Beetroot and Apple Soup [vegetarian]

If you had asked me a few months ago about beetroot soup, I could have probably come up with only three types: traditional Polish clear beetroot soup “barszcz” which can be served with little dumplings, Ukrainian borsch, and a cold beetroot soup with yoghurt which is called “chlodnik”. However, this changed recently when I went to a restaurant and tried a really delicious and different beetroot soup.

I liked it so much that I decided to re-create it in my own kitchen. Since the soup was liquidized, I obviously didn't know any of the ingredients other than beetroot so I had a bit of a riddle. I still am not sure if the taste of my soup is similar to the one tried in the restaurant, but I was pretty happy with my result!

INGREDIENTS (for 4 portions):

3-4 (650g) beetroot,

1 red onion,

2-3 (600g) apples,

0.5l vegetable stock,

1 tbsp honey + 2 tsp optionally for drizzling,

salt and pepper,

some walnuts broken into pieces and crumbled goats cheese for garnish.

METHOD:

1. Preheat an oven to 180 Celsius degrees (fan oven).
2. Wash the beetroot, dry it and wrap tightly with aluminium foil, put to the hot oven for 30 minutes.
3. Peel the onion, cover with foil and put to the oven next to the beetroot for further 15 minutes.
4. Cut the apples in halves, cut the cores, put the matching halves together and wrap tightly with foil, put to the oven along with beetroot and onion for 45 minutes.
5. Peel the beetroot and apples, put to the food processor with the onion  and process on high till smooth.
6. Combine with the stock, bring to boil, add 1 tbsp honey and the seasoning.
7. Serve the soup with walnuts and goat’s cheese.