Creamy Beet Borscht

Borscht is a vegetable soup from Eastern Europe that is now enjoyed throughout the world. Any variety of vegetables can be used, but beets are essential. My friend Mike has been requesting a homemade borscht soup for a long time now. It was an especially good time to fulfill his wish as beets are currently in season and also one of my current favorites. I've come across a few recipes that I've liked but this creamy beet borscht seems to have the perfect balance of flavors. It turned out to be a success. I served it hot, but it can also be chilled and served cold if desired.

For best results, make the soup the day before and add bits of chopped mushrooms to the pot just before reheating it at a low temperature.

Creamy Beet Borscht

Recipe by Lisa Turner Cuisine: Eastern European Published on November 5, 2007 Simple, creamy beet and vegetable borscht with sour cream and fresh dill Preparation: 20 minutes Cooking time: 45 to 55 minutes Print this recipe Ingredients: 2 tablespoons olive oil or butter 1 large onion, chopped 2 cloves garlic, minced or crushed 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar 6 medium beets (1 1/2 lbs or 675 g), peeled and chopped 3 medium tomatoes, chopped 1 small turnip, chopped 1 large potato, chopped 2 jalapeños, seeded and finely chopped 1 large carrot, chopped 2 bay leaves juice from 1 lemon (3 tablespoons) 6 cups vegetable stock or water 1 1/2 teaspoons sea salt, or to taste fresh ground black pepper to taste 1/2 cup fresh dill, chopped 3/4 cup sour cream Instructions: In a large saucepan or soup pot, heat the oil or butter over medium-high heat. Add the onion and sauté for 5 minutes or until soft. Add the garlic and vinegar and cook until most of the vinegar evaporates, about 3 minutes. Add the chopped vegetables, bay leaves, stock or water and half of the lemon juice. Bring to a boil, immediately reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 30 to 40 minutes or until the vegetables are very tender. Add more stock or water as desired. Once the vegetables are cooked, remove the soup from the stove, stir in the remaining lemon juice, and let cool for 5 minutes. While the soup is cooking, combine the sour cream with most the chopped dill, reserving a little dill for garnish, and set aside. Once the soup has cooled down a bit, purée with an immersion blender or in batches in a food processor or countertop blender until smooth. Return the soup to the stove and gently heat over low heat. Season with salt and black pepper and serve warm or chilled in bowls with a dollop of the sour cream and dill mixture. Garnish the bowls with the remaining chopped dill. Makes 6 to 8 servings