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Happy Tuesday!
On the occasion of an Estonian/Russian friend’s birthday, I decided to make a summer borscht. The word borscht is an umbrella term that refers to a million different varieties of soup originated in Eastern Europe and Russia, but, etymologically, it is a tart soup with a vegetable as its base. Originally it used to be hogweed, but then it was replaced with the more common beetroot (Ukrainian style), made “famous” by Yiddish-speaking Jews who emigrated to North America. However, there are many kinds of borscht that don’t have any trace of this bright red/magenta and are green or white. Also, traditionally borscht involves meat and/or eggs, but I decided to make a very light and summery version 🙂
P.s. Don’t skip the dill or you’ll be missing out on the predominant flavor!
SUMMER BORSCHT {vegan + gluten free}
by Marta Giaccone
Recipe
serves 6-8
prep time: 10 mins, cook time: 25 mins, total time: 35 mins + 2 hrs to cool
2 beetroots, raw
2 carrots
2 potatoes
1 onion
¼ of a head of white cabbage
1 can of tomatoes
2 cloves of garlic, large
a small handful of whole black peppercorns
6 cloves
1 tsp sugar
1 tbsp salt
lemon juice
plain soy yoghurt or sour cream
dill
chives
Method
- Wash, peel and dice the beetroots, carrots and potatoes. Chop the onion and the cabbage. Add everything to a large pot. Add the tomatoes – if they are large, chop them up. Crush or finely chop the garlic. Throw in the peppercorns, cloves, sugar and salt as well. Add 1.5 lt / 6 cups water, stir, bring to a boil, then lower the flame, cover and let simmer for about 25 minutes, until the vegetables are cooked through but still have got a crunch to them.
- Remove from heat and let cool for at least 2 hours. Borscht can be served both warm or cold, but I think cold is best to really taste all the flavors. Taste and add more salt if needed. Also add a small handful of chopped dill and mix. Serve into bowls, add a splash of lemon juice, 1 tbsp of yoghurt, some chopped up chives and more dill.
- Store in the fridge and enjoy the following days too!
