Chilled Russian Borscht
- Contributed by Anya von Bremzen
- ACTIVE:
- TOTAL TIME: 45 MIN plus chilling
-
SERVINGS:
6 to 8
Our Pairing Suggestion
Borscht, especially when served cold, is delicious with a lightly earthy rosé, such as one from southern France.
Recipe: Chilled Russian Borscht
- HEALTHY
- MAKE-AHEAD
- VEGETARIAN
Ingredients
- 2 pounds medium beets, peeled and quartered
- 11 cups water
- 1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons cider vinegar
- Salt and freshly ground pepper
- 1 medium Yukon Gold potato, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
- 1 pound Kirby cucumberspeeled, seeded and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
- 1 cup finely diced radishes
- 4 scallions, thinly sliced
- 3 large hard-cooked eggs, peeled and coarsely chopped
- 1/4 cup coarsely chopped dill
- 1/4 cup coarsely chopped flat-leaf parsley
- Sour cream or crème fraîche, for serving
- In a large pot, cover the quartered beets with the water and bring to a boil. Simmer over moderately low heat until the beets are tender when pierced with a fork, about 30 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the beets to a plate.
- Coarsely shred the beets in a food processor. Return them to the pot and add the sugar, lemon juice and cider vinegar; season with salt and pepper. Refrigerate the soup until chilled, for at least 4 hours or preferably overnight.
- Meanwhile, bring a small saucepan of salted water to a boil. Add the potato cubes and cook until tender, about 7 minutes. Drain and cool under cold water. Pat dry and transfer to a medium bowl. Add the cucumbers, radishes, scallions, eggs, dill and parsley.
- Ladle the chilled borscht into bowls. Garnish with the vegetable and chopped egg mixture, top with a generous dollop of sour cream and serve.





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