Borscht—beet soup—is an Eastern European soup that’s delicious both hot and cold. It’s the ideal all-season soup. I love it with some hearty potato pancakes and maybe some sausage for a wintery dinner by the fire. Add a nice dollop of crème fraîche and now we’re talking!! Yum!
This recipe is a slightly amended version of one of our favorites from The Naked Foods Cookbook, which you can order here (amazon link) or here (Barnes and Noble link). Enjoy!
- 1 tablespoon ghee or unrefined coconut oil
- 1 onion, small diced (approximately 1 cup)
- 1 sweet potato, peeled and grated (approximately 1 cup)
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 2 medium red beets, washed and grated (approximately 2 cups)
- 2 cups shredded red cabbage
- 1½ quarts bone broth or water
- 2 tablespoons raw apple cider vinegar (like this)
- 1 tablespoon dried dill (like this)
- Crème fraîche, sour cream, or plain yogurt (optional)
Heat ghee in bottom of 5-quart soup pot. Add onion and cook for 2 to 3 minutes until translucent. Add sweet potato, sprinkle with ¼ teaspoon sea salt, and continue cooking for another 3 to five minutes. Add beets and continue cooking for another 2 to 3 minutes. Add cabbage and continue cooking for 2 to 3 minutes more.
Pour in broth or water, and another ¼ teaspoon of salt, cover, and bring to a boil. Turn heat down to low, and simmer, covered, for about 15 minutes. Remove from heat and add the apple cider vinegar. Stir in dill and remaining ½ teaspoon salt (you might go slowly with the salt so that you can stop if it gets too salty for your taste; how much salt you need will depend on whether you use water, homemade broth, or store-bought stock).
Serve hot with a big dollop of crème fraîche. Or you can chill the soup and serve cold, also with a dollop of crème fraîche.
Tip: Grating beets can lead to grating your fingers, which is never fun. Here’s a tip to make life easier: Save about an inch of the little stem and use it as a handle to hold the beet as you’re grating it. This will keep your fingers safely away from the grater—and keep your fingers from getting too stained.
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