After my cake fest of the last couple of weeks, this week I have tried to reign in the cravings, and up the fruit and vegetable intake. I don’t ‘do’ diets. There is nothing like the lure of the forbidden to make me want something even more. I must be related to Eve!! Instead, I try to make choices that don’t feel like a sacrifice, and that sustain me without leading to hunger pangs.
One of the snippets of wisdom that i have found useful over the years, is that thirst is often mistaken for hunger. However, I do not seem able to glug the ‘2 litres of water a day’ that seems to be the mantra of every health tipster.(Maybe if it was wine I would give it a try) Instead, I look for alternative ways of upping the fluid intake to keep the hunger pangs and the cravings at bay.
One of my fast fix solutions to drop a few pounds quickly is to have soup for lunch. It’s quick to make. filling, and full of water. This week I re-visted an old favourite, which is my twist on Borscht. The preparation time for this dish is about 2 minutes, hardly a chore, even for the most committed sofa sloth.
INGREDIENTS
- 1 packet organic cooked beetroot (250g) roughly chopped
- 250g approx plain yoghurt
- Dessertspoon shallots (i use the pre-chopped frozen ones from the freezer)
- 1/2 tsp ground cumin (or to taste)
- 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper (or to taste)
- juice of 1/2 lime
- dollop of yoghurt and chives to serve
Mix ingredients then blitz in liquidizer or with a stick blender.
Spicy Beetroot Soup
The resulting soup has an almost smooth as velvet texture, and the spices gently compliment the earthy sweetness of the beets. The bonus is that it is virtually fat-free, without even giving the slightest impression of dietary restraint. I have successfully served this ‘pink soup’ to my little ones, (minus the cumin and cayenne). I don’t know if it is the colour or the sweetness of the beetroot, but they love it.
Garnish with a dollop of yoghurt and chives
The flavours of the spices intensify if you leave this in the fridge overnight and it can be served hot or cold. Take your pick…
Mummyinahurry's Blog 
Ah, see, I don’t do diets either – I’m the same, tell me I can’t (or shouldn’t) have something and it suddenly becomes the most tempting thing in the world. Even if I didn’t really want it in the first place! The soup looks great, I love beetroot but hardly ever have it. I really will have to try this 🙂
A-haaaa, a blog post in which you are not making my ever increasing backside even bigger ; )
Great recipe and easy peasy too – just how I like them! I bet this will be lovely served cold in Summer x
That soup looks amazing but not a fan of beetroot so don’t know if i would be able to eat it.
Let me know something else you might like, and I will whip one up just for you. Was thinking of a roasted carrot and butternut this week. Would that work for you? 😉