Creamy Beet With Dill Soup

Name: Creamy Beet With Dill Soup
Yield: 8
Ingredients: 2 tablespoons olive oil; 1.5 pounds raw beets, cut into 1-inch chunks; 1 large onion, cut into large dice; 1 tablespoon butter; 1 pinch sugar; 3 large garlic cloves, thickly sliced; 1 teaspoon toasted caraway seeds*; 0.125 teaspoon cayenne pepper; 3 cups chicken broth, homemade or from a carton or can; 2 tablespoons fresh dill; 1.5 cups half-and-half (or whole milk); Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste; Garnish: chopped hard-cooked egg

Recipe by USA WEEKEND columnist Pam Anderson from allrecipes.com

Ingredients

8 servings

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2 tablespoons olive oil
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1.5 pounds raw beets, cut into 1-inch chunks
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1 large onion, cut into large dice
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1 tablespoon butter
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1 pinch sugar
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3 large garlic cloves, thickly sliced
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1 teaspoon toasted caraway seeds*

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0.125 teaspoon cayenne pepper
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3 cups chicken broth, homemade or from a carton or can
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2 tablespoons fresh dill
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1.5 cups half-and-half (or whole milk)
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Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
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Garnish: chopped hard-cooked egg

Instructions

Heat oil over medium-high heat in a large, deep saute pan until shimmering.
Add beets, then onion; saute, stirring very little at first, then more frequently, until squash start to turn golden brown, 7 to 8 minutes.
Reduce heat to low and add butter, sugar and garlic; continue cooking until all vegetables are a rich spotty caramel color, about 10 minutes longer.
Add caraway seeds and cayenne pepper; continue to saute until fragrant, 30 seconds to 1 minute longer.
Add broth; bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to low and simmer, partially covered, until beets are tender, about 10 minutes.
Using an immersion blender or traditional blender, puree (adding fresh dill) until very smooth, 30 seconds to 1 minute. (If using a traditional blender, vent it either by removing the lid's pop-out center or by lifting one edge of the lid. Drape the blender canister with a kitchen towel. To 'clean' the canister, pour in a little half-and-half, blend briefly, then add to the soup.)
Return to pan (or a soup pot); add enough half-and-half so the mixture is souplike, yet thick enough to float garnish. Taste, and add salt and pepper if needed. Heat through, ladle into bowls, garnish and serve.