With beetroot firmly in season, it would be remiss of us not to include a recipe that is not just boiling or roasting the beetroot and then pickling it, (not that there is anything wrong with that!). Borshch, (yes, that is spelt correctly!), is a Russian/Ukranian soup that tastes excellent and, although peasant food in those countries, can be a real show stopper at the dinner table. This recipe is courtesy of James Maddock and the Green Chronicle.
Serves 4
Ingredients
- 2 large uncooked beetroots (about 1lb)
- 1 onion
- 1 leek
- 1 carrot
- 1 turnip
- 1 large potato
- 1 stick of celery
- 1 litre (2 pints) strong chicken stock
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 tablespoon tomato puree
- juice of half a lemon
- 2 tablespoon finely chopped parsley
- 1 level teaspoon caster/superfine sugar
- seasoning
- chives for garnish
- 125 ml (1/4 pint) sour cream
Preparation Method
- Peel and dice the beetroot.
- Prepare all the other vegetables and chop finely.
- Put them all into a large saucepan and cover with the stock.
- Add the bay leaf and parsley and season well.
- Bring to the boil and then cover and simmer for 30 minutes.
- Add the sugar, lemon juice, and tomato puree to the soup and continue to simmer for another 30 minutes or until the vegetables are cooked.
- Allow to cool and blend in blender.
- Re-heat thoroughly and add the sour cream just before serving with a sprinkling of chopped chives.