I'm Going Bananas

Beet Soup

A bowl of bright pink beet soup swirled with sour cream and topped with chopped parsley
↓ Jump to recipe
Cook
1 hr
Yield
Serves 4
Difficulty
easy

When our mom was about 30 years old she opened her own restaurant in Venezuela. She named it Maui’s, her nickname in grade school. She also hoped to visit the island of Maui in Hawaii one day with the restaurant’s profits. Maui’s was part of the marina our grandfather once owned in the beautiful national park of Morrocoy. Marina Indunave brought us wonderful memories that will be with us forever. This soup recipe was one of the many dishes on the menu, and it has a great story behind it.

In fact, this soup was one of the first meals that our mom cooked for our dad. As our mom retells it, he ate it all with a smile on his face, praising how much he liked it. Turns out he hates beets — something our mom didn’t find out until much later. He told us he suffered through eating it so that he would leave a good impression, and the three of us are glad he did (we might not be here if he hadn’t). You either love it or hate it, but this recipe is definitely one to try!

Close-up of the beet soup showing the sour cream swirl and parsley garnish
Ingredients for beet soup labeled -- beets, onion, garlic, parsley, olive oil, sour cream, and beef bouillon

Ingredients

  • 1 onion, diced
  • 3 medium beets, peeled and diced
  • 3 parsley stems
  • 1 thyme stem (optional)
  • 3 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 garlic cloves
  • 1 beef bouillon cube
  • Yogurt or sour cream
  • Salt and pepper

Instructions

  1. Sauté the onion with the olive oil in a medium pot for about 5 to 10 minutes.
  2. Add the crushed garlic, parsley, and thyme (the parsley will be removed later, so do not chop).
  3. Dilute the beef bouillon in three cups of hot water and pour into the pot.
  4. Add the diced beets and stir on medium for about 10 to 15 minutes.
  5. Add some salt and pepper to taste.
  6. Cover the pot with a lid and let cook for about 45 minutes on medium-low.
  7. Allow it to cool slightly and remove the parsley and thyme.
  8. Pour into a blender and blend completely.
  9. Serve hot with a splash of yogurt or sour cream and top with chopped parsley.