Best Summer Borscht Recipes

SUMMER BORSCHT

Steps:

• Place the beets in a large pot of boiling salted water and cook uncovered until the beets are tender, 30 to 40 minutes. Remove the beets to a bowl with a slotted spoon and set aside to cool. Strain the cooking liquid through a fine sieve and also set aside to cool.
• In a large bowl, whisk together 1 1/2 cups of the beet cooking liquid, the chicken stock, sour cream, yogurt, sugar, lemon juice, vinegar, 1 tablespoon salt, and the pepper. Peel the cooled beets with a small paring knife or rub the skins off with your hands. Cut the beets in small to medium dice. Add the beets, cucumber, scallions, and dill to the soup. Cover with plastic wrap and chill for at least 4 hours or overnight. Season, to taste, and serve cold with a dollop of sour cream and an extra sprig of fresh dill.

SUMMER BEET BORSCHT (COLD SOUP)

Steps:

• 1. Preheat oven to 375. Line sheet pan with aluminum foil. Leave skin on beets lightly coat with olive oil. Roast for 30 minutes or longer until tender. After roasting, pull foil around beets to enclose, sit out to cool completely.
• 2. In large bowl whisk sour creams, yogurt, sugar, lemon juice, vinegar, salt and pepper. Peel cooled beets by rubbing the skins off or using paring knife(hint, use gloves for rubbing skins off to prevent staining of your hands.) Dice beets to 1/2 to 1 inch cubes. Add beets, cucumber, scallion and dill to soup mixture.
• 3. Cover with plastic wrap and chill at least 4 hours, overnight is better. Season with salt again if needed and serve cold with a dollop of sour cream and dill sprig.

SOMMA (SUMMER) OR KRUT (WEED) BORSCHT

Steps:

• To the water in a large soup pot, add the farmer sausage and cook for about 1 hour: this makes your soup stock.
• Remove the pieces of sausage and let cool, then remove the casing and cut up into bit size pieces.
• Add potatoes, onion greens, dill green, parsley, sorrel, bay leaf and peppercorns (in a spice bag or container) to the stock.
• Cook this until potatoes are done.
• Add the farmer sausage pieces back into the soup.
• Add salt to taste.
• Serve hot with heaping tablespoon of sour cream in each serving.
• Good served with fresh homemade brown bread.
• The farmer sausage can be substituted with a smoked ham hock.

CLEAR SUMMER BORSCHT

Steps:

• Combine the beets, water, and 1 teaspoon salt in a soup pot and bring to a simmer. Cover and simmer 30 minutes. Add the lemon juice, remaining salt, and sugar and continue to simmer, uncovered, for 20 minutes. Remove from the heat and add the garlic.
• Allow to cool, then cover and chill (you can speed this process by transferring the soup to a bowl and placing the bowl in an ice bath). Taste and adjust seasoning. Remove the garlic cloves.
• Place 2 tablespoons yogurt, if desired, into the center of chilled soup bowls. Ladle in the soup. Garnish with diced cucumber and minced dill or chives.

SUMMER BORSCHT

Steps:

• Fill a medium saucepan with water, and bring to a boil. Add beets, and boil until beets are fork-tender, about 45 minutes. Drain beets, reserving cooking water, and let stand until cool enough to handle. Rub off skins.
• Heat olive oil in a medium stockpot over medium heat. Add chopped onion and minced garlic, and saute until translucent, about 5 minutes.
• Coarsely chop 1 1/2 carrots, and add to stockpot. Add leek, salt, and pepper. Coarsely chop half of the dill, and add to stockpot. Cook until carrots are almost tender, about 10 minutes.
• Cut beets into 1-inch chunks, and add to stockpot. Add wine, 2 cups of the reserved cooking liquid, and chicken stock. Let simmer until broth is flavorful, about 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Remove the stockpot from heat, and transfer hot soup to a large bowl. Set bowl in ice-water bath to cool; skim off any fat.
• Using the small hole of a box grater, grate remaining 1/2 carrot and cucumber. Serve soup with a dollop of creme fraiche, garnished with grated carrot, grated cucumber, and remaining fresh dill. Give each serving a splash of red-wine vinegar, if desired.

POLISH SUMMER BARSHCH (BORSCHT)

Steps:

• Combine beef broth, beets and beet liquid in a large pot and heat.
• Mix flour and water, add to the pot and bring to a boil.
• Chill, add remaining ingredients except eggs and refrigerate.
• Serve very cold topped with chopped eggs.

SUMMER BORSCHT WITH TZATZIKI

Steps:

• Place beets in a medium saucepan, and cover with water by 2 inches. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer until tender, 30 to 35 minutes.
• Remove beets with a slotted spoon, reserving cooking liquid. Let beets cool, about 20 minutes. Strain cooking liquid through a cheesecloth-lined sieve, and refrigerate, covered, until chilled, about 2 hours. Peel beets, and cut into 1/4-inch dice.
• Whisk together stock, sour cream, yogurt, lemon juice, the salt, and 1 1/2 cups cooled beet liquid in a large bowl. Stir in beets, cucumber, and dill. Season with pepper. Cover, and refrigerate for 2 hours (or up to 1 day).
• Stir soup, then divide among 8 bowls. Spoon 1 tablespoon tzatziki onto each serving, and top each with a dill sprig.

SUMMER BORSCHT

Steps:

• Place the beets in a large pot of boiling salted water and cook uncovered until the beets are tender, 30 to 40 minutes.
• Remove the beets to a bowl with a slotted spoon and set aside to cool.
• Strain the cooking liquid through a fine sieve and also set aside to cool.
• In a large bowl, whisk together 1 1/2 cups of the beet cooking liquid, the chicken stock, sour cream, yogurt, sugar, lemon juice, vinegar, 1 tablespoon salt, and the pepper.
• Peel the cooled beets with a small paring knife or rub the skins off with your hands.
• Cut the beets in small to medium dice.
• Add the beets, cucumber, scallions, and dill to the soup.
• Cover with plastic wrap and chill for at least 4 hours or overnight.
• Season, to taste, and serve cold with a dollop of sour cream and an extra sprig of fresh dill.