Thursday, July 28, 2011

Roasted Beet and Potato Borscht*


Beets are sweet and earthy roots that for years were under utilized in my house. When I was growing up, my mom would put pickled beets on the table from time to time in the same fashion that people put olives on the table at Thanksgiving. The first apartment I rented after college had a garden in the back. I was very poor and lived off that garden all summer long. Since the last homeowner had planted beets, I ate a LOT of beets that summer. They are so delicious that this summer I planted beets in my garden. I used some of my own beets for this recipe. They were delicious!

Ingredients:

2 lbs red beets, scrubbed, peeled and diced
1 lb russet potatoes, peeled and diced
2 shallots, coarsely chopped
thyme
2 Tbsp olive oil
coarse salt and pepper
5 cups chicken broth
1 Tbsp red wine vinegar
Sour Cream and parsley for garnish (optional)

Preheat oven to 400˚F. On a cookie sheet, toss together beets, potatoes, shallots, and olive oil. Sprinkle with coarse salt, pepper, and thyme. Arrange in a single layer and roast for 45 minutes.

Add mixture to a medium pot along with chicken broth. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. With a potato masher, mash the vegetables until soup is thick and chunky. Stir in red wine vinegar. Serve with a dollop of sour cream and sprinkle with parsley. (I didn't have sour cream today so I skipped that step.)


*Borscht is a fancy name for any of a variety of eastern European soups made with beets, cabbage, potatoes, or other vegetables and served hot or chilled, often with sour cream. It is pronounced: bore-sht.

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