Luau Beet, Coconut, and Fennel Soup with Kefir

    Serves 3

    2 teaspoons sugar

    2 teaspoons water

1 tablespoon olive oil

½ cup chopped onion

½ cup chopped fennel bulb

¾ teaspoon fennel seeds

1 lime slice

1 large (2½- to 3-inch diameter) beets, peeled, cut into ½-inch cubes

1 maraschino cherry

1 cup low-salt chicken broth

3 fresh young coconuts (green skin cut away)

2 tablespoons canned unsweetened coconut milk

2 tablespoons light rum

½ cup unflavored kefir

2 tablespoons gold rum

4 teaspoons fresh lime juice

1 tablespoon pineapple juice

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1. Bring sugar and water to boil in small saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring until sugar dissolves.  Cool simple syrup.
2. Heat olive oil in large saucepan over medium heat.  Add chopped onion, chopped fennel, and fennel seeds.  Sauté until vegetables soften, about 5 minutes.  Add lime slice, cubed beets, and maraschino cherry, and stir to coat.  Add broth and bring to a boil.  Cover; reduce heat to medium-low.  Cook until beets are tender, 18 to 20 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, cut off top 2 inches of coconuts; reserve coconut water.
4. Puree soup in batches in blender.  Return to same saucepan.  Whisk in 2 tablespoons simple syrup, coconut milk, light rum, ½ cup unflavored kefir, gold rum, lime juice, pineapple juice, and ¼ vcup reserved coconut water, and season soup with salt and freshly ground black pepper.  Rewarm soup.
5. Ladle soup into coconuts, dividing equally.  Drizzle with additional unflavored kefir; garnish with fennel fronds.