Beetroot and Cumin Soup with Spiced Yoghurt

I'm on the fence. On the one hand, beetroot soup is something I've wanted to make for a long time; on the other hand, I've had a few issues with the instructions, as well some minor points of critique.

To begin with, timing was off. Cooking time for the beetroot was given as 20-30 minutes, while in reality it was more like 40-50 minutes (and I've never seen a beetroot cook quicker than that).

Then the spices. According to the instructions you should toast them and then add them to the yoghurt. I had difficulties imagining uncrushed coriander seeds in the yoghurt and crushed them, then sieved them into the yoghurt and then decided to add some of the leftover spices anyway because otherwise I wouldn't be adding any of the cumin and caraway. In the end, the coriander, cumin and caraway seeds were noticeable, and yes sometimes they tasted like they shouldn't belong there, but it wasn't as bad as I had expected. You could use ground spices instead, problem solved. And in my personal opinion you can actually also use a little more of them.

Last, remember to season the soup. Beetroot is very sweet, and while that can be very delicious it can be reassuring to know that you're not actually having a soup as dessert.

Serves 2 1/2 as a main dish, with bread on the side.

The recipe is online here.