What to Make: Beetroot and Vanilla Sorbet

Beetroot and Vanilla Sorbet

The sweet, earthy beetroot flavour isn’t masked in this sorbet, rather it shines alongside the vanilla. It makes a refreshing and eye-catching dessert – with its vivid purple colour – a dinner party palate-cleanser, or lovely in a cone on a hot summer’s day. This sorbet is particularly easy to make in an ice-cream maker, but you can use a dish in the freezer if you don’t have one.

Serves 4-6

Ingredients
300g cooked beetroot (roasted, steamed or boiled)
150g caster sugar
100g water

Method

If using an ice-cream maker, freeze the bowl ahead of time, according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

Pur?e the beetroot with a hand blender until smooth, then set aside.

In a small saucepan over a medium-low heat, combine the sugar and water, stirring occasionally until completely dissolved. This could take about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and leave to cool slightly.

In a food processor, blend the cooled sugar syrup with the pur?ed beetroot, lemon juice and vanilla until smooth.

If using an ice-cream maker, pour the cooled mixture into the pre-frozen bowl of the ice-cream maker and churn until thick, according to the manufacturer’s instructions, then either serve immediately or pour into a freezer-safe dish to store in the freezer.

If not using an ice-cream maker, pour the cooled mixture into a large freezer-safe dish and freeze, mixing it well with a fork every half an hour over the next 4 hours. Transfer to the fridge for 15 minutes to soften before serving.

Extracted from Veggie Desserts + Cakes by Kate Hackworthy (Pavilion Books, approx €17). Photograph by Clare Winfield.