Amazing Accidental Color-Changing Soup

[Evie Lynn]

This was a beet soup recipe we heavily altered from a low-fat cookbook.  They wanted all the steps done in the microwave, which wouldn’t have been nearly as fun.  It thankfully used up a bowl of leftover cooked beets and turned out pretty tasty.

The funny part was that this soup was purple (you know what color beets are – this was vivid beet purple) until we added the (not in recipe) can of black beans and left it to simmer. An hour later we came back to find the soup had turned a beautiful raspberry color (results not guaranteed).  It was very mysterious, but it was either the simmering, the potatoes or the black beans that did it.  Your guess is as good as mine.



Leftover Beet Soup
1 large onion, chopped
2-3 potatoes, chopped
1 tbsp olive oil
2 cups water
1 tsp ground cumin
2 cups cooked beets, diced
1 bay leaf
1 tsp lemon juice
A pinch of thyme
2 cups stock (vegetable) - subbed vegetable builion substitute and two cups water
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed

Heat onion, potato, olive oil and water until water boils, then lower to a simmer.  Wait until potatoes are cooked, then add the rest of the ingredients minus the black beans.  Cook ten minutes then add beans.  Serve whenever everything seems cooked (eh, soups I just play by ear).  Remove the bay leaf.  We waited 1 1/2 hours with it on low because dinner was ready too early, but it was done long before then.

[Alykins]

Hehe, funny that you say 'raspberry' colored because when I saw the thumbnail I was totally expecting a raspberry dish! 

Looks yummy! My guess would be the potatoes had to do with the color change. Perhaps they absorbed some of the purple beet color? Either way, I've bookmarked this for a future lunch :]

[EerieNoodles]

I thought it looked like some sort of strawberry/raspberry compote thingy too.
I've always wanted to try beet soup, maybe this will be the one since there's the possibility of a magic color change.

Thanks for including the recipe.

[mrsflibble]

It's the lemon that changed the colour. the colour in beets comes from Flavanoids called Anthrocyanins. these are amazing little natural chemicals which have an uncanny knack of changing colour like Litmus paper.

add acid and it goes pinkish. add alkali and it will go vivid green. try it if you have leftovers! add some bicarbonate of soda for fun!

this also works with blackcurrant, redcabbage, blackberries etc. fun for kids too, and nicely scientific!

[Goomba]

It's the lemon that changed the colour. the colour in beets comes from Flavanoids called Anthrocyanins. these are amazing little natural chemicals which have an uncanny knack of changing colour like Litmus paper.

add acid and it goes pinkish. add alkali and it will go vivid green. try it if you have leftovers! add some bicarbonate of soda for fun!

this also works with blackcurrant, redcabbage, blackberries etc. fun for kids too, and nicely scientific!

I think I love you.
took the science right out of my mouth