Summer Borscht Lower Fat Recipes

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.

SUMMER BEET BORSCHT (COLD SOUP)

Steps:

• 1. Preheat oven to 375. Line sheet pan with aluminum foil. Leave skin on beets lightly coat with olive oil. Roast for 30 minutes or longer until tender. After roasting, pull foil around beets to enclose, sit out to cool completely.
• 2. In large bowl whisk sour creams, yogurt, sugar, lemon juice, vinegar, salt and pepper. Peel cooled beets by rubbing the skins off or using paring knife(hint, use gloves for rubbing skins off to prevent staining of your hands.) Dice beets to 1/2 to 1 inch cubes. Add beets, cucumber, scallion and dill to soup mixture.
• 3. Cover with plastic wrap and chill at least 4 hours, overnight is better. Season with salt again if needed and serve cold with a dollop of sour cream and dill sprig.

SUMMA BORSCHT

Steps:

• Place diced potatoes into a large saucepan, and cover with water. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce heat, and simmer until potatoes are tender, about 25 minutes. Stir in the green onions, dill, and buttermilk; bring back to a simmer. Stir in the half-and-half before serving.

SUMMER BORSCHT

Steps:

• Fill a medium saucepan with water, and bring to a boil. Add beets, and boil until beets are fork-tender, about 45 minutes. Drain beets, reserving cooking water, and let stand until cool enough to handle. Rub off skins.
• Heat olive oil in a medium stockpot over medium heat. Add chopped onion and minced garlic, and saute until translucent, about 5 minutes.
• Coarsely chop 1 1/2 carrots, and add to stockpot. Add leek, salt, and pepper. Coarsely chop half of the dill, and add to stockpot. Cook until carrots are almost tender, about 10 minutes.
• Cut beets into 1-inch chunks, and add to stockpot. Add wine, 2 cups of the reserved cooking liquid, and chicken stock. Let simmer until broth is flavorful, about 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Remove the stockpot from heat, and transfer hot soup to a large bowl. Set bowl in ice-water bath to cool; skim off any fat.
• Using the small hole of a box grater, grate remaining 1/2 carrot and cucumber. Serve soup with a dollop of creme fraiche, garnished with grated carrot, grated cucumber, and remaining fresh dill. Give each serving a splash of red-wine vinegar, if desired.

BORSCHT

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.
• Put the vegetables and garlic on a large piece of heavy duty aluminum foil (or a doubled piece of regular), drizzle with olive oil, season with 1/2 teaspoon salt add the rosemary. Seal the foil to make a tight package. Put the package in a roasting pan. Roast until the beets can be pierced easily with a knife, about 1 to 1/2 hours. When the beets are cool enough to handle, peel them¿the skins should slide right off with a bit of pressure from your fingers. If they don't, use a paring knife to scrape off any bits that stick.
• Put 1/2 of the vegetables in a food processor with 1/2 of the broth and puree. Transfer the puree to a saucepan. Repeat with the remaining vegetables and broth. Stir in remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and season with pepper, and simmer over medium heat until the flavors come together, about 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the buttermilk and Worcestershire.
• Ladle Borscht into bowls and garnish with dill.

BEEF BORSCHT

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Place the bacon in a Dutch oven or stockpot and cook, stirring, over medium-high heat until the fat begins to render, about 3 minutes. Add the beef and cook, stirring, until brown on all sides, about 5 minutes. Remove the meat from the pan with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels.
• To the fat in the pan, add the onions and carrots, and stir to coat. Cook until soft, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic, oregano, dill seeds, and bay leaves and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add the red wine vinegar and stir to deglaze the pan. Return the meat to the pot and add the water, salt, and pepper and bring to boil. Reduce the heat and simmer partially covered until the beef is tender, about 2 hours.
• Meanwhile, place the beets on a baking sheet and brush with the oil. Roast until tender and can be pierced easily with a knife, about 1 hour. Remove from the oven and let sit until cool enough to handle. Trim the stem and root ends and remove the skins. Coarsely grate and set aside.
• When the meat is tender and falling apart, add the beets, potatoes, and cabbage. Simmer over low heat for another 30 minutes. Season with additional red wine vinegar, salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste.
• Ladle borscht into bowls and garnish with a dollop of sour cream and pinch of fresh dill.

BORSCHT

Steps:

• In a large saucepan, cover the beets with cold water by l inch. Stir in 1/4 cup of the vinegar and 2 tablespoons salt. Bring to a boil, lower the heat, and simmer, covered, until very tender, about 30 minutes. Drain, cool, and peel the beets. Dice the beets and set aside.
• Heat the butter in a large pot over medium heat. Add the celery, leeks, garlic, and caraway seeds and cook, covered, stirring occasionally, until soft, about 8 minutes. Add the cabbage and cook, stirring, until wilted, about 3 minutes.
• Tie the parsley sprigs, thyme, and bay leaf together with a piece of kitchen twine and add to the pot with the beets, tomatoes, and broth. Bring to a boil, lower the heat, and simmer, covered, for 10 minutes to bring the flavors together.
• Stir in the remaining 3 tablespoons vinegar and the remaining 2 teaspoons salt. Season with pepper to taste. To serve divide among warm soup bowls, top with dollops of the sour cream and sprinkle with the dill. Serve with additional vinegar at the table.

SUMMER BORSCHT (LOWER FAT)

Steps:

• Place the beets in a pressure cooker and cover with water.
• Cook until the beets are tender, about 18 minutes.
• Remove the beets and cool. Once cooled, peel the beets and dice .
• Cool and retain the cooking liquid. Strain the cooking liquid.
• Melt butter in a saute pan with the olive oil. Add the carrots and one onion, and saute until onion is soft. Remove from heat and allow to cool.
• In a large bowl, whisk together 3 cups of the beet cooking liquid, the beef stock, sour cream, yogurt, sugar, vinegar, 1 tablespoon salt, and the pepper.
• Add the diced beets, cucumber, scallions, onion, carrots, and dill to the soup.
• Cover and chill for at least 4 hours.
• Season to taste, and serve cold, possibly with a dollop of sour cream and an extra sprig of dill.