A month or so ago I promised an updated beetroot soup and it has finally made its way from the shop shelves to my kitchen, via a brief stay in the fridge, before being cooked and enjoyed. I took a few photos along the way to show the journey.
This coconut and beetroot soup turned out to be a lovely surprise. The first version didn’t work, so I stripped it back, focused on the core flavours and reworked it until everything fell into place. The result is much brighter, balanced and more confident than the original.
The flavour profile leans toward Caribbean influences — with thyme, coconut milk, shallots, garlic, ginger and a scotch bonnet — but I hesitate to label it strictly Caribbean since beetroot is the dominant flavour and I’m not certain how commonly it’s used in that cuisine. Whatever you call it, the combination works well.
Before we get to the recipe, a quick note about the soup’s colour: it’s vivid and hard to describe. It’s lighter than raw beetroot’s burgundy but more striking than a deep maroon — a rich, warm fuchsia that leans into magenta and crimson. The pigment is so intense it can stain surfaces, so be mindful while cooking.
They often advise keeping things simple, and while this recipe borrows influences, it remains straightforward. It’s a semi-Caribbean–inspired British soup with bold, jewel-toned colour and a comforting, spicy-coconut flavour. Most importantly, it tastes great.
Spicy coconut and beetroot soup
By Gavin Wren
Serves 4
, plus beetroot cooling time
Uses 1 roasting tin and 1 pot
Ingredients
750g raw, trimmed beetroot
1 teaspoon vegetable or groundnut oil
2 sprigs thyme
1 tablespoon vegetable or groundnut oil
2 banana shallots, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, crushed
1/2 tablespoon ginger, finely chopped
4 small carrots, peeled and roughly chopped
4 sprigs thyme, tied together
1 whole scotch bonnet, pierced twice with the point of a knife
400ml vegetable stock
1 tin coconut milk
To serve:
15–20g dried coconut flakes
How to trim beetroot
If you buy whole beetroot with leaves, trim the leaves but leave about 1 inch of stalk and keep the root end intact. This helps the beetroot retain more of its colour during roasting.
Directions
Preheat your oven to Gas Mark 5, 375ºF, 191ºC (171ºC fan).
Place the trimmed beetroots in a deep roasting tin with 2 sprigs of thyme. Toss them with the teaspoon of oil to coat lightly, cover the tin with foil and roast for 1 hour. Remove from the oven to cool. Cut off the stalks and root, then slip off the skins — the skin should slide off if you squeeze the beets gently. Chop into 1cm chunks.
Heat the tablespoon of oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the shallots, garlic and ginger and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened. Add the carrots, stock, the tied thyme sprigs and the scotch bonnet. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes. Add the roasted beetroot and the coconut milk, then simmer for a further 10 minutes.
While the soup simmers, toast the coconut flakes in a frying pan over medium heat, stirring until they are golden brown. Remove from the heat and set aside.
Remove the thyme sprigs and the scotch bonnet from the soup. Purée the soup until smooth using a blender or stick blender. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed, then ladle into bowls and finish with the toasted coconut flakes.