Yield: 4 servings

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 50 minutes

Ingredients:

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 cup chopped onion
  • 1 cup chopped fennel bulb
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons fennel seeds
  • 2 large (2 1/2- to 3-inch-diameter) beets, peeled, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
  • 2 cups low-salt chicken broth
  • 1 cup unflavored kefir
  • Additional unflavored kefir
  • Fennel fronds (for garnish)

Directions:

  1. Heat olive oil in large saucepan over medium heat.
  2. Add chopped onion, chopped fennel, and fennel seeds. Sauté until vegetables soften, about 5 minutes.
  3. Add cubed beets and stir to coat. Add chicken broth and bring to boil. Cover; reduce heat to medium-low.
  4. Cook until beets are tender, 18 to 20 minutes. Puree soup in batches in blender.
  5. Return to same saucepan. Whisk in 1 cup unflavored kefir and season soup with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Rewarm soup.
  6. Ladle soup into bowls. Drizzle with additional unflavored kefir; garnish with fennel fronds.

     

TIP: To make the heart-shape design in this soup, spoon small drops of kefir onto the soup. Run the tip of a paring knife through the center of the round drop of kefir, creating a heart shape.