Chilled Beet Soup

This is a wonderful recipe for hot summer days!. Got this off a www.finecooking.com a wonderful recipe website. Made a little variation from the original since it includes horseradish and I'm not a fan of horseradish. My mother and my grandmother absolutely love this recipe and it keeps for up to five days in the refrigerator. If you love soup creams, orange and sweet beet flavors this is a keeper!

• Ready In: 2 hrs
• Serves: 6

Ingredients

• 4 -5  medium beets, well scrubbed
• 4  garlic cloves
• 3  orange zest, 3 inches long
• 3  fresh thyme sprigs
• 2  tablespoons olive oil
• 2 1⁄2 cups canned chicken broth
• 2  teaspoons honey
• 1⁄3 cup  fresh orange juice
• 2  tablespoons red wine vinegar
•  salt & freshly ground black pepper
• 6  teaspoons sour cream, for garnish

Directions

1. Heat the oven to 375°F Put the beets and garlic on a large sheet of aluminum foil. Scatter on the orange zest and thyme, season with salt and pepper, and drizzle with the olive oil. Fold up the sides of the foil and crimp to make a tight packet. Put over a baking sheet and get it into an oven for 1 hour.
2. Open the packet and check the beets for tenderness by piercing each beet with the tip of a sharp knife and set aside for 20 minutes. If the beets are hard after piercing, continue baking until tender.
3. Using a tough paper towel, rub the skin off the beets using both hands and cut them into chunks. Peel the baked garlic cloves and discard the thyme springs and the orange zest, saving any juices in the foil.
4. Drop one third of the beet chunks, the garlic, and any juice collected in the foil, some of the honey and chicken broth. Enough to make a smooth puree while blending. Transfer to a soup container. I recommend doing this part in batches, so the puree can blend better.
5. When you are done pureeing, add the orange juice and red wine vinegar, and stir. Also, season to taste with salt and pepper. I like this soup a little tangy so I add a little more of the red wine vinegar.
6. Refrigerate the soup for at least 4 hours or until really chilly, serve in soup bowls or cups with 1 tsp of sour cream and ENJOY!