Beet Soup with Chive-Flavored Sour Cream & Fried Garlic

To make the chive-flavored sour cream:
4 tbsp chives, chopped
1 cup sour cream
Freshly ground black pepper
- Combine all the ingredients in a bowl & set aside.

To make the fried garlic:
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp Kosher salt
2 tsp olive oil
- Over medium low heat, saute garlic in oil
- Add salt & continue to saute until golden crisp, stirring constantly.  Set aside.

To make the soup:
8 beets, steamed until soft & skins removed, chopped
8 carrots, chopped
1 onion, chopped
1 red potato, chopped (not pealed)
3 cloves garlic
2 tbsp lemon zest & the fresh juice squeezed from the entire lemon
4 cups broth or stock
4 tbsp turmeric
2 tbsp curry powder
Olive oil
Salt & pepper
- In a large Dutch oven over medium heat, saute the carrots, onion, potato and garlic until soft.
- Add beets and 1/2 the broth/stock.  Saute for approximately 20 mins.
- Puree mixture in a food processor with remaining broth/stock until smooth.  Add extra water if consistency is too thick.
- Add lemon zest, lemon juice, turmeric, curry, salt & pepper.
- Simmer & stir for 30 mins.
- Adjust seasoning as desired.

Top with chive-flavored sour cream and fried garlic.
Sprinkle with crumbled feta.