Serves 4
I had this delectable and unusual soup, made with ground beets, at Bar@Etats-Unis in New York a couple of years ago. The mixture contains pesto made from lots of herbs: fresh thyme, rosemary, parsley, and mint. More of the pesto garnishes the bowls.
| 8 | medium red beets, trimmed at both ends |
| Salt and pepper, to taste | |
| 3 | cups chicken stock |
| 1/4 | cup fresh thyme leaves |
| 2 | tablespoons rosemary leaves |
| 1 | cup flat-leaf parsley leaves |
| 1/2 | cup fresh mint leaves |
| 1 | clove garlic |
| About 2 tablespoons olive oil | |
| 1/2 | cup sour cream or creme fraiche (for serving) |
2. Drain the beets into a colander. Rinse under cold running water until cool enough to handle. Working over a plate, remove and discard the skins from the beets.
3. In a food processor, combine the beets with 1 cup of the stock, salt, and pepper. Work the beets until they are almost pureed but still have some texture. Transfer the mixture to a bowl. Add enough of the remaining stock to make a soup that is still quite thick. Cover and refrigerate until cool but not cold.
4. Rinse out the processor work bowl; dry with paper towels. Add the thyme, rosemary, parsley, and mint. With the machine running, drop in the garlic and pulse it just until it is chopped. Add 1 tablespoon of the olive oil, salt, and pepper. Add more oil, 1 teaspoon at a time, until the sauce comes together to form a loose paste.
5. Stir 1 tablespoon of the herb paste into the cool beet soup. Ladle the soup into cups, add a few drops of the herb paste to each bowl and garnish with sour cream or creme fraiche. Sheryl Julian 
