Name: Hot Borscht
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 1 h
Yield: Serves 4
Cuisine: Europe
Ingredients: 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar; Salt and freshly ground black pepper; ½ teaspoon caraway seeds (optional); 2 cloves garlic, minced; 1 carrot, finely diced; 3 tablespoons finely chopped parsley; 1 bay leaf; 4 scallions, finely chopped; ½ cup no-fat sour cream in an attractive serving bowl; 1 tablespoon olive oil; 1 pound small red potatoes, scrubbed; 1 medium onion, finely chopped; 5 cups vegetable broth or water; 1 stalk celery, finely diced

Preparation info

Serves
4

Difficulty
Medium
Ready in
1 hr

Appears in

Healthy Jewish Cooking

By Steven Raichlen

Published 2000

About

Whenever I’m feeling low and I want some edible comfort, I make a pot of borscht. I love this rib-sticking, crimson-colored soup from Eastern Europe. I love its earthy beet flavor and the way the brassy splash of vinegar offsets the sweetness of the vegetables. I love the tangy garnish of chopped scallions and buttery boiled potatoes. Hot borscht can be made either milchig or fleischig. Below is the meatless version. Instructions for a meat-based borscht are listed as a variation.