Red Beet Borscht
by Sharon Louise Crayton

A warming recipe from Tajikistan

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Because Central Asia is so cold, the people rely on culinary staples that are substantial and warm. The vodka helps, but a hearty root-vegetable soup like borscht gives the body a nourishing zip. First the beets are cooked whole to make a broth. Then other vegetables are added and all are cooked to make a colorful, richly flavored soup that gets even better the next day. To make cleanup easy, chop and clean the vegetables on a newspaper; to make the job faster, chop them in a food processor.

3 medium beets (500 g) whole, leaves and stems discarded
10 cups (2• L) water
2 tablespoons olive oil or vegetable oil
1 small onion, peeled, halved, and thinly sliced (about • cup)
1 medium tomato, peeled and chopped (about • cup)
3 medium Yukon gold or white potatoes (12 ounces or 350 g), peeled and grated (about 2 cups)
2 large carrots, peeled and grated (about 1• cups)
• medium-head green cabbage, finely shredded (about 4 cups)
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon sea salt
freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh dill
3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
sour cream or crème fraîche

METHOD

Mind Refresher

Stand straight, breathe normally, and concentrate on your in-and-out breaths for 30 seconds. As your thoughts run here and there, keep coming back to your breath.

• Put whole beets and water into a large pot over high heat and bring to a boil.
• Reduce heat to low, cover, and cook 30 minutes.
• Heat oil in a small skillet over medium heat. Stir in onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft.
• Stir in tomato and cook a few more minutes.
• Add onion and tomato mix, potatoes, carrots, cabbage, bay leaf, salt, and pepper to soup pot, cover, and cook over low heat 1 hour.
• Remove cooked beets with a fork and rinse under cold water to cool. Peel and grate.
• Stir grated beets, dill, and parsley into soup; continue cooking 10 minutes to blend flavors.
• Serve garnished with sour cream or crème fraîche.
Serves 4–6

This recipe is reprinted from One Taste:  Vegetarian Home Cooking from Around the World by Sharon Louise Crayton.  To purchase this book, click here.