drain. peel beets; cut into 1/2-inch cubes, reserving 3/4 cup for garnish. combine remaining beets, reserved cooking liquid, and fennel seeds in a bowl; set aside.
• 2 add oil to a medium non-stick pan and saute onions for two or three minutes. add sliced fennel and 1/4 cup water and bring to a low boil. reduce heat to a simmer, cover and cook for simmer 20 minutes or until fennel is tender.
• 3 combine fennel bulb mixture, beet mixture, yogurt, milk, salt, and pepper in a food processor or blender; process until smooth. pour soup into a bowl; cover and chill thoroughly. ladle 3/4 cup soup into individual bowls, and top with 2 tablespoons reserved beets.