Beet and Rhubarb Borscht
Here are two sweet-sour combinations that are so familiar in borscht, and which can be achieved by adding rhubarb instead of lemon. Fiddle with the recipes to suit your own special memories of your baba's borscht and feel smug that you've found a good way to use all that rhubarb that comes up every year in the garden.
There are always more Soup options on North End Nosh - creamy, brothy, noodly, vegan, vegetarian - try them all, here, and experiment with these Hints to make you recipes different and better each time
Serves: 4-6
Recipe #1
Ingredients
2 - 3 large beets, chopped into small pieces
1 cooking apple - Granny Smith or other firm apple, chopped into small pieces
1 small onion, leek or large shallot, sliced
3-4 cloves garlic, minced
4 ribs rhubarb, chopped into small pieces
canola or olive oil
3 1/2 cups water or vegetable stock
1/4 cup white wine (optional)
salt and pepper
granulated or brown sugar, to taste (optional)
salt and pepper
Method
Heat the oil to medium-high and sautee the onion until translucent.
Add the garlic, beets, apple and rhubarb, cooking until slightly soft and lightly browned.
Add the white wine, cook until absorbed.
Add the water or vegetable stock and salt and pepper. Bring the mixture to a boil.
Turn down the heat and simmer for 30 minutes, or until the beets are tender.
Add brown or granulated sugar to achieve the right balance of sweet and sour.
Serve hot or refrigerate and serve chilled, accompanied by a dollop of sour cream or yogurt. If desired, puree the mixture until smooth with a stick blender or in a standard blender.
Recipe #2
Fresh beets, boiled or baked and peeled, or 1 500 g. package frozen, sliced, peeled beets - chop with a knife or pulse in food processor with a steel blade to your desired consistency
Fresh rhubarb stalks-about 3 stalks, chopped or processed as above
1 onion, chopped or pulsed
1 can tomato soup
7 cups water, approximately
1/3 plus cups sugar
Combine all the ingredients in a pot, adding the water according to how thick you like the borscht.
Cover and bring the pot to a boil, Simmer for 2 hours, adding salt and pepper to taste.
Serve hot or chilled, with or without sour cream.
Here are two sweet-sour combinations that are so familiar in borscht, and which can be achieved by adding rhubarb instead of lemon. Fiddle with the recipes to suit your own special memories of your baba's borscht and feel smug that you've found a good way to use all that rhubarb that comes up every year in the garden.
There are always more Soup options on North End Nosh - creamy, brothy, noodly, vegan, vegetarian - try them all, here, and experiment with these Hints to make you recipes different and better each time
Serves: 4-6
Recipe #1
Ingredients
2 - 3 large beets, chopped into small pieces
1 cooking apple - Granny Smith or other firm apple, chopped into small pieces
1 small onion, leek or large shallot, sliced
3-4 cloves garlic, minced
4 ribs rhubarb, chopped into small pieces
canola or olive oil
3 1/2 cups water or vegetable stock
1/4 cup white wine (optional)
salt and pepper
granulated or brown sugar, to taste (optional)
salt and pepper
Method
Heat the oil to medium-high and sautee the onion until translucent.
Add the garlic, beets, apple and rhubarb, cooking until slightly soft and lightly browned.
Add the white wine, cook until absorbed.
Add the water or vegetable stock and salt and pepper. Bring the mixture to a boil.
Turn down the heat and simmer for 30 minutes, or until the beets are tender.
Add brown or granulated sugar to achieve the right balance of sweet and sour.
Serve hot or refrigerate and serve chilled, accompanied by a dollop of sour cream or yogurt. If desired, puree the mixture until smooth with a stick blender or in a standard blender.
Recipe #2
Fresh beets, boiled or baked and peeled, or 1 500 g. package frozen, sliced, peeled beets - chop with a knife or pulse in food processor with a steel blade to your desired consistency
Fresh rhubarb stalks-about 3 stalks, chopped or processed as above
1 onion, chopped or pulsed
1 can tomato soup
7 cups water, approximately
1/3 plus cups sugar
Combine all the ingredients in a pot, adding the water according to how thick you like the borscht.
Cover and bring the pot to a boil, Simmer for 2 hours, adding salt and pepper to taste.
Serve hot or chilled, with or without sour cream.