Summer Borscht With Beet Greens Recipes

CLEAR SUMMER BORSCHT

Steps:

• Combine the beets, water, and 1 teaspoon salt in a soup pot and bring to a simmer. Cover and simmer 30 minutes. Add the lemon juice, remaining salt, and sugar and continue to simmer, uncovered, for 20 minutes. Remove from the heat and add the garlic.
• Allow to cool, then cover and chill (you can speed this process by transferring the soup to a bowl and placing the bowl in an ice bath). Taste and adjust seasoning. Remove the garlic cloves.
• Place 2 tablespoons yogurt, if desired, into the center of chilled soup bowls. Ladle in the soup. Garnish with diced cucumber and minced dill or chives.

SUMMA BORSCHT

Steps:

• Place diced potatoes into a large saucepan, and cover with water. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce heat, and simmer until potatoes are tender, about 25 minutes. Stir in the green onions, dill, and buttermilk; bring back to a simmer. Stir in the half-and-half before serving.

SUMMER BORSCHT

Steps:

• Fill a medium saucepan with water, and bring to a boil. Add beets, and boil until beets are fork-tender, about 45 minutes. Drain beets, reserving cooking water, and let stand until cool enough to handle. Rub off skins.
• Heat olive oil in a medium stockpot over medium heat. Add chopped onion and minced garlic, and saute until translucent, about 5 minutes.
• Coarsely chop 1 1/2 carrots, and add to stockpot. Add leek, salt, and pepper. Coarsely chop half of the dill, and add to stockpot. Cook until carrots are almost tender, about 10 minutes.
• Cut beets into 1-inch chunks, and add to stockpot. Add wine, 2 cups of the reserved cooking liquid, and chicken stock. Let simmer until broth is flavorful, about 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Remove the stockpot from heat, and transfer hot soup to a large bowl. Set bowl in ice-water bath to cool; skim off any fat.
• Using the small hole of a box grater, grate remaining 1/2 carrot and cucumber. Serve soup with a dollop of creme fraiche, garnished with grated carrot, grated cucumber, and remaining fresh dill. Give each serving a splash of red-wine vinegar, if desired.

BEET AND BEET GREEN BORSCHT

Steps:

• Starting with cold water bring beets and potatoes to boil.
• Reduce heat to simmer and cook until firm, but cooked through, ~20 minutes.
• Add carrots, onion, garlic and cook 10 minutes.
• Add remaining ingredients and cook 10 more minutes or until greens have wilted.
• Taste for salt, and add if needed, add lemon juice, stir.
• Pour in bowls and garnish with yogurt and dill.

BEET BORSCHT

Steps:

• In a saucepan, bring the beets, carrots, onion, water and salt to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 20 minutes. Add broth, cabbage and butter; simmer, uncovered, for 15 minutes. Just before serving, stir in lemon juice. If desired, top each serving with sour cream and chives or dill.

BEETS-WITH-GREENS BORSCHT

Steps:

• In a soup pot, combine beets (not greens), bones, cabbage, tomatoes, onion, 8 cups water, bay leaf and salt; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer 1 1/2 hours.
• Meanwhile, put potatoes in a medium saucepan of water. Bring to a boil and simmer until tender, about 20 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer potatoes to a cutting board. Add chopped greens to boiling water and cook until tender, about 3 minutes. Drain and rinse in cold water. Peel potatoes and cut into 1/2-inch dice.
• Discard bay leaf. Remove bones, remove meat from bones, chop meat and return meat to soup. Taste and add salt if needed. Ladle soup into bowls and season with white pepper. Top with potatoes and greens, and drizzle with balsamic vinegar.

BEET GREEN BORSCHT

Steps:

• In a large frying pan, melt 1/4 cup of margarine or butter.
• Add chopped onions and saute' for 5 minutes but do not brown.
• Add mashed tomatoes including liquid and simmer until reduced to about half (about 20 minutes) then set aside.
• In a large cooking pot, add 16 cups of water and bring to boil.
• Add salt, potato quarters, chopped carrots and the beet and cook until tender, about 15 minutes.
• When potatoes are tender, remove into a bowl and mash.
• Add the remainder 1/4 cup of margarine or butter, half and half cream to the mashed potatoes and mix well, then set aside.
• Trim tail ends of the young beets, and scrub only, then cut into small pieces and add to soup pot.
• Chop beet greens into medium size pieces and add to soup pot.
• Add cubed potatoes, spinach greens, green and red peppers, green beans, chopped celery, cauliflower florets and cook until vegetables are just tender, about 20 minutes.
• Add mashed potato mixture, tomato/onion mixture, green onions, fresh dill weed and bring to boil.
• Remove from heat.
• Add lemon juice and stir well.
• Adjust spices to taste.
• Cover and let sit for 15 minutes before serving.
• Refrigerate any unused portion of soup.

"BASIC" BEET BORSCHT

Steps:

• Cut off beet greens from the beets but leave about an inch or two of the tops on the beets.
• **Option:mince removed beet tops to add later.
• Scrub the beets well.
• In a large pot, add beets and cover with cold water (about 3/4 full).
• Bring the water to a boil and boil this for about 15-25 minutes until the beets are cooked.
• Remove the beets from the water; save the water from the beets ("beetjuice").
• Remove the skins from the beets.
• Strain the"beet juice" (through a cheese cloth lined sieve) into a pot.
• Peel and grate the onion.
• Grate the beets (can use food processor for grating onion and beets).
• Put the grated onion and beets into the pot with the strained beet juice.
• **Option:you can add the finely chopped/minced beet tops, if you want to use them.
• Bring all to a quick boil.
• Add the salt, lemon juice, pepper (optional), and honey (optional), simmer until the honey has dissolved and all is well heated.
• Serve, garnished with a dollop of sour cream (optional).

CHILLED BEET SOUP WITH BUTTERMILK, CUCUMBERS, AND DILL (CHLODNIK)

Steps:

• Using a large knife, separate greens and stems from beets. Thoroughly wash greens and stems; set aside. Scrub beets, transfer to a medium pot, and cover with 1" water. Cover pot and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium, uncover, and cook until beets are tender when pierced with a knife, about 10 minutes. Drain beets; discard cooking liquid. Let cool.
• Meanwhile, chop beet greens and stems. Transfer to a large pot and add 1/2 tsp. salt and 4 cups water. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium and simmer, without boiling, until greens are tender, about 5 minutes. Let cool to room temperature, about 30 minutes.
• Peel and coarsely grate beets, preferably wearing gloves. Add to pot with cooled greens. Gently stir in cucumbers, pickle, pickle brine, buttermilk, sour cream, and scallions. Season with salt and pepper.
• Cover pot and chill soup at least 30 minutes. Adjust seasonings, if desired. Divide soup among bowls; top with eggs and dill.
• Do Ahead
• Soup can be made 2 days ahead; cover and chill.