If you’re a beet purist, you can make this soup with nothing more than beets, water, lemon juice, and salt and pepper; the resulting soup will be delicate, like essence of beets. But if you’re in the mood for something heartier, add the extra vegetables and use stock. Either way, both versions benefit from a bit of sour cream or yogurt added at the table.

Steps

1. In a large Dutch oven or stockpot, sauté the onion, celery, carrot, and garlic in the oil until translucent. Meanwhile, warm the stock. Add stock and the chopped beets and potato and simmer until the beets and potatoes are soft, about 30 minutes. Turn off the heat.
2. Add the lemon juice and salt and pepper. Use an immersion blender to purée the soup to a thick smoothness. Ladle into bowls and serve with dollops of sour cream or yogurt on top and a sprinkling of the fresh herbs, if using.