Burrata and beet soup

This soup is luxury in a bowl. Rich beets pair beautifully with creamy and mild burrata, and the toasted fennel adds a perfect nuance of flavour. This is one of those soups perfect for impressing your guests with minimal work! Burrata is the upscale cousin of mozzarella. A good burrata is made from buffalo milk, processed like mozzarella cheese but stuffed in the middle with heavy cream. Lightly flavoured, creamy, and decadent, a good burrata is worth every penny you pay for it. If you have trouble finding burrata, use a good mozzarella instead; the soup is just as delicious. This soup is really quite simple to make. The beets are caramelized with a touch of vinegar, which adds a wonderful tangy flavour. The anise seed adds a touch of spice, and the creaminess comes from the cheese. I served this soup as a light dinner paired with some dense multigrain bread and blue cheese.

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Ingredients:

4 large beetroot, peeled and cut into 1-inch dice

3 tablespoons pomegranate vinegar (raspberry or balsamic vinegar will also work well)

1 tablespoon fennel seeds

1-1 1/2 cups whole milk

1 large burrata ball or buffalo mozzarella cheese

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Seeded crackers or multigrain bread and cheese of your choice on the side.

Preheat the oven to 375° F

Wrap the beetroot in foil, sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon salt and pour over the vinegar. Depending on the size of the beets, you may need to make 2-3 packets. Seal well and roast for about 1 1/2 hours or until they can be easily pierced with a sharp knife. Remove and allow to cool.

Sprinkle the fennel seeds on a frying pan and toast for about 3-4 minutes until lightly toasted and aromatic. Then, with a mortar and pestle, pound to a coarse texture.

Process the beets with enough milk to reach the desired consistency in a blender. Taste and season with salt and pepper if necessary. I tend to keep this soup on the thicker side, thicker than heavy cream, for several reasons. First, so the hunk of creamy burrata does not sink to the bottom, it makes for a stunning visual presentation. Second, the beautiful flavors are not diluted.

Heat the soup gently in a pan, then serve in 4 bowls with a hunk of burrata for each person and a scattering of toasted fennel seeds. Serve with seeded crackers or multigrain bread and cheese of your choice on the side.