Creamy Borscht (Russian-style beet and cabbage soup)

[Guest guest]

I've long been a fan of borscht, but I've never enjoyed it as much as when I

made it this way - and never enjoyed it this way as much as when I finally bit

the bullet last week and experimented with making it in my crockpot/

slowcooker! I cooked it for around 4 hours on high, but next time I shall cook

it

on low for double the time - the slow simmering is what makes this borscht so

great, regardless of the method! There are only two of us, so I freeze the extra

portions.

 

CREAMY BORSCHT - Russian-Style Beet and Cabbage Soup

 

750 g (1-1/2 lb) raw beetsroot, peeled and diced OR same of cooked* [see my

note below]

1 small cabbage, very thinly sliced

1/2 small carrot, chopped

6 cloves garlic, finely chopped

2 onions, chopped

1.5 litres (2-1/2 pints or 6 US cups) vegetable stock (homemade if you

have it)

sea salt to taste (depending on the saltiness of your stock)

freshly ground black pepper

1-1/2 Tbsp vinegar (taste carefully as you add it)

vegan yoghurt or sour 'creme' for garnish

grated cucumber for garnish

 

Put all the vegetables in the slow cooker and add the stock. Cook on high for

around 4 hours.

 

Put the soup in a blender** in batches, season with salt and pepper and add

a Tbsp of vinegar, then another half Tbsp depending on your taste. Return to

slow cooker and reheat. Ladle into bowls. Garnish with the 'creme' and grated

cucumber. Fit for a prince!

 

*If you are lazy like me, you may want to boil a batch of beets up one day - to

use for another dish - and reserve the amount of beets needed for this soup.

In that case, I like to boil the beets in their skins and then plunge them into

cold water. That way the skins just slip off - far less trouble and less mess,

and

the beets are easier to dice. Then you can add the cooked beets to the other

ingredients as above. The soup is good either way.

 

**You could of course use an immersion blender - after covering yourself with

a bedsheet ;=) but the glory of this soup is its creaminess, and I find the

slightly slower way in the blender works best.

 

 

All best wishes for the New Year,

Pat

(psybermus)

[Guest guest]

This looks like heaven....thanks!

 

Sheri

[Guest guest]

I'm a little confused....do the beets need to be boiled before you

put them in the crock -- or can you just cook the raw beets??

 

Thanks,

Cheryl.

 

, " psybermus "

<psybermus> wrote:

>

>

>

> I've long been a fan of borscht, but I've never enjoyed it as much

as when I

> made it this way - and never enjoyed it this way as much as when I

finally bit

> the bullet last week and experimented with making it in my crockpot/

> slowcooker! I cooked it for around 4 hours on high, but next time I

shall cook it

> on low for double the time - the slow simmering is what makes this

borscht so

> great, regardless of the method! There are only two of us, so I

freeze the extra

> portions.

>

> CREAMY BORSCHT - Russian-Style Beet and Cabbage Soup

>

> 750 g (1-1/2 lb) raw beetsroot, peeled and diced OR same of cooked*

[see my

> note below]

> 1 small cabbage, very thinly sliced

> 1/2 small carrot, chopped

> 6 cloves garlic, finely chopped

> 2 onions, chopped

> 1.5 litres (2-1/2 pints or 6 US cups) vegetable stock (homemade if

you

> have it)

> sea salt to taste (depending on the saltiness of your stock)

> freshly ground black pepper

> 1-1/2 Tbsp vinegar (taste carefully as you add it)

> vegan yoghurt or sour 'creme' for garnish

> grated cucumber for garnish

>

> Put all the vegetables in the slow cooker and add the stock. Cook

on high for

> around 4 hours.

>

> Put the soup in a blender** in batches, season with salt and pepper

and add

> a Tbsp of vinegar, then another half Tbsp depending on your taste.

Return to

> slow cooker and reheat. Ladle into bowls. Garnish with the 'creme'

and grated

> cucumber. Fit for a prince!

