Beet Root Soup with Cranberry Orange Relish

Ingredients

 
good oil or fat (enough to coat pan)
1 bunch
beets (scrubbed and halved)
2
yams (scrubbed and halved)
2
onions (peeled and halved)
4
carrots (scrubbed and cut in large chunks)
 
1 to 2" piece of ginger + 2 teaspoons fresh grated ginger (optional for relish) (coarsely chopped)
2 quarts
broth (plus water as needed)
2
oranges (peeled and diced)
1 pound
cranberries (picked over and washed)
2 tablespoons
pure maple syrup
1⁄2 teaspoon
cinnamon
1⁄4 teaspoon
cardamom
 
salt (to taste)
 
toasted walnuts (optional for relish)
2 teaspoons
fresh grated ginger (optional for relish)
Yields:
servings

Instructions

Roast the vegetables on an oiled baking sheet until soft, about an hour at 400°. Cool. Peel beets and yams.

Place all roasted vegetables, plus coarsely chopped ginger, in blender with the broth (and water as needed) and puree to make a thick soup. Salt to taste.

Remove thick sections of skin off the meat of the orange. Kitchen shears are useful. Pulse the orange chunks and cranberries in the food processor to coarsely chop. Scrape into a bowl and combine with remaining the ingredients. Salt to taste.

Heat the soup and serve with a dollop of the cranberry orange relish, which is a serious flavor balm!  (Recipe♦179)