Chilled Green Borscht Recipes

GREEN BORSCHT

Steps:

• In a pot add the pork ribs along with salt and pepper and the bay leaves. Ad water up to 60% of the pot. Bring to a boil, then lower to a simmer and cover with a lid for one hour.
• Add in the potatoes and bring back up to a boil. Let cook for 10 minutes.
• While the potatoes are cooking quickly fry some grated onion and carrot in a pan with a bit of oil. Add to the borscht and give everything a stir. Also chop up the hard boiled eggs and add that in.
• In a small bowl beat together an egg and the sour cream. Swirl the pot of boiling borscht and slowly pour in the egg mixture so it cooks immediately as it hits the soup.
• Turn off the heat and add in the chopped sorrel. Give everything a good stir and let sit for a few minutes before serving. Taste for salt and pepper and adjust as needed.

COLD RUSSIAN BORSCHT

Steps:

• Remove stems and leaves from beets, but leave on skins. In a deep pot, cover beets with cold water and bring to a boil. Boil until fork tender, about 40 minutes.
• Drain beets, but reserve two cups of the liquid. Strain the liquid and add to a large saucepan. Remove skin from beets. Grate beets through coarsest blade of grater. Add to beet liquid. Add beef broth, onion, salt, pepper and vinegar. Bring to a boil, and then cover and reduce heat to low. Simmer for 20 minutes, then remove from the heat.
• Chill in refrigerator for one hour, or until cold before serving. Ladle into bowls and top each serving with cucumber and a big spoonful of sour cream.

SPRING GREENS BORSCHT

Steps:

• Fill a large pot about 3/4 full with water; bring to a boil. Add diced potatoes and cook until fork-tender, 8 to 10 minutes. Stir in green onions and cook another 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in spinach and sorrel; cook another 2 to 3 minutes, or until wilted; remove from heat.
• Pour the beaten eggs into the mixture in a slow and steady stream, stirring constantly, until the soup thickens. Season with salt, sugar, and vinegar to get a slightly sweet and tangy taste. Pour soup into a large bowl; allow soup to cool before transferring to the refrigerator to chill completely.
• Garnish with any combination of cucumber, chopped egg, sour cream, and dill.

CHILLED GREEN BORSCHT

Steps:

• For the stock, wash the leeks by trimming their ends, slicing them lengthwise in quarters and separating and rinsing each layer under cold water. Put them in a large pot along with the other ingredients, cover with 6 quarts of water and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 2 1/2 hours, until only a 1/2 gallon of liquid remains. Remove from the heat, strain and discard the solids.
• For the soup, melt the butter in a large pan. Wash the leeks thoroughly; trim so only the white part remains; julienne and soften them in a large pot over medium-low heat, stirring, about 5 minutes. Stir in the potatoes and cook for 5 minutes. Add the beets and continue to cook, stirring, 5 minutes; then add the lima beans and cook 5 minutes more.
• Add the zucchini, lettuce, sorrel and beet greens, cover with the stock and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, add 1/2 cup of the pickle juice and simmer until the potatoes are tender. Add 1/8 cup of the dill and cool in the refrigerator. Before serving, stir in the remaining 1/2 cup of pickle juice, the vinegar, salt, pepper and remaining dill. Serve chilled with a dollop of sour cream in each bowl. (The borscht can be made several days ahead.)

SUMMER BORSCHT

Steps:

• Place the beets in a large pot of boiling salted water and cook uncovered until the beets are tender, 30 to 40 minutes. Remove the beets to a bowl with a slotted spoon and set aside to cool. Strain the cooking liquid through a fine sieve and also set aside to cool.
• In a large bowl, whisk together 1 1/2 cups of the beet cooking liquid, the chicken stock, sour cream, yogurt, sugar, lemon juice, vinegar, 1 tablespoon salt, and the pepper. Peel the cooled beets with a small paring knife or rub the skins off with your hands. Cut the beets in small to medium dice. Add the beets, cucumber, scallions, and dill to the soup. Cover with plastic wrap and chill for at least 4 hours or overnight. Season, to taste, and serve cold with a dollop of sour cream and an extra sprig of fresh dill.