4 beets, peeled
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 medium onion, roughly diced
5 garlic cloves
3 cups unsalted chicken stock
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup very thinly sliced strips of red cabbage
1 teaspoon pepper
1 tablespoon sugar
½ cup sour cream, plus extra for garnish
Fresh dill, minced, for garnish
Dice 1 of the beets into ½-inch cubes. Shred the remaining 3 beets, either by hand with a box grater or in a food processor using the shredding blade. Set the shredded beets aside in a medium bowl. Melt the butter in a medium saucepan on medium heat. Add the onion, garlic, the diced beet, chicken stock and kosher salt and bring to a simmer. Turn the heat to low and simmer gently for 30 to 40 minutes. Purée this liquid base in a food processor and return it to the saucepan. Add the shredded beets, cabbage and pepper and bring the soup to a simmer on medium-low heat until the shredded beets are tender, about 20 minutes. Just before serving, stir in the sugar and the sour cream. Serve hot with a dollop of sour cream and a sprinkling of fresh dill. Serves 4.
