Love it for the color, love it for the taste, the texture -hot or cold; you'll love this soup anyway! And the best part if serving this soup warm is topping it off with crème fraiche and sautéed scallions. Even a tiny bit of the cold crème fraiche is so unexpectedly refreshing in every spoonful of the soup. That and serving it in white bone china!

One of the few times I follow a book recipe (almost) exactly.

Melt 3 tablespoons butter over low heat. Add 2 red onions and 2 garlic cloves (peeled and chopped) and sauté until soft and tender. Then add 1 1/2 pounds beets and a couple of gala apples (skinned and cut) for at least another five minutes. Add 1 cup apple cider and reduce the flame until the beets' and apples' juices start to thicken the liquids (about 10 minutes). Then add 5 cups chicken stock (I used vegetable stock) and season with sea salt and freshly ground pepper, return to high heat. Once it starts to boil, bring it down to simmer for about 30 minutes. Puree the mix in batches in a blender for a smooth texture.

Serves 6 - 8.

Raji Radhakrishnan