Borscht Recipes

Watermelon Borscht, adapted from Chef Robert Meltzer of Zola Wine and Kitchen

3 pounds beets (about 8)
4 cups seedless watermelon, peeled and cut into chunks 1 teaspoon rice wine vinegar, or to taste
Salt and pepper to taste
4 tablespoons crème fraiche
2 tablespoons chopped chives

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Place the unpeeled beets on a sheet tray in the oven for about one hour or until fork tender. When beets are slightly cooled, peel and cut into quarters.
2. Place the fully cooled beets and chunks of watermelon in a food processor, pureeing until a thick liquid is formed.
3. Add vinegar and salt and pepper and pulse again. Taste and adjust the seasoning as well as the watermelon-to-beet ratio according to your taste.
4. Serve cold garnished with a dollop of crème fraiche and chopped chives.
Yield: 4 to 6 servings

Cold Summer Borscht with Sour Cream, from Jewish Cooking in America by Joan Nathan

2 pounds beets (about 6) washed, peeled and chopped in large chunks
1 medium onion, peeled and chopped
1 celery stalk
1 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons sugar
Juice of 1 lemon
Sour cream, buttermilk or yogurt
2 tablespoons chopped chives
2 tablespoons chopped dill

1. Put the chopped beets, onions and celery in a 3-quart pot with 5 cups of water. Bring to a boil and simmer for about 15 minutes or until the beets are tender, skimming the foam as it rises. Turn off the heat.
2. Add the salt, sugar and lemon juice. Puree in a food processor and adjust the seasonings to taste.
3. Cool and refrigerate for several hours. Serve borscht very cold with a dollop of sour cream, buttermilk or yogurt and, if you wish, a sprinkling of fresh chives or dill. You can also serve the borscht hot, without the sour cream, adding diced, boiled or steamed potatoes.
Yield: 6 servings

Hot Meat Borscht with Cabbage and Beets, from The Foods of Israel Today by Joan Nathan

2 pounds beef brisket
2 beef soup bones
2 pounds beets (about 6), peeled and quartered
2 medium carrots, peeled 1 large onion, quartered
3 stalks celery
1 green bell pepper, quartered, seeded and pith removed
1 red bell pepper, quartered, seeded and pith removed
1 potato, peeled and quartered 1 small green cabbage, shredded
3 cloves garlic, minced 14-ounce can tomatoes, with juice
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
2 tablespoons sugar
Juice of 1 lemon, or to taste 1 whole sprig oregano
Fresh dill for garnish

1. Bring 6 cups of the water to a boil in a large soup pot. Add the meat and soup bones and cook gently over medium heat until a foam rises to the surface. Skim off foam and continue cooking, uncovered, for 1 hour.
2. While the meat is cooking, grate the beets, carrots, onion, celery, peppers and potatoes, either with a food processor fitted with a grating blade or by hand. Add the grated vegetables to the meat along with the cabbage, garlic and the tomatoes with their juice. Season with the salt, pepper, sugar, lemon juice and oregano. Cover and cook over low heat for another hour. Adjust the seasonings.
3. Remove from the heat. When the soup is cool, discard the soup bones and the oregano sprig. Remove the meat to a wooden board and cut into bite-sized pieces. Return the meat to the pot, reheat, and serve garnished with the dill.
Yield 10 to 12 servings