Borscht
All amounts are flexible. Baking is science — Soup is art.
Servings
5cups (approx)
Servings
5cups (approx)
Ingredients
  • 1 cup Diced Beetspeeled if beet is large
  • 1cup Finely diced Onion
  • 1/2cup Diced Peeled Carrots
  • 1/2cup Diced Celery
  • 1cup Diced Peeled Potato
  • 2slices Thick Cut Bacon, in lardons
  • 1cup Thinly Sliced Cabbage, cut in 1″ pieces
  • 1 – 2cloves Garlic, slicedto taste
  • 1 Bay Leafoptional
  • 3cups Chicken Stock
  • 3 – 4Sprigs Fresh Dillor dried dillweed, 1 tsp
  • 3Tbsp Lemon Juice or White Wine Vinegaror to taste
  • Salt and pepperto taste
  • Greek Yogurt or Sour Cream, chives, additional dillto garnish
Instructions
  1. In a three quart/litre saucepan, cook the bacon until browned. Remove bacon to paper towel to drain and set aside. Remove all but 1 Tbsp bacon fat from the pan.
  2. Add onion. Sweat until translucent. Add garlic. Continue sweating until garlic is fragrant.
  3. Add all vegetables, cooked bacon and chicken stock. Add the bay leaf, if using. Add fresh dill sprigs, tied in a bundle with kitchen string. Bring to the boil over high heat, then reduce to a simmer. Cook until vegetables are tender.
  4. Remove dill and bay leaf. Taste, and season with salt and pepper. If fresh dill was not used, add dried dill now.
  5. Taste again. Add lemon juice or white wine vinegar until soup is as tart as desired.
  6. Serve garnished with sour cream, fresh or dried chives, and/or additional dill.
  7. To make “Borscht Bisque”, puree soup in batches in a blender until very smooth. For each cup of puree, stir in 1/4 cup sour cream or Greek yogurt mixed with 1 tsp flour. Simmer over very low heat until thickened and smooth, at least 5 minutes. Serve garnished with a drizzle of sour cream or yogurt thinned with cream, and a sprinkling of chives, parsley, and/or dill.