Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 leek, thinly sliced
• 1 carrot, finely chopped
• 1 parsnip, finely chopped
• 1 medium onion, finely choped
• 1 celery stalk, finely chopped
• 6 cooked beets, finely chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/8 teaspoon pepper
• 5 cups vegetable stock
• 1/4 cup lemon juice

Instructions:

1. Saute all the vegetables except the beets in the olive oil until they are tender.  Add the cooked beets, salt and pepper and the soup stock.  Bring the soup to a boil and cook for about another ten minutes. Cool slightly.  Puree the soup and add the lemon juice.
2. Serve the soup warm or cold with a dollop of sour cream or plain yogurt and chopped chives.
3. The intense red colour of the soup is a great choice for Christmas or Valentine’s Day.  Use heart or star cookie cutters to make floating pieces of toast form your favourite healthy bread.