RED BEET SOUP - BORSTJ
This is a classic soup in Russia, Ukraine or Poland, and maybe even some other countries. This is also a fine way to make use of these red beets, if you don't know what to do with them. Borstj can be made in many ways, with potatoes, or with sour cream, or clean. Here we made a clean soup and sprinkled one hard boiled egg yolk in it along with some parsley to create a dramatic dance of colors. It looks much better for real than it does on this picture! We made an intensively beet tasting soup here, and in smaller quantity since it is a clear soup, better suited to be accompanied by crusty bread with butter, or some nice pastry with paté.
4 servings:
1 kg/2 lb. red beets, peeled and sliced
2 apples, sliced
500 mL/1 quart vegetable or chicken stock or 500 g/1 lb. mirepoix (onions, carrots, celery)
1 garlic clove, crushed
1 bay leaf
salt, pepper, sugar
4 hard-boiled egg yolks, torn into small chunks
some chopped parsley
If you have the stock ready then use it to cook the beets and apples in it along with the bay leaf - simmer for about 30 minutes to 1 hour, until a deep red color develops. If you don't have a stock then cook the mirepoix in 1 liter/1 pint water for about 1-2 hours until the volume is reduced by half, then remove the veggies and cook the beets in this newly made stock. Now, once the deep red color is developed, add the crushed garlic clove and simmer for another 10 minutes, then remove the garlic and bay leaf. Season the soup with salt, pepper, and if you wish with some sugar. Then pour into the serving bowls, add the egg yolk and parsley and serve with bread or other pastry.