RECIPE | This cold beetroot soup will bring soul to your hot afternoons

The Maslow Sandton has been treated to culinary delights since new executive chef Ofentse Morake joined at the beginning of August. We joined him recently for an al fresco lunch on the lush lawns of the hotel and loved his take on beetroot soup — cold, layered with flavour, with rich spices laced through the soup and a touch of freshness.

His approach is to source fresh and seasonal ingredients and to prepare them in interesting ways. As he says, “A good meal must engage the senses — from the eyes to the smell and taste.”

That’s exactly what he’s done with the humble beetroot. We asked him for his recipe and share it with you here. Grab the red root vegetable and give his recipe a try before high summer hits and it goes out of season. It’s best served cold to relish on a hot afternoon.

CHEF OFENTSE MORAKE’S BEETROOT SOUP

Serves: 6

Ingredients:

3-4 medium beetroots (about 500-600g) diced

1 Granny Smith apple (cored and peeled)

1 clove garlic, chopped roughly

1 English cucumber, peeled and finely chopped

2 tbsp olive oil

Drizzle of honey

200ml good, light vegetable stock

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 tsp each of toasted cumin, coriander, chilli flakes and fennel seed

100ml cloudy apple juice, freshly squeezed

½ lemon

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 190 °C
2. Place the beets, olive oil, spices and a drizzle of honey in an ovenproof dish
3. Throw over the garlic and drizzle over half the olive oil
4. Roast for 25-30 minutes in the oven until soft and pulpy and allow to cool
5. Transfer the beets to a blender and add the apple, stock, juice and cucumber
6. Season lightly with salt and freshly ground black pepper and blend until a smooth and creamy consistency is reached. Check seasoning and adjust if required before adding a squeeze of lemon juice and serving cold in a bowl.

Serve topped with a dollop of lavender yoghurt and garnished with fresh mint.

CHRISTMAS LUNCH AT THE MASLOW SANDTON

For those who find themselves in Joburg over Christmas, The Maslow in Sandton will be hosting a Christmas lunch at Lacuna Bistro prepared by chef Morake who will be joined by new food and beverage manager Mongezi Radebe. The pair will be serving up a buffet, complete with welcome drinks, salads, roasts, seafood and a Christmas-inspired dessert spread.

The lunch will be served from noon and will cost R650 for adults and R350 for children. For bookings, call 010-226-4815 or email lacuna.bistro@suninternational.com.