Beet Consommé
A refined and elegant clear soup made with tender beets and smoked turkey, creating a rich burgundy-colored broth that's brightened with fresh dill and lemon. Perfect as a sophisticated first course.
Ingredients
- •3 lb medium beets
- •4 qt water
- •1½ lb smoked turkey legs
- •2 whole carrots
- •2 whole celery ribs
- •1 whole large onion
- •1 clove garlic
- •4 sprigs fresh dill
- •1 leaf bay leaf
- •1 teaspoon salt
- •¼ teaspoon whole black peppercorns
- •2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
- •2 teaspoons sugar
- •liver and mushroom pirozhki
- •cheesecloth
Cooking Instructions
- 1.
Boil beets, covered, in water (4 quarts) in a 6- to 8-quart pot over moderate heat until tender, about 40 minutes. Transfer beets with a slotted spoon to a plate to cool slightly, reserving cooking water. When beets are cool enough to handle, slip off skins. Cut 1 beet into 1/4-inch dice and reserve for garnish. Cut remaining beets into 1/2-inch pieces and return to cooking liquid in pot. Add turkey, carrots, celery, onion, garlic, dill sprigs, bay leaf, salt, and peppercorns and simmer, partially covered, 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Pour soup through a dampened cheesecloth-lined sieve set into a 3-quart heavy saucepan, discarding solids. Measure soup: If there is more than 6 cups, boil in cleaned pot until reduced; if there is less, add enough water to total 6 cups.
160 min
- 2.
Skim fat from consommé, then add lemon juice and sugar and heat until hot.
10 min
- 3.
Divide diced beet and chopped dill among 8 shallow soup plates and ladle consomm on top.
5 min
