Creamy Beet Borscht

Borscht is a vegetable soup from Eastern Europe that is now enjoyed throughout the world. Any variety of vegetables can be used, but beets are essential. My friend Mike has been requesting a homemade borscht soup for a long time now. It was an especially good time to fulfill his wish, as beets are currently in season, and also one of my current favorites. I've come across a few recipes that I liked but this Creamy Beet Borscht, modified from James McNair's Soups, seemed to have the perfect balance of flavours. It turned out to be a success. I served it hot, but it can also be chilled and served cold if desired.

For best results, make the soup the day before and add bits of chopped mushrooms to the pot just before reheating it at a low temperature.

Creamy Beet Borscht

2 tablespoons of olive oil or butter
1 cup of chopped onion
2 small cloves of garlic, minced
3 - 4 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar
1 1/2 pounds of beets (about 6 medium-sized), peeled and chopped
2 cups of seeded tomatoes, chopped
1 small turnip, chopped
1 cup of potato, chopped
2 jalapeno peppers, finely chopped
1 large carrot, chopped
2 bay leaves
juice from one lemon
6 - 7 cups of vegetable stock
sea salt and black pepper to taste

1/3 cup of minced fresh dill
1/2 - 3/4 cups of sour cream
fresh dill for garnishing

In a large soup pot, heat the oil or butter over medium-high heat until hot. Add the onion and saute until soft - about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and vinegar and cook until most of the vinegar evaporates, about 3 minutes. Add the chopped vegetables, bay leaves, stock, salt and pepper, and half of the lemon juice. Bring to a boil, immediately reduce the heat to low and cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are very tender - about 30 - 40 minutes. Add the remaining lemon juice.

While the soup is cooking, combine the minced dill and cream in a small bowl; set aside.

Once the soup has cooled down a bit, process in batches in a food processor or blender until smooth. Return the soup to the pot and gently heat over low heat. Test for seasonings. Serve in bowls, with a dollop of the sour cream dill mixture and garnish with a bit of minced dill.

This is my entry for this week's Weekend Herb Blogging to be hosted by The Expatriate's Kitchen.