Borscht with Beets & Carrots

We’re keeping the tunnels CLOSED this week due to the bitter cold.

We’re experiencing a cold spell this week, so we’re temporarily pausing our high tunnel greens harvest. It doesn’t mean there aren’t veggies to enjoy! We currently have beets and carrots in stock, perfect for this simple borscht recipe. You can add or subtract ingredients to suit your taste or ingredient availability (i.e. ground beef, beans, etc.) 

INGREDIENTS (these are approximate and forgiving)
2 cups beets, chopped
1 cup carrots, chopped
1 cup cabbage, shredded
1 medium onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
butter and/or olive oil
1 cup pearl barley
1 qt chicken bone broth
2 Tbsp lemon juice
Optional, yogurt to garnish

There's lots of classic beet-based borscht soup recipes out there. As I was very quickly throwing this meal together, I scanned this epicurious article for some tips, but ultimately did it my own way. 
Prep time is about 30 minutes and involved doing these three things roughly simultaneously:

  1. Roasted beets & carrots with butter & olive oil for about 30 minutes.

  2. Cooked pearl barley in water (1 c. barley, 2 c. water) on the stove, also took about 30 min, then set it aside in a separate bowl.

  3. While those things were cooking, I chopped garlic, onion, and cabbage. 

 

Chopped beets and carrots roasting and almost ready to add to the soup pot. Another way to handle the beets is to boil them hold, then peel and shred them — I’m intereted in the texture of the shredded beets and cabbage, and might try that next time.

 

Chunky, nourishing borscht topped with a yogurt aioli.

Once those were ready, I sautéed the garlic, onion, & cabbage in butter for about 5 min. Then, added the cooked barley and roasted beets & carrots. I stirred in some salt, and poured in some chicken bone broth. I then added about 2 Tbsp lemon juice (you can also use vinegar). I let the soup cook and meld for about 20 minutes. While I waited, I made a quick yogurt aioli (yogurt, a spoonful of mayo, lemon juice, & salt & pepper) to put on top.

This version was light but still nourishing (thanks to the chicken broth). Since it was only seasoned with salt and pepper, the flavors of the roasted beets and carrots were front and center. You could make this more savory with ground beef or pork shoulder (like in the epicurious article) and maybe a bay leaf or some warm spices. 

Michelle McKenzie