Those of you whose only experience with borscht is as a cold magenta liquid, perhaps served with a single boiled potato, think again! This version of borscht (there are many variations) hails from Russia & the Ukraine (the former is more the Polish/Yiddish variety), and is more like a hearty stew than a gazpacho. It’s still very much peasant food, though – and immensely nutritious and satisfying. Perfect for snowy winter nights! It’s also vegetarian, and even vegan if you skip the dollop of sour cream at the end, or use a non-dairy version of the sour cream.
In the interest of being extra-frugal, I recommend that you resourcefully save the beet greens, saute them in a little olive oil, and serve them with a dash of sherry vinegar alongside the steaming bowls of borscht. A recipe (if you could even call it that, it’s so simple) follows the borscht recipe.
Na Zdorov’ye! (Vodka optional.)
VEGETARIAN BORSCHT
8 cups vegetable broth, divided
1 large onion, chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped
1 carrot, shredded
1 green pepper, chopped
2-3 cups cabbage, shredded (approx 1/2 medium cabbage)
2 beets, shredded
1 Granny Smith apple, diced
1 russset or Yukon Gold potato, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
6 ounces tomato paste
1 bay leaf
1/2 tablespoon sweet paprika
1 teaspoon sugar
salt and pepper to taste
2 tablespoons lemon juice (or more to taste)
fresh dill and sour cream
Saute onion, celery, carrot, and green pepper in about 1/2 cup of the broth over medium heat until softened, 5-6 minutes. Add cabbage and beets and continue cooking, stirring occasionally, for another 10 minutes. Stir in tomato paste and garlic, incorporating fully, then add the remaining broth, apple, potato, and bay leaf, raising heat to a boil. Reduce to simmer, cover, and cook for 20 minutes.
Add the paprika, sugar, salt and pepper to taste, then cover again and cook over as low a heat as you can manage for at least another hour; two if possible. Serve with a generous dollop of sour cream (unless you’re vegan) and a good sprinkling of fresh dill (don’t skip the dill, even if you omit the sour cream!).
SAUTEED BEET GREENS
Reserved greens, washed, de-stemmed, and torn into approx 3-inch pieces
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 small onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon sherry (or red wine) vinegar
Heat oil in large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and garlic and cook for 2-3 minutes, until softening. Add greens to skillet and saute until greens are wilting and tender (not too long). Toss with vinegar and serve with a bit of salt and pepper if desired.
– posted by Anne
