A Time for Feasting

On Wednesdays during Lent, Bethlehem holds a Lenten soup supper before the evening service. This week, the Service team hosted dinner. Pastor suggested we take the opportunity to share some Russian cuisine with everyone, so we did! There was yummy food of all kinds--cabbage slaw, veggie soup, fruit, and of course cookies and cake. There was also brown bread, borscht, solyanka, Russian juices and tea, sooshki, and blini. My cooking coaches at Sovietsk would be proud. I thought I'd share some recipes--more to come!

Quick & Easy Borscht

Purists might say I am cheating for using canned beets, but it sure does go faster!

This is to serve 4. There are many ways to make borscht. This recipe is based on the one in The Gourmet Cookbook.

4 medium boiling potatoes, peeled and halved or chopped in big chunks

1 T butter or oil (I usually use half butter, half oil)

2 carrots, julienned
2 celery ribs, coarsely chopped

1 medium onion, chopped

1 can (14-16 oz) broth (Most borscht uses beef broth. I'm vegetarian, so I use veg broth + sherry. I usually use more broth than the recipe calls for--sometimes nearly twice as much!)

Lots of salt and freshly ground pepper

1 16 oz can of julienned beets (I buy them sliced and julienne them myself.)

Heat butter & oil in large saucepan over high heat. Add carrots, celery, and onion and cook until just beginning to brown. Add broth, salt, and pepper, and bring to a boil.

I use a big stock pot and boil my potatoes in this broth until they are fork-tender. I have a big pasta strainer insert, so I just boil the potatoes in that and then pull them out. You could do the same, or just boil them in water seperately, or even leave them in the soup the whole time.

Once potatoes are done, reduce heat to simmer. (Or, if not using potatoes in stock, bring broth to a boil then reduce to simmer about 15 minutes.) Stir in beets and liquid. Simmer covered around 8 minutes.

You can either add the potatoes back in the soup pot or add them as you serve individual bowls. Just know the longer they are in the soup, the more they will fall apart and turn purple. It's up to you!

Garnish with fresh dill and sour cream. I like it with a piece of brown bread and butter.

I hope you enjoy our version of Russian borscht!