Winter Beet Borscht

Winter Beet Borscht
Recipe: Liz Rueven @kosherlikeme
8 generous servings
Dairy but may be pareve by using dairy-free sour cream or coconut cream.
Supplies: Cutting board and sharp knife, vegetable peeler, 1 sheet pan, foil, parchment paper,
blender or food processor, spice bag or twine for fresh dill.
Borscht is all about subtle contrast of flavors (sweet and sour), textures (silky and crunchy), and
colors (deep pink with a freehand swirl of white). It’s seasonal, warming, healthy and absolutely
gorgeous in all of it’s fuchsia glory. DO try to buy beets at your farmers’ markets and keep the
nutritious beet greens that top the roots. They are tasty simply sauteed with a bit of olive oil,
garlic, salt and pepper.
Tips: Allow time to roast the beets and cool them before blending.This soup is better the day
after you make it so hold off on adjusting seasoning until you’ve given it time to rest.
About these croutons: Croutons are not essential, but a nice touch if you like crunch. Dry the
bread overnight or a few hours before baking them into croutons.
Ingredients:
SOUP
2 lbs. red beets, skins on
3 Tb. olive oil
3 large shallots, peeled and rough chopped
2 carrots, peeled and rough chopped
1 celery stalk, rough chopped
1 parsnip, peel and rough chopped
1 tsp. fresh ginger, peeled and finely chopped
4 cloves garlic, peeled and rough chopped
2 Tb. ketchup
Salt and pepper to taste
2 Tb. lemon juice
8 cups vegetable broth
10 sprigs fresh dill, stems on, encased in spice bag
1 lb. yellow potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/8ths
Sour cream, whole fat yogurt or coconut cream (pareve) for serving
CROUTONS
4 slices sourdough bread, crusts removed, dried overnight on a cooling rack

2 Tb. honey
1 Tb. olive oil
1 heaping Tb. fresh dill
1⁄4 tsp. Salt
Cracked black pepper to taste
MAKE THE SOUP
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line 1 sheet pan with parchment paper.
Scrub the beets, keeping skin on. Wrap each beet with silver foil and place on a sheet pan.
Roast beets for 30-40 minutes until fork tender. Remove from the oven, allow to cool and
unwrap the beets. Slide the peel off the beets and rough chop. Place beets aside.
In a large soup pot, heat the olive oil.
Sautee the shallots over medium heat for 3-5 minutes or until translucent. Do not brown.
Add carrots, celery, and parsnip to the pot. Sautee for 5-8 minutes.
Add ginger, garlic, ketchup and lemon juice to the pot. Season with salt and pepper and saute
for another 3-4 minutes, stirring to combine.
Add vegetable broth, potatoes and dill to the pot. Add roasted beets and stir.
Bring soup to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Simmer for 25 minutes. Potatoes should be fork
tender.
Remove the pot from heat, uncover and allow to cool.
Blend contents at high speed, in a blender or food processor, until velvety smooth. Refrigerate
overnight (if you can wait).
MAKE CROUTONS
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Line 1 sheet pan with parchment paper.
Cut or crumble dried sourdough into small pieces. If cutting into square croutons, they should be
about 1⁄2” square. Place croutons into a medium mixing bowl.
In a small bowl or cup, combine honey, olive oil, dill, salt and pepper. Stir to combine. Drizzle
and coat the bread bits with the mixture. Spread coated croutons evenly onto the sheet pan and
bake for 5 minutes or until golden. Remove from the oven, allow to cool, and store in a tightly
sealed container until ready to use.
SERVE
Warm soup gently on simmer. Ladle into bowls and top with a swirl of sour cream. Dot with
croutons and enjoy.