summer borscht
With payday still taunting me in the distance, I’m going to my archives until I can restock my baking supplies and bake some hopefully awesome cookies (ooh sneak peek!) in the next few days.
I made this dish a multitude of times last summer and it was always a winner with everyone who tried it, even those afraid of its Betsey Johnson day-glo colors and hard-sell of it being a cold soup. But that’s one of the things I love most about this borscht. It’s one of those peasant dishes with a million varieties making it adaptable to whatever you have around the house (meat, no meat) and whatever season it is, and this recipe really showcases that. Although Ina Garten is about the furthest thing from a peasant you can get, her version is still killer and the book it comes from (Barefoot Contessa at Home) is one of my most dog-eared, smudged cookbooks I own (and that’s a good thing).
I change the recipe quite a bit here, playing with the ratio of dill and sour cream to yogurt because despite being a refreshing summer soup, it’s also incredibly rich and depending on how strong and in-season your ingredients are, the dill can be extremely overpowering, especially as it sits. Also, if the color isn’t as vibrant when you first make it as you see in my pictures – don’t worry. It turns that shade after you let it chill for a good 5-6 hours or even better, overnight. And apologies for the lack of pictures but last summer I didn’t often take photos of my cooking – this was a total random happenstance since I was so enamored with the colors!
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Summer Borscht
Based on Ina Garten’s recipe from Barefoot Contessa at Home
Note: Working with beets is a dangerous, messy business. Do not wear clothes you care about. Do not give yourself a manicure the day before. And for God’s sake, please wear gloves when peeling the beets (even if you do it with a knife!). Trust me, you’ll be happy you did!
Ingredients
- 5 medium beets (about 2 pounds without tops or greens, but save the greens – they’re fabulous in a salad or cooked down)
- Kosher salt
- 2 cups low-sodium chicken or vegetable stock
- 1 ½ cups beet cooking liquid (reserved from boiling)
- 1 cup sour cream, plus extra for serving
- 1 cup plain yogurt
- ¼ cup sugar
- 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
- 1 ½ teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
- 1 ½ cups medium-diced English cucumber, peeled and seeds removed
- 1/3 cup chopped scallions, white and green parts
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill, plus extra for serving
Directions
1.) Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Add the beets and cook until fork tender, about 30-40 minutes, adding a little more water if necessary. Remove the beets and set aside to cool. Strain the liquid through a fine-mesh strainer or sieve and also set aside to cool.
2.) Meanwhile, in a large bowl, whisk together 1 ½ cups cooled beet cooking liquid, chicken stock, sour cream, yogurt, sugar, lemon juice, vinegar, 1 tablespoon salt, and the pepper.
3.) Once completely cooled, either rub the skin off the beets with your hands (wearing gloves!) or peel with a paring knife. Cut the beets into a small bite-sized dice. Add the beets, cucumber, scallions, and dill to the soup.
4.) Cover with plastic wrap and chill for at least 5 hours or overnight. Season to taste after it’s thoroughly chilled and stirred (this is when you’ll see that fabulous color appear), and serve cold with a dollop of sour cream and an extra sprig of fresh dill.
