Cold Pink Borscht in a Glass
- Total Time
- 40 minutes
- Rating
- Comments
- Read comments
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Ingredients
- 1½pounds beets
- 2garlic cloves, sliced
- 2large shallots, sliced
- 1bay leaf
- 1teaspoon coriander seeds
- 3cloves
- ⅛teaspoon cayenne, or to taste
- 1tablespoon sugar
- 2tablespoons red-wine vinegar, or to taste
- 1tablespoon olive oil
- 1tablespoon salt
- ½teaspoon freshly ground pepper
- 1cup whole-milk yogurt
- Chopped fresh dill or chives (optional)
Nutritional analysis per serving (6 servings)
126 calories; 4 grams fat; 1 gram saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 2 grams monounsaturated fat; 0 grams polyunsaturated fat; 20 grams carbohydrates; 4 grams dietary fiber; 14 grams sugars; 4 grams protein; 451 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Preparation
- Step 1
Peel and slice the beets and put them in a large saucepan. Cover with 8 cups water and add the garlic, shallots, bay leaf, coriander, cloves, cayenne, sugar, vinegar, oil and salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook for 15 minutes, or until the beets are tender. Check the seasoning of the broth. It should be distinctly sweet, sour, peppery and flavorful. Correct the seasoning, adding salt and cayenne if necessary, and freshly ground pepper. Cool slightly.
- Step 2
Remove the bay leaf. Purée the soup well in a blender, then strain into a large bowl. Chill in the refrigerator or over ice until cold.
- Step 3
Just before serving, whisk in the yogurt. Taste and adjust the seasoning, adding a splash of vinegar if necessary. Thin with a little water to achieve the correct thickness — like a thin milkshake. To serve, pour into small water glasses. Garnish with freshly ground pepper and, if desired, fresh dill or chives.
Private Notes
Comments
Allspice is a gentler choice to replace the cloves. Also plain kefir instead yogurt is refreshing.
Perfect for a summer lunch. I substituted cumin for the coriander and buttermilk for the yogurt.
I grated the beets and puréed about half of it because I prefer a little bit to chew on with borscht and it was great. I didn’t have bay leaves, cloves, or red wine vinegar but I used a little bit of all-spice, 2 tbsp white vinegar, and the juice from about 2 lemons. I probably added a little bit too much pepper but I really enjoyed the spice here.
Been wanting to make beets in my Instant Pot, so I cooked 3lb of beets w/25 min of pressure and added the seasonings to the pot with one cup of water. After cooling and peeling, I pureed them in the food processor, adding veg broth until it had the right consistency. Added kefir as suggested, it turned out great. I'm taking this to an "old world" potluck today. This borscht is similar to the one my grandmother used to make (although I'm not 100% sure because I didn't like beets back then lol)
I had a cold soup similar to this at a safari camp in Botswana. I came home and tried several recipes and this one comes the closet to the wonderful flavors and gorgeous color I remember. I made it exactly as the recipe states. I serve it in clear glass bowls with a soup spoon rather than in a glass.
Instead of whole milk yogurt, I enjoyed substituting Salvadorian crema. That gave it a nice tang that wasn't overpowering.