1. Preheat over to 350F. Place beets in baking dish and cover the bottom of the dish with ½ inch of water. Cover and bake until tender – approx. 45 minutes.
2. Once beets are ready, melt coconut oil in large pot over medium heat.
3. Add shallots and garlic - cook for 3 minutes – stirring frequently.
4. For the remainder of the lemongrass that is inedible (outer leaves and upper portion), you can bruise/pound them with a mortar to release the oils and add to the soup whole for extra flavour.
5. Add the beets and the rest of the ingredients, except for the cilantro.
6. Simmer until heated throughout.
7. Serve in bowls and garnish with cilantro.

**If you prefer a pureed soup – you can use an immersion blender to blend

until smooth. (Just remove the bruised lemongrass first)

**Lemon zest can be substituted for lemongrass (zest of ½ lemon = 1 stalk of lemongrass).