borscht
my way
This, at its deepest core, is Borscht. A brothy, but stewy, soup that has had my winter (and life) in a vice.
One of the most recognizable soups in the world, I have always been fascinated by it. The humble origins of it, pickled hogweed, have turned into a fully informed recipe - stock made from bones, meat and sweated vegetables - my take on this soup simplifies it. Onions, celery and beets are the only vegetables to grace my recipe, and I bulk it out with plump lentils.
To take a very traditional, loved and cultural recipe and try to “make my own” feels too far - I can’t declare this as borscht, just an admiration. It’s beet, bay and lentil stew while holding the true characteristic of borscht; it’s tang. Vinegar, vinegar, vinegar.
Eating borscht is a unique activity. Unlike most soups (hot) or gazpacho (cold) this can be and is expected to be eaten at both temperatures. Special for the sweltering summer days where all you want is a (salty) cold liquid or warm stew on these negative days.
Dill and sour cream are nonnegotiable. If you don’t like either - this just might not be for you and part of the that involves the color. The color of borscht is the real visual queue to know how you know you’ve succeeded - a Harvard crimson swirled with sour cream turns it into a startup pink - the key to the best borscht.
Slava Ukraini
Beet, Bay and Lentil Stew
Serves 6-8
Ingredients
1 lb. of beets
1 large white onion
3-4 stalks of celery
1 cup of dry brown lentils
2 bay leaves
6 cups of water or broth // chicken or vegetable
Red wine vinegar to taste
To serve - sour cream and dill
Ingredients
To start, finely dice the yellow onion and all the celery. Peel the beets and cut into ½ inch cubes then place a heavy bottom pot over medium heat.
Add ~ two tablespoons of olive oil into the pot then all the chopped onion and celery and season with salt and pepper generously. Cook for 10-12 minutes or until the onions and celery have softened and become translucent. Add all the beets and continue to cook for an additional 3-5 minutes or until they start to soften.
Once the vegetables have cooked, add in all the liquid and the bay leaves, then season the broth to taste. Bring the stew to a boil then reduce to a simmer and cook until the beets just become tender, around 15 minutes.
Taste the stew for seasoning then add in the lentils and cook for an additional 15-20 minutes, on medium low heat, or until the lentils are fully cooked through.
Season the stew with vinegar to taste and serve with sour cream and chopped dill.
