Covid struck and knocked Dorothy and me out for a few weeks. Dorothy’s fine,
now, and I’m not too far behind in getting healthy again. We both had lost our
appetites, but a home delivery of fresh produce a few days ago—a bag filled with
with fresh beets, carrots, and onion—made me want to make a steaming hot pot
of borscht, just like my Russian Georgian Baba made.
Borscht, a soup that has many spellings, is a classic bright red beet soup.
Borscht’s long history includes many Eastern European cultures, each claiming
the soup as its own creation. Basically a sweet-sour soup, borscht can also have a
life in the summer, served chilled. But hot is the only way I’ve eaten it. Including
in Hawai’i!
This soup is really packed with vegetables that you add
sequentially so that each cooks to its best texture. I begin by cooking the beets.
My favorite method is wrapping them in foil and baking them. While
the beets bake, I prep the other vegetables so they’ll be all ready to add to the
soup when their time comes. When the beets are cool enough to handle, I remove
the peel with my fingers.
Here’s the way I make this soup. The full recipe follows.
Here’s the recipe. Cook happy!
Georgian Borscht
Makes 6 hearty servings
6 medium size beets (2 pounds total)
1 large leek (about 1 pound)
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium yellow onions (about 8 ounces), peeled and chopped
2 large carrots (8 ounces), peeled, cut in half lengthwise, and thinly sliced
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
2 red-skinned boiling potatoes (3/4 to1 pound total), peeled and cut into 3/4-inch
cubes
4 small sweet peppers, mixed color, (about 1/2 pound total), cored, seeded, and cut
into 1/2-inch pieces
1 1/2 quarts beef, chicken, or vegetable broth
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 cups shredded green cabbage (about 1/2 pound)
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice, plus more if needed
Sour cream or unflavored yogurt, for garnish
Fresh parsley or dill sprigs, for garnish
1. Wash the beets and wrap them tightly in heavy-duty aluminum foil. Set them
on a baking sheet and bake in the center of a preheated 375 degree oven for
about 1 1/2 hours, or until tender when pierced with a sharp knife. Cool the beets
in the foil. When cool enough to handle them, peel the beets and cut them into
1/2-inch cubes.
2. Split the leek lengthwise and rinse under cool running tap water to wash
away the dirt. Shake off excess water and pat the leek dry. Thinly slice the white
part and about 1 inch of the tender green portion. Save the dark green portion to
use in stock.
3. The best vessel for this soup is a 5- to 6-quart stainless steel sauté pan. This is
a pan with high straight sides and a 12-inch-wide cooking base that is ideal for
tossing and turning food. I find stock pots or Dutch ovens too confining. But use
any large, heavy pan that you have.
Add the oil to the pan set over medium heat. When hot, add the beets and cook
them for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until they begin to brown a bit.
Add the leek and onion and stir and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring
occasionally. Add the carrots and garlic and cook about 5 minutes, stirring
occasionally.
4. Toss in the potatoes, stir well and cook for 2 minutes. Add the peppers
and cook another 2 minutes. Add the broth and salt and pepper to taste. If your
broth is unsalted, about 1 1/2 teaspoons salt should be enough. Bring the soup to
the boil, uncovered, over medium-high heat. Stir in the cabbage and bring borscht
back to the boil.
5. Reduce the heat and simmer the borscht, uncovered, until the cabbage and
potatoes are tender, about 20 minutes. Stir in the lemon juice. Adjust the
seasoning carefully with salt, pepper and lemon juice. You can make the soup
ahead and reheat it slowly until piping hot before serving.
6. To serve, ladle the soup — it will be thick with vegetables — into warmed
bowls and place a dollop of sour cream or yogurt in the center. Garnish with the
parsley or dill. Before eating, swirl the sour cream or yogurt into the soup.
Accompany with crusty bread of your choice.
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I have been making your recipe for borscht from one of your cookbooks for many, many years. I made a LARGE pot for us in early October. Your original recipe called for a can of diced tomatoes or for 2 cups of fresh tomatoes but your newer recipe omits the tomatoes. I made it without the tomatoes and after tasting the first few spoonfuls felt like something was missing so I went back and looked at the old recipe and saw the tomatoes. I added a can of tomatoes to the soup left in the pot and then it tasted right to me. It is one of our favorite fall soups. I had gotten all the veggies for it at the last farmers' market of the fall.
I love borsch! 💛 Interesting that you cut carrots and beetroot. I always grate it and never saw it cut like that. Wondering if it makes difference for the taste.