Borscht with buttered bread
Borscht is all about balance. The sweet earthiness of beetroot is offset by the sour lightness of citrus and bound together with a dollop of sour cream.
Ingredients
1kg beetroot, peeled and cut into 3cm pieces
1 onion, finely chopped
1¾ litres beef stock, plus extra for diluting
2 fresh or dried bay leaves
1 lemon, half juiced, half cut into wedges
500g potatoes, peeled and cut into 3cm pieces
⅓ cup dill, finely chopped
½ tsp white or raw sugar
½ tsp salt, plus extra to season
freshly ground black pepper
sour cream and crusty buttered toast, to serve
Method
Place the beetroot, onion, beef stock, bay leaves and lemon juice in a large saucepan and bring to the boil over high heat. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook for 20 minutes.
Add the potato, half the dill, the sugar and salt. Partially cover with a lid and cook for a further 20 minutes or until the vegetables are tender. Remove the bay leaves and discard. Purée the soup to a smooth consistency using a stick or standing blender. I prefer the soup to be quite thick, but if you prefer a thinner consistency, just dilute it with a little extra stock or water while blending.
Serve the soup warm, seasoned to taste with salt, and add a grind of black pepper, a dollop of sour cream, the remaining dill, lemon wedges and buttered toast. You could also serve the soup chilled, if preferred.
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Adam Liaw is a cookbook author and food writer, co-host of Good Food Kitchen and former MasterChef winner.
