Olgas Borscht Beet Soup Recipes

GOLDEN BEET SOUP

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a dutch oven or a heavy bottomed large pot. Add the leeks, season with salt and cook for about 3 minutes, until they are tender.
• Add the carrots, celery and garlic. Season with salt and pepper and cook for another 3-5 minutes, until the carrots have softened.
• Add the beets, season with salt and pepper, cook for another 3-5 minutes, until they are starting to soften. Pour in 1 cup of chicken broth, bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer and cook, covered for 10-15 minutes, until the beets have softened even more. Since they take a lot longer than the potatoes to cook through, this will give them a head start in cooking, so they finish cooking at the same time. The broth should mostly become absorbed by all the vegetables.
• Pour in the remaining 5 cups of broth and the water. Adjust the amount of water depending on how thick/thin you like your soup to be. Bring to a boil.
• Add the potatoes, reduce to a simmer and cook the soup for about 5-7 minutes.
• Add the bell pepper and continue cooking just until the potatoes and beets are both cooked through.
• Add the zucchini and cook for 3-5 minutes.
• Garnish the soup with fresh herbs. You can also serve the soup with sour cream, just like traditional Borsch. If you're not serving the soup with sour cream, it might be a good idea to add a Tablespoon or two of freshly squeezed lemon juice at the end, for a bright note of acidity.
• Leftovers reheat really well, so make sure to make a big pot and you can enjoy it two days in a row, or make it in advance for a a convenient and very nutritious meal to serve to your family or guests.

BEET BORSCHT

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.

OLGA'S BORSCHT (BEET SOUP)

Steps:

• Heat oil in a stock pot over medium-high heat. Add cabbage, carrots, potatoes, onion and garlic, and cook for 5 minutes or until vegetables are beginning to soften, stirring often. Add vegetable stock, tomatoes and juice, beets, beet tops, salt, cloves, bay leaf and sugar. Bring to a quick simmer, reduce heat to low, cover and simmer gently for 45-60 minutes, stirring occasionally, until beets are very tender. Remove from heat and discard bay leaf. Using caution, puree 3 cups of soup in a blender until smooth, 1 cup at at time, placing puree in a separate bowl. Add puree to remaining soup in pot and stir well to incorporate. Reheat soup just until steaming hot and do not allow to boil. Remove from heat, add dill, lemon juice/zest, salt and pepper to taste, and stir well to blend. Ladle soup into warmed bowls, top with a generous dollop of sour cream sprinkled with dill and lemon zest. Notes: - recipe may be easily halved - soup freezes well and keeps 3 months - fresh spinach may be used in lieu of beet tops - requires considerable chopping time, so best to prep all veggies prior to beginning cooking process