>

> *If you are lazy like me, you may want to boil a batch of beets up

one day - to

> use for another dish - and reserve the amount of beets needed for

this soup.

> In that case, I like to boil the beets in their skins and then

plunge them into

> cold water. That way the skins just slip off - far less trouble and

less mess, and

> the beets are easier to dice. Then you can add the cooked beets to

the other

> ingredients as above. The soup is good either way.

>

> **You could of course use an immersion blender - after covering

yourself with

> a bedsheet ;=) but the glory of this soup is its creaminess, and I

find the

> slightly slower way in the blender works best.

>

>

> All best wishes for the New Year,

> Pat

> (psybermus)

[Guest guest]

> I'm a little confused....do the beets need to be boiled before you

> put them in the crock -- or can you just cook the raw beets??

 

You can peel and dice the raw beets and cook them in the crockpot along

with the rest of the vegetables. That's the recommended way ;=)

 

I use mine pre-cooked because there are just two of us and so one pack of

beets does several times. So I boil up the beets one day and use what I need

for, say, a beet and mushroom curry, and the next day I use the remaining

beets for the borscht. That's all - plus the fact that it's easier for me (I

have a bit

of a prob with my right arm) to peel pre-cooked beets - the skins just slip off.

I

mentioned it to let you know it would work just fine if you did that. (Honestly,

I

suppose you could use canned ones too if you were in a hurry about the

peeling and stuff. I don't, but someone might want to do that.)

 

Good luck! And btw - I almost *always* have to thin out the soup - it is very

thick and creemy.

 

Best,

 

Pat ;=)

[Guest guest]

great....I'll just peel 'em and throw 'em in the food processor for a

quick dice before they go in the pot!!

 

Sounds delicious.

 

, " psybermus "

<psybermus> wrote:

>

>

> > I'm a little confused....do the beets need to be boiled before

you

> > put them in the crock -- or can you just cook the raw beets??

>

> You can peel and dice the raw beets and cook them in the crockpot

along

> with the rest of the vegetables. That's the recommended way ;=)

>

> I use mine pre-cooked because there are just two of us and so one

pack of

> beets does several times. So I boil up the beets one day and use

what I need

> for, say, a beet and mushroom curry, and the next day I use the

remaining

> beets for the borscht. That's all - plus the fact that it's easier

for me (I have a bit

> of a prob with my right arm) to peel pre-cooked beets - the skins

just slip off. I

> mentioned it to let you know it would work just fine if you did

that. (Honestly, I

> suppose you could use canned ones too if you were in a hurry about

the

> peeling and stuff. I don't, but someone might want to do that.)

>

> Good luck! And btw - I almost *always* have to thin out the soup -

it is very

> thick and creemy.

>

> Best,

>

> Pat ;=)

[Guest guest]

Hello Pat, is there any chance of the recipe for the beet and

mushroom curry you mention, it sounds yummy!

 

Purrpuss

 

> > I'm a little confused....do the beets need to be boiled before

you

> > put them in the crock -- or can you just cook the raw beets??

>

> You can peel and dice the raw beets and cook them in the crockpot

along

> with the rest of the vegetables. That's the recommended way ;=)

>

> I use mine pre-cooked because there are just two of us and so one

pack of

> beets does several times. So I boil up the beets one day and use

what I need

> for, say, a beet and mushroom curry, and the next day I use the

remaining

> beets for the borscht. That's all - plus the fact that it's easier

for me (I have a bit

> of a prob with my right arm) to peel pre-cooked beets - the skins

just slip off. I

> mentioned it to let you know it would work just fine if you did

that. (Honestly, I

> suppose you could use canned ones too if you were in a hurry about

the

> peeling and stuff. I don't, but someone might want to do that.)

>

> Good luck! And btw - I almost *always* have to thin out the soup -

it is very

> thick and creemy.

>

> Best,

>

> Pat ;=)