Basic Beet Borscht Recipes

Steps:

• Combine beets and vinegar in a small frying pan over low heat. Cook, while stirring, until soft, about 15 minutes.
• Heat oil in a large frying pan over low heat while beets are cooking. Add onion and stir for 2 minutes. Add carrots and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft, about 10 minutes. Set aside.
• In the meantime, bring water to a simmer in a large saucepan. Add cabbage and lentils. Cook for 10 minutes. Add potatoes and cook for 10 minutes more. Stir in cooked beets and onion-carrot mixture. Season with salt and pepper. Add tomato paste and simmer until all vegetables are tender, about 10 minutes more. Serve with sour cream and dill.

Steps:

• Cook beef shank in a large soup pot over high heat until browned, about 3 minutes per side; add water, onion, carrots, celery, and bay leaf to the pot, bring to a simmer and cook until meat is tender and falling off the bone, about 4 hours. Strain broth and discard solids.
• Combine beef broth, beets, and cabbage in a large soup pot; cook, stirring occasionally, until beets are tender, about 30 minutes. Reduce heat to low; add vinegar, salt, and black pepper.
• Serve garnished with sour cream and dill.

Steps:

• In a saucepan, bring the beets, carrots, onion, water and salt to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 20 minutes. Add broth, cabbage and butter; simmer, uncovered, for 15 minutes. Just before serving, stir in lemon juice. If desired, top each serving with sour cream and chives or dill.

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400˚. Scrub the beets and put them on a large piece of foil; season with salt and pepper, add 3 thyme sprigs and drizzle with 3 tablespoons olive oil. Bake until the beets are tender, about 1 hour. When the beets are cool enough to handle but still warm, slip off their skins and chop them into large chunks.
• Bring the chicken stock to a gentle simmer in a saucepan over medium-low heat. Meanwhile, heat the remaining 3 tablespoons olive oil in a large heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat. Add the onion, carrots, garlic and remaining 3 thyme sprigs and cook, stirring, until softened and just starting to color, about 10 minutes.
• Add the warm chicken stock to the vegetables in the pot and simmer until the vegetables are tender, about 20 minutes. Remove the thyme sprigs. Put the chopped beets in a blender and add the cooked vegetables and stock. Blend until smooth, adding more stock if the puree is too thick. Add the vinegar and honey; season with salt and pepper. Blend again to incorporate the flavors. (The borscht can be served hot or cold; for a chilled soup, transfer to a bowl and refrigerate until cold.)
• To make the garnish, grate the apple on the large holes of a box grater into a medium bowl; mix in the dill. Ladle the soup into bowls and swirl in a big dollop of sour cream. Top with the apple-dill mixture.

Steps:

• Cut off beet greens from the beets but leave about an inch or two of the tops on the beets.
• **Option:mince removed beet tops to add later.
• Scrub the beets well.
• In a large pot, add beets and cover with cold water (about 3/4 full).
• Bring the water to a boil and boil this for about 15-25 minutes until the beets are cooked.
• Remove the beets from the water; save the water from the beets ("beetjuice").
• Remove the skins from the beets.
• Strain the"beet juice" (through a cheese cloth lined sieve) into a pot.
• Peel and grate the onion.
• Grate the beets (can use food processor for grating onion and beets).
• Put the grated onion and beets into the pot with the strained beet juice.
• **Option:you can add the finely chopped/minced beet tops, if you want to use them.
• Bring all to a quick boil.
• Add the salt, lemon juice, pepper (optional), and honey (optional), simmer until the honey has dissolved and all is well heated.
• Serve, garnished with a dollop of sour cream (optional).

Steps:

• Heat oven to 400 degrees F.
• Scrub the beets and put them on a large piece of aluminum foil; season with salt and pepper, add 3 thyme sprigs, and drizzle with 3 tablespoons olive oil. Bake until the beets are tender, about 1 hour. Set aside. When the beets are cool enough to handle but still warm, slip off their skins, and chop them into large chunks.
• In a large heavy bottomed pot over medium heat, add the remaining 3 tablespoons olive oil. Put in the onion, carrots, garlic, and remaining 3 thyme sprigs and cook until softened and just starting to color, about 10 minutes. Add the chicken stock and simmer until the vegetables are tender, about 20 minutes. Remove the thyme sprigs. Put the chopped beets into a blender and add the cooked vegetables and most of the stock. Blend until smooth, add more stock if the puree is too thick. Add the vinegar and honey; season with salt and pepper. Blend again to incorporate flavors. Borscht can be served hot or cold.
• To make the garnish, grate the apple on the large holes of a box grater and mix in the dill. Serve in bowls, garnished with a big dollop of sour cream and topped with the apple and dill mixture.

Steps:

• Heat oil in heavy large pot over medium-high heat. Add potatoes, cabbage and onion and sauté until cabbage softens, about 5 minutes. Add 8 cups broth, beets and tomatoes. Bring soup to boil. Reduce heat and simmer until vegetables are tender, about 30 minutes.
• Working in small batches, puree 4 cups of soup in blender; return to remaining soup in pot. If desired, add more broth by 1/2 cupfuls to thin soup. Add lemon juice; season with salt and pepper.
• Ladle soup into bowls. Top with dollop of sour cream; sprinkle with parsley. Serve, passing lemon wedges separately.

Steps:

• Place the dried mushrooms in a medium bowl and pour in enough water to cover. Let soak for 20-30 minutes, or until the mushrooms are soft and plumped. Working over the bowl, squeeze any excess water from the mushrooms. Reserve the soaking liquid, and chop the mushrooms into bite-size pieces. Set aside.
• Trim and peel the beets, then grate on the large holes of a box grater. You should have about 8 cups grated beets. Set aside.
• Make a bouquet garni: Place the peppercorns, allspice, garlic, and bay leaves on a double-layer square of cheesecloth. Tie the ends of the cheesecloth around the spices and set aside.
• In a large pot, heat the canola oil over medium heat. Add the leeks, onion, and celery. Season with salt and cook until the vegetables have softened, 5-8 minutes.
• Add the water, grated beets, chopped mushrooms and reserved soaking liquid, and the bouquet garni. Bring to a boil then lower the heat and simmer for 20-30 minutes, or until the beets are tender.
• Add the potato and season with a pinch of salt. Cook until potatoes are tender, 10-15 minutes, then add the carrots and cook until tender, 10 minutes more.
• Add the tomatoes, tomato sauce, and pickled beets. Cook for another 10 minutes, or until all of the vegetables are tender. Stir in the dill, then remove the pot from the heat.
• Ladle the borscht into bowls. Garnish with dill and serve with rye bread and sour cream, if using.
• Enjoy!

Steps:

• Place the first six ingredients in a large soup kettle or Dutch oven; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 1-1/2 hours or until beef is tender. Meanwhile, in a skillet, saute beets in 1 tablespoon oil for 3 minutes. stir in vinegar; set aside. Remove beef with a slotted spoon; cool. Remove meat from the bones; discard bones. Cut meat into chunks; set aside. strain broth, discarding peppercorns and bay leaves. Skim fat. Add enough water to broth to measure 6 cups; return to kettle. Add potatoes, carrots, cabbage, parsley and beets. Bring to a boil., In a skillet, saute onion in remaining oil for 5-7 minutes or until tender. Sprinkle with flour; stir until blended. Whisk into soup. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 30 minutes or until vegetables are tender. add tomatoes. process soup in small batches in a blender or food processor; pour into a large saucepan. Add beef; heat through. Garnish with sour cream.