Boozy beetroot soup

Ingredients

6 medium-sized beetroot

1 tbsp olive oil

5 spring onions, white part only, sliced

1.5 litres/2½ pints vegetable stock

55ml/2fl oz vodka

½ lemon, juice only

1-2 tbsp crème fraîche, plus extra to serve

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Handful chopped fresh dill

Directions

1. Cover the beetroot with water and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 25-30 minutes, or until the beetroot is tender.
2. Drain, allow to cool slightly, then carefully peel and cut the beetroot into rough pieces.
3. Heat the oil in a large saucepan over a low heat and gently fry the spring onions for 4-5 minutes, or until translucent.
4. Blend the beetroot, spring onion and stock in a food processor until smooth. (Our blender is not big enough for all this, so I just used enough stock to make a smooth mixture and then transferred everything back into the saucepan.)
5. Add the vodka, lemon juice, crème fraîche, and season to taste. Stir until mixed.
6. The soup can be served hot or cold. Stir in a spoonful of crème fraîche and sprinkle the chopped dill over the top.