Spicy Beetroot Soup

This is a great beetroot soup with coconutmilk and a spoon of herby yoghurt. It is dancing on eastern and European ingredients.

What you need:

For the spice paste

• 2 lemongrass stalks
• 2 garlic cloves
• 3 red chillies, deseeded if you don't want too much heat
• 5cm/2in fresh ginger, peeled
• 4 kaffir lime leaves
• 1 lime, juice only

For the soup

• 1 tbsp vegetable oil
• 2 banana shallots, finely chopped
• pinch sea salt
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 500g freshly cooked beetroot (not the kind prepared with vinegar), chopped
• 600ml vegetable stock
• 400ml can coconut milk
• salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the herby yoghurt

• 2 tbsp thick turkish or greek plain yoghurt
• 1 tbsp fresh mint, chopped
• 1 tbsp fresh coriander leaves
• 5cm/2in cucumber, deseeded, chopped

How to prepare it:

1. For the spice paste, put all the paste ingredients into a morter and crush until smooth paste.
2. For the soup, heat the vegetable oil in a large pan over a medium heat. Add the shallots, salt and cumin seeds and fry gently for a few minutes until the shallots have softened. Add the spice paste and cook for about five minutes to release the fragrance.
3. Add the beetroot and cook for two minutes. Add the stock, bring to the boil and simmer for 7-8 minutes.
4. For the herby yoghurt, mix the yoghurt with the fresh mint, coriander and cucumber.
5. Just before serving, put the soup and coconut milk into a food processor and blend until smooth (don't do this in advance or the colour will turn brownish). Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
6. To serve, reheat the soup gently for a few minutes. Pour into bowls and swirl in some of the herby yoghurt. 
   Recipe from Simon Rimmer.