Chilled Summer Borscht
Yield: About 2 quarts soup
Who can possibly resist the brilliant, gem-like tones of this classic chilled soup? What lie beyond the visual appeal are the honey-and-spice notes of fresh, summer beets infused with tangy-sweet balsamic vinegar, cracked pepper and fresh dill. As if your senses hadn’t had enough, the crunch of the glowing Radish and Cucumber Salad takes it to a whole new level!
Ingredients
PreparationIngredients
- 6 to 8 organic baby beets Add to list
- 3 tablespoons vegetable oil or butter Add to list
- 1 sweet onion, peeled and chopped Add to list
- 1 small celery root, peeled and chopped Add to list
- 3 cloves garlic, minced Add to list
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste Add to list
- 1 tablespoon sugar Add to list
- 1 quart vegetable broth Add to list
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar Add to list
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill Add to list
- Sea salt and freshly cracked pepper to taste Add to list
- Radish and Cucumber Salad Add to list
- Sour cream for garnish (optional) Add to list
Preparation
Wrap the beets in foil and bake them at 400° F for 1 hour or until fork tender. (Or you may cook them in boiling water.) Cool and slip off the skins. Coarsely chop them.
In a heavy pot, heat the oil or butter and sauté the onion, celery root and garlic for 5 minutes or until the onions are tender and lightly golden. Stir in the tomato paste and sugar and cook for 1 minute more. Add the beets, broth, vinegar and dill. Cook for 5 minutes, to meld the flavors. Season well with salt and pepper. Allow to cool then puree in batches until smooth. Add more broth if it is too thick. Chill completely.
Serve garnished with the Radish and Cucumber Salad, sour cream and dill sprigs and pass the pepper mill.
Recipe by , PCC Chef
Source: PCC Fresh, July 2010
ABOUT OUR CHEF: Lynne Vea
Lynne Vea is a graduate of the Executive Chef Program at Le Cordon Bleu, Paris and has been cooking with PCC Natural Markets since 2001. Featured on King-5’s "Gardening with Ciscoe," she demonstrates easy and delicious recipes using seasonal ingredients.
Lynne is an admired PCC Cooks instructor, teaching a variety of popular PCC Cooks classes throughout the year.
She loves to collect old cookbooks, hunt for wild berries, and cook seven-course dinners where the guests are encouraged to dance and cavort between courses.
Find more recipes from Lynne.
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