Last week my daughter picked a small harvest of beets in the Okanagan (5Lbs). She asked me," What can I make from all these beets?" Of course I replied," How about making the Classic Beet Soup dish your great-granny use to make."
Beet Soup, Borscht originally comes from Russia, but it's been passed along to border countries, such as Poland and Romania, with their spin on this classic dish. As a matter of fact, the Polish insist they are creators of this classic soup.
Whatever or whoever made it first, all I know is tasting this tantalizing soup by my wife's granny for the first time in my teens.
Not yet a certified chef, my interest in cooking with knowing the recipe was insatiable. At the time I was dating my future wife and, without a doubt, Patricia's granny, Doris and I became close friends. I watched in amazement of her cooking for a family of seven on a daily basis, from the classic Borscht, pyrogies to making the labour intensive, cabbage rolls. Oh, and I must include the memorable horseradish beet relish. Memorable, because I was the only one who volunteer to grind fresh horseradish from her Okanagan garden. If you have ever grinder fresh horseradish before, you know exactly what I mean.
Tons of tears later, the job got done!
Granny's parents come from Romania, and by generation to generation, the Romanian Borscht (Beet Soup) recipe was handed down. I was glad I got to know "Granny" because she was the most loving person I have ever met. In essence, she would give the shirt-off-her-back (sort of speak) to help anyone in need. Her cooking skills were remarkable and would put any chef to shame. Instead of the "Iron Chef" I like to think of her as " The Iron Granny - Woman Chef Extraordinaire".
So, without further ado, let's showcase grannies (Doris) Borscht (Beet Soup) from her Okanagan garden.
Grannies Beet Soup
Note: To make this dish taste unbelievable, it's best you prepare the beets and chicken stock the day before. It gives you the chance for the stock to be incredibly favourable. Also, because this was originally a vegetarian dish, you can use vegetable stock. If you are pressed for time, you may use the boughten version of chicken stock and or even beef stock. BUT you will miss the true flavour of this wonderful tasty soup.
Ingredients:
1/8 cup of olive oil or your choice of oil (grapeseed or canola)
1 cup of small diced carrots
1 cup of small diced sweet white onion
1 cup of small diced celery
2 1/2 cups of shredded cabbage
1 1/2 cups of potatoes
4 cups of cooked sliced beets, including the stems. (Granny would utilize the whole plant, cutting the stems and some leaves into the soup as well)
1 can of red kidney beans (washed)
4-6 cups of fresh chicken stock (see above note) You may add water to top it up.
1 cup of fresh chopped parsley
2 tablespoons of sugar
Garnish : Fresh dob of sour cream and finely chopped washed parsley
Method:
The Day Before - Cook your whole beets (skin on) immersed in a large pot of water. Cook until tender. Now this depends on the size of your beets. It can take from one hour to even two. Preferably you are using smaller baseball-type-of-beets or even golf-ball-size, but not necessary. Just so you know, it's very difficult to cut a raw large beet. It's actually dangerous. So, to keep it simple, let's go with baseball size.
Definition of Tender Beets : A fork can easily pierce through it. Not cooked all the way, but almost.
After cooking, drain and run under cold water (just tap water will do the trick). Now easily peel the skin off, cut the stems into small cut portions. Take your whole beet and cut one end, so it can be laid flat on the cutting board (another quick tip). Begin cutting into slices as shown.
Make the Chicken Stock either in a slow-cooker (as my daughter did) or the traditional way. Like I said above - if pressed for time, just go buy the stock.
Homemade Chicken Stock
Ingredients:
3 pieces Rough-cut Carrots and Celery
1 medium Onion - large chopped
4 cups of chicken bones ( usually scraps from a whole chicken dinner, the night or week before)
2 whole Bay leaves
1 tablespoon of Black pepper corns
1 whole bunch of fresh parsley
Method:
Place all in either slow cooker or large pot, cover with water. If using slow cooker method, follow slow-cooker method. Otherwise, bring your chicken stock to a boil, turn down to a light simmer and let cook on top,of the stove for a good couple of hours.
Strain and let cool before you place it in the fridge for the night.
Next Day :
Let's begin making the Beet Soup.
Beet Soup Cooking Method (Procedure)
Warm up chicken stock in microwave.
Get a large stock pot and place on top of stove. Add oil. Turn on stove top burner, medium-heat.
Add the carrots, onions and celery ( all chopped small cut)
Sauté for five minutes, stirring constantly
Add diced potatoes, stir in and cook for three minutes or so.
Add 1 cup of chicken stock (this process is called sweating the vegetables)
Bring to a simmer.
Add shredded cabbage and sauté for another 5 minutes.
Again - add the rest of the chicken stock. It should cover all the veggies (water if required).
Let cook until the carrots and potatoes are tender.
Add chopped parsley or you may prefer fresh chopped dill - your choice.
Now - place in the cooked sliced beets, stir slowly, careful not to break-up.
Add your washed Red Kidney Beans, stirring slowly into mixture. Your soup should be covered in liquid.
Add 1-2 tablespoons of sugar (white or brown - I prefer brown)
Bring back to a simmer, cooking for another 10-15 minutes.
It should be boiling hot!
Voilà!
It's ready to plate to your favourite bowl. If you like ( my daughter doesn't like the sour cream idea, but it's a classic topping) top with a teaspoon of fresh sour cream and a sprig of fresh parsley or dill.
The secret, is not to swirl the sour cream into the soup, because it will curdle. The secret is to take small portion of the sour cream with a large portion of beet soup. It will add a creamy tantalizing tasty mouthful of straight goodness!
Enjoy with a fresh hunk of French Bread.
