Southern Girl’s Borscht
I love beets, especially this time of the year when you can buy them fresh, straight from the farmer’s soil. So, yesterday, I picked up a few bunches and made one of my favorite summer soups.
1 cup of julienned beets (Hint: slice the beets with a food processor and then cut into long strips)
2 russet potatoes cut into 1 in. chunks
4 stalks of celery with leaves sliced
3 carrots sliced
1 cup of onion diced
2 green apples diced
1 tablespoon of dill
1 head of red cabbage thinly sliced
1 can of diced tomatoes
1/2 cup of tomato paste
4 tbs. apple cider vinegar
3 tbs. honey (may use brown sugar instead)
5 cups of water
3 tbs. olive oil
1 jalepeno pepper diced very finely
In a pot, boil the water and add the beets and potatoes. Cook on medium heat for 25 minutes.
While this is cooking, heat olive oil in a skillet and add onions, carrots, celery, jalepeno and cabbage. Add dill weed and cook for 10 minutes over medium heat, add apples and cook for 5 more minutes. (While cooking, add juice from the beets and carrots to the mixture.)
Add mixture to the beets and potato pot, along with diced tomato and tomato paste, vinegar, and honey. Simmer for 15 minutes. Immediately before serving, add a squeeze of lemon juice. Serve with a dollop of sour cream or yogurt and fresh parsley.
The longer this soup sits, the better it taste!
