Root-to-Leaf, Waste-Free Red Borscht
Use all the parts of the beets to make red borscht, a traditional hearty vegetable soup which originated in present-day Ukraine and is enjoyed throughout Eastern Europe.
Servings: 6
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 large onions, diced
- 1 cup chopped beet stems, stripped of leaves if your beets do not have greens, substitute 2 ribs of celery
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- ½ teaspoon caraway seeds
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 sprig fresh thyme, leaves stripped
- 1½ teaspoons salt, or to taste
- freshly ground pepper
- 6 medium Yukon gold or red potatoes, cut into 1-inch pieces see Note
- 5 medium carrots, cut into 1-inch pieces see Note
- 6 medium beets, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces reserve the peels and scraps to start beet kvass, if desired
- 1½ cups chopped cabbage or kale add 3 cups if you don't have beet greens below
- 6 to 8 cups water or vegetable broth
- 1½ cups chopped beet greens, stems removed see Note
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice or apple cider vinegar, or to taste
- fresh dill, for garnish
- sour cream, for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil over medium heat in large stock pot or Dutch oven. Add the onion and beet stems or celery and sauté until softened, 5 to 10 minutes. Add the tomato paste, garlic, caraway seeds, thyme, salt and pepper and stir for 1 minute.
- Add the potatoes, carrots, beets and, if using, cabbage. Pour in enough water or broth to just cover the vegetables, between 6 and 8 cups. Bring to a boil, then turn the heat to medium-low and simmer partially covered until the potatoes, carrots and beets are tender, about 20 minutes.
- Stir in beet greens or kale and lemon juice or vinegar to taste. Cook for another minute.
- Ladle the borscht into bowls and sprinkle with a few tablespoons of fresh chopped dill and, if desired, sour cream.
- Store leftovers in the refrigerator for a week. Borscht also freezes well. Go here for information on freezing food in jars.
Notes
I don’t peel potatoes or carrots. I do buy organic, however, and so the peels I eat contain fewer pesticide residues.
If you have lots of beet greens, use 3 cups total and skip the cabbage and kale altogether.