Borscht

This recipe is adapted from Veselka, a Ukrainian Restaurant in NYC.

8 first course, or 4–6 main course servings

While in Vermont many years ago, we had the chance to experience making maple syrup on a friend’s family farm. One night his girlfriend at the time, my friend Julie, made borscht, and it was the best borsht of my life. I got close to recreating it once, but it’s generally been a soup I strike out with again and again, to our chickens benefit. But I’ve kept trying, determined to get it right.

Julie had shared her recipe with me, but for some reason it never worked out. This past week, all the makings of borscht appeared in our farm box, and I decided to give it another go. I rarely make soup with a recipe, but I wanted to do the beautiful produce (and my time) justice. I modified a recipe I found online. It’s more cumbersome that the one pot method I’d been striking out with, but if you are willing to wash a couple of extra pots it produces beautiful results with humble ingredients available year round. This is a weekend recipe that requires lots of simmering time, best made when you have a good stretch of time at home.

Ingredients

3 pounds (10 to 12) small beets, scrubbed thoroughly but not peeled

1 tablespoon white vinegar

8 cups beef, chicken, or vegetable stock

1 bay leaf

1 teaspoon smoked Spanish Paprika

2 tablespoons avocado oil

1 large leek

3 large carrots, peeled and sliced

3 large celery stalks, sliced

1 small head of green cabbage (about ¾ to 1 pound), shredded (about 4 cups)

2 medium potatoes, peeled and cut into ½-inch dice

full fat organic yogurt or sour cream for serving

fresh dill for serving (optional)

sea salt to taste, about 1 tsp

Step 1

• To make the “beet water,” roughly chop 2 pounds of the beets (select the smaller ones), preferably in a food processor fitted with the metal blade. Place the chopped beets in a large stockpot. Add 10 cups of water and 1 tablespoon vinegar.

  Step 2

• Place the stockpot over high heat and bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low, and simmer for 2 hours. (If it seems like the liquid is evaporating too quickly, you may need to cover the pot partially with an offset lid.) The beets should be extremely soft and the liquid bright red.

  Step 3

• Strain the liquid, pressing the cooked beets against the side of the strainer to extract as much liquid as possible. Discard the pulp or reserve. Set aside the beet water. You should have just about 4 cups.

  Step 4

• Meanwhile, place the remaining 1 pound of whole beets in a separate large stockpot. Add water to cover and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, and simmer until the beets are tender-firm, about 40 minutes. When the beets are cooked, add 1 tablespoon white vinegar and set them aside to cool.

  Step 5

• When the whole cooked beets are cool enough to handle, peel them; the skins should slip off easily. Grate the peeled beets on the largest holes of a box grater or in a food processor fitted with the grating blade.

  Step 6

• To cook the vegetables, heat a large stockpot. First saute the leeks in avocado oil until lightly browned. Add the carrots and celery and saute for a few more minutes. then pour the stock over them. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer until the carrots and celery are just tender, about 8 minutes. Add the cabbage and potatoes and continue to cook until the potatoes and carrots are easily pierced with a pairing knife but keep their shape, 15 to 20 additional minutes. Remove the soup from the heat and set aside.

  Step 7

• To compose the soup, in a large soup pot combine the “beet water” and broth with the vegetables. Add the grated beets. Stir to combine and bring to a simmer over low heat. Season to taste with salt and serve immediately with yogurt/sour cream and fresh dill