Beet & Tomato Borscht
Though all borschts—and there are hundreds of regional versions—include beets or beet juice, this peasant soup from Eastern Europe is fundamentally a blank canvas: sort of a “stone soup.” We’ve added lima beans and potatoes to our vegetarian rendition, but you could try Yukon Gold potatoes and black-eyed peas, or sweet potatoes and white beans, or corn and black beans. The variations are endless.
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/4 pounds beets, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch chunks
I pound red potatoes, cut into 1-inch chunks
2 cans (14 1/2 ounces each) stewed tomatoes, chopped with their juice
2 cups water
1 cup frozen lima beans
3 tablespoons no-salt-added tomato paste
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 In a nonstick Dutch oven or large saucepan, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic, and cook, stirring frequently, until the onion is soft, about 7 minutes.
2 Stir in the beets, potatoes, tomatoes and their juice, water, lima beans, tomato paste, vinegar, and salt, and bring to a boil.
3 Reduce to a simmer, cover, and cook until the beets and potatoes are tender, about 1 hour. Salt to taste.
Makes 4 servings
Nutrition information per serving
calories 256 • total fat 3g (saturated 0.5g) • cholesterol 0mg • dietary • fiber 9g • carbohydrate 53g • protein 9g • sodium 485mg • Good source of: betacyanins, fiber, folate, magnesium, niacin, potassium, riboflavin, thiamin, vitamin B6, vitamin C, vitamin E