Season with salt and pepper, or cayenne if it needs more heat. Serve with sour cream, grated cheese, or both. Makes 8 servings. The beets create a lovely color, while adding an additional element to regular chicken soup. In fact, you may use this recipe as a base for chicken soup, substituting more carrots or potatoes, or substituting celery for the beets.
Turnips are also yummy.
In an 8-quart pot, melt the butter or heat the oil and saute the garlic until fragrant, about 3 minutes. Add the chicken, onions, tomatoes, water, lemon juice and wine. Bring to a boil, then turn the heat down and simmer, covered, for 30 minutes. Add the beets, carrots, rosemary, sage, pepper and salt. Simmer the soup, covered, for an additional 2 hours.