Barszcz Can't Be Beet

The past few days have been getting pretty warm. At least 90 with humidity that sort of resembles the first few seasons of Lost. It doesn't bother me for the most part, and I can deal with the heat easier than the cold, especially when I come on home and reach for a cold...

Soup.

Yup, soup. There is something always nice about soup, and actually I think meatless ones are better. They aren't cluttered with foreign objects, and they have most of the same texture throughout. It's like a nice, streamlined, homogeneous mix that goes great on a hot summer day. And what's better on a hot day? Cold Soup :) It's refreshing, it's easy to bring to work, and it's always fun to explain to people. Especially when it's purple.

I've always thought Beets are a very underrated vegetable. They are tough to cook, they are tricky to peel, and they have this earthly, sweet flavor that sometimes just doesn't quite fit in. It's a Rudolph of vegetables, and I like that.

But, if you do like beets (and if you've never tried... well you need to remedy that pronto), they will pay you back in spades. They go great with a little spice, or a little sour, and even some kind of diary like cream and/or cheese. Feta cheese with beets? Works. Lemon oil? Works. Touch of black pepper and vinegar? You have my full attention :)

So, anyways, back to the cold soup. The king of beet soups is barszcz. Well, actually, Choldnik is another word to use, but we never really used it. You could search for either on the internet. It has Polish/Russian/Urkraine roots from thousands of years back, and variations of this recipe are endless. Sometimes the soup is just beets, while others it includes many different vegetables.

In my quest to always have tons of fiber and vegetables in my diet (strive for five), I like to incorporate a few different ones, while still keeping the soup simple. It makes it a little more filling, while still keeping it light and satisfying on a summer day. You can choose to leave the veggies in the soup, or strain them out and just use the beets and broth. It's your choice :)


Adam's Barszcz (Beetroot Soup - Hot or Cold)
Dr. Adam

-2 pounds peeled, raw beets, grated, or cut into 1/8 strips or slices (about 4 medium ones, or a 2 16 oz canned) - just watch your hands... purple fingers are not fun
-2 medium carrots, peeled and cut into 1/8 strips
-1 celery stalk, chopped
-1 small onion, chopped fine
-2-3 cloves garlic, chopped fine
-1 Tbs olive oil
-3 cups water or vegetable broth
-1 tsp white vinegar
-1 Tbsp lemon juice
-1 tsp sugar -Salt, Black Pepper, Dill, parsley to taste
-Sour cream to garnish

In a large sauce pan, add the olive oil over medium heat, with the onions and garlic. Stir them around until they start to sweat and release their awesome aromas, about 5 minutes. Just make sure they don't burn. Carefully add the carrots and celery, and let cook for a few minutes, until they start to soften.

Add the beets and water/stock, and bring to a boil. Cover the pot, and let it simmer on low for 15-20 minutes, or until are the vegetables are almost softened. At this time, you can choose to discard any vegetables you'd like, or leave them all in, like I did here. After this, add the vinegar, lemon juice, and sugar, and cook for another 10 minutes uncovered.

Remove from heat, and add the salt, pepper, dill, and parsley to taste. The last two herbs can be added to each serving bowl as nesseccary, in case someone doesn't like them. Let this chill for a hot summer day, or serve warm if you're a bit on the chillin side. Top with a little low fat sour cream, and you're all set to go. Serves 4-6.


This is one of my favorite soups, so let me know what you think. It's open to all kinds of interpretation, and maybe you know of a couple that are a bit different. I think we can all agree though, it's a good looking soup, and if you've never had beets before, I think it captures it pretty well. It can also be served with uszka, but I think I'll save that for another post :) Have a great week good buddies!