Burrata and beet soup

This soup is luxury in a bowl. Rich beets pair beautifully with creamy and mild burrata, and the toasted fennel add a special nuance of flavor that is perfect. This is one of those soups that is perfect to impress your guests with minimal work! Burrata is the upscale cousin of mozzarella. A good burrata is made from buffalo milk, processed like a mozzarella cheese but stuffed in the middle with heavy cream. Lightly flavored, creamy and decadent, a good burrata is worth every penny you pay for it. If you have trouble finding burrat, 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 that adds a wonderful tangy flavor, the anise seed adds a touch of spice and the creaminess is all 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 tablespoons 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 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 till lightly toasted and aromatic. Pound to a coarse texture with a mortar and pestle.

Process the beets in a blender with enough milk to reach the desired consistency. Taste and season with salt and pepper if necessary. I tend to keep this soup on the thicker side, thicker than heavy cream, for a couple of reasons. First, so the hunk of creamy burrata does not sink to the bottom, it makes for a visu stunning presentatio. And 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, a scattering of toasted fennel seeds. Serve with some seeded crackers or multigrain bread, and cheese of your choice on the side.