Golden Beet Soup

Beets are a no-brainer for a Belarussian. It’s an ingredient I grew up with and something our family ate regularly. Borsch will always be one of my favorite soups. I’m very familiar with the vegetable. Not only did we buy it year round, but we also grew it in the garden. I could even recognize the seeds even if the tiny paper package wasn’t labeled. We ate beets in soups and in salads and even used the beet greens. However, it was always red beets that we were so intimately acquainted with. Of course, the other varieties always caught my eye. I’m a “lubopitnaya Varvara” (Russian – curious Barbara. Hmmmm…. Just doesn’t sound right translated) so when I saw some beautiful golden beets at the grocery store the other day, they ended up coming home with me. A kitchen challenge just makes me cackle with glee inside, so this was only natural.

I’m a soup fiend, so that was my first approach to these beauties. I also didn’t want a Borsch copycat, so I gave it a bit of a different spin. With a broth, “vegetably” concoction in mind, I browsed through the rest of the produce aisle and picked up a few other things that seemed like a good combination in my mind. This time my curiosity paid off really well and I still have my nose:). (The rest of the Russian proverb states that “любопытной Варваре на базаре нос оторвали” – literally, curious Barbara’s nose was torn off at market, similar to “curiosity killed the cat”.)

Golden Beet Soup will be a staple in our home from now on. Not only is it very hearty and filling, like a good soup should be, especially in the winter, but it’s also brothy (my personal favorite), light, healthy and tastes phenomenal. Plus, Sergi loved it just as much as I did and it’s a superb leftover. I have very high standards for leftovers. What more can I say?

Serves: 6-8

Ingredients

• 1 Tablespoon olive oil
• 1-2 leeks, sliced
• 2 carrots, sliced
• 1-2 celery stalks, sliced
• 2-3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 large golden beet, chopped
• 6 cups chicken broth (or vegetable broth)
• 1-2 cups water
• 3 medium potatoes, chopped (gold potatoes are best)
• ½ yellow bell pepper (or red bell pepper), chopped
• 1 medium zucchini, chopped
• salt, ground black pepper, to taste
• fresh herbs (parsley, dill, green onion) minced
• sour cream, to serve with the soup, optional
• 1-2 Tablespoons lemon juice, optional

Instructions

Heat the oil in a dutch oven or a heavy bottomed large pot. Add the leeks, season with salt and cook for about 3 minutes, until they are tender.
Add the carrots, celery and garlic. Season with salt and pepper and cook for another 3-5 minutes, until the carrots have softened.
Add the beets, season with salt and pepper, cook for another 3-5 minutes, until they are starting to soften. Pour in 1 cup of chicken broth, bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer and cook, covered for 10-15 minutes, until the beets have softened even more. Since they take a lot longer than the potatoes to cook through, this will give them a head start in cooking, so they finish cooking at the same time. The broth should mostly become absorbed by all the vegetables.
Pour in the remaining 5 cups of broth and the water. Adjust the amount of water depending on how thick/thin you like your soup to be. Bring to a boil.
Add the potatoes, reduce to a simmer and cook the soup for about 5-7 minutes.
Add the bell pepper and continue cooking just until the potatoes and beets are both cooked through.
Add the zucchini and cook for 3-5 minutes.
Garnish the soup with fresh herbs. You can also serve the soup with sour cream, just like traditional Borsch. If you're not serving the soup with sour cream, it might be a good idea to add a Tablespoon or two of freshly squeezed lemon juice at the end, for a bright note of acidity.
Leftovers reheat really well, so make sure to make a big pot and you can enjoy it two days in a row, or make it in advance for a a convenient and very nutritious meal to serve to your family or guests.

Source:

http://www.olgasflavorfactory.com/soups/golden-beet-soup/