Beet It

by Jodi ~ February 3, 2008

Beet borscht with yogurt and dill

I swear to you that when I eat this soup, a family heritage dish, I can feel the cells in my body doing a whirling-dervish dance of glee as they get drenched in its pure vegetable goodness — it’s enough to make me want to run into the snow-covered streets and thumb my nose at every cold and flu virus in sight, daring them to find a way to crack the antioxidant armour of my vitamin-fortified body. And then there’s the feeling of solemn connection that accompanies knowing that this is the food that kept my ancestors fuelled in summer as they farmed Europe’s bread-basket region and warm in winter as they huddled against the cold. Not bad for a soup that’s probably most famous for how inexpensive it is to put together, a fact that spawned the phrase “Cheap as borscht.”

Like most regional dishes, borscht has as many variations as there are families who make it. It can be served hot or cold, made with meat (chicken, beef, pork, fish) or not, and include any number of vegetables, legumes, and herbs. There is even a non-beet version made with sorrel and potatoes; it was the borscht favoured by my father’s Ukrainian family while my mother’s Romanian clan adhered to the more familiar beet-based one. While the tangy sourness of the sorrel softened by creamy potatoes is a nice change every once in a while, I remain a fervent devotee of the classic red soup, each bowl permeated with the subtle sweetness of the beetroot and thoroughly stained with their deeply crimson juice. Brightened with a sprinkling of fresh dill, thickened with a dollop of yogurt, and finished with a splash of acidic wine vinegar, I will often gorge on a freshly made pot until my stomach is happily bloated by broth and vegetables. Two lunches later and a batch that should have held out for six servings has been devoured, and I sit in wait until the next craving hits.

The recipe I’ve posted (after the jump) is a base from which both I and my family work. My Romanian grandmother uses lovage as the finishing herb instead of dill. Growing up I remember the packet of lemonade drink mix she kept in the cupboard, the top of the package rolled down tightly to keep the contents fresh; she would sprinkle the crystals on top of my bowl in place of vinegar to give each spoonful a bit of a sour twang. I’ve also taken to roasting my beets instead of boiling them and adding the resulting pureé to the soup — the roasting gives the dish an entirely different and complex layer of flavour. Sautéed wild mushrooms are also an authentic addition, as are white kidney beans. And if you were interested in placing a few perogies at the bottom of your bowl and ladling just clear red broth overtop, you’d be eating borscht like they have in Ukraine for centuries.

Mihoren Family Beet Borscht

• 3–5 beetroots (beets), stems and greens chopped and reserved
• 3 Tablespoons canola oil
• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2–3 large carrots, diced
• 2–3 ribs celery, diced
• 2 medium starchy potatoes, diced
• water
• large handful of green beans, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
• fresh or dried dill to taste
• salt and freshly cracked black pepper to taste
• plain yogurt or sour cream
• red wine vinegar

1. Remove stems with their greens from the beetroots and reserve. Wash beets and place into a large kettle of boiling water. Simmer for 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until beets are tender enough that a knife slides into the flesh easily. Drain and let cool. Peel beets and then dice the flesh. Reserve.

2. Heat canola oil over medium-high heat in a Dutch oven or stock pot. Add onion, garlic, carrots, celery, potatoes, and reserved beet stems and sauté until all vegetables are well coated with oil. Turn heat to low and cover pot. Sweat the vegetables, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes.

3. Remove lid from pot and turn heat to high. Add cooked and diced beets and then pour over enough water to cover vegetables by 1 inch. Bring soup to a boil and then lower heat to simmer soup until all vegetables are tender.

4. Stir in green beens and allow them to simmer for 5 minutes. Add reserved beets greens, stirring until they wilt. Add dill, salt, and pepper to taste. To serve, garnish bowls with plain yogurt or sour cream and a drizzling of red wine vinegar.

Serves 6