Denise Phillips’ Cold Borsht
Borsht is a firm Ashkenazi favourite – and like chicken soup, every family has its own version. Use fresh beetroots for the sweetest results, however vacuum packed non-vinegar pre-packed beetroots will also do. Beetroot is considered a ‘super food’. It contains betaine, a substance that relaxes the mind, and trytophan, which is also found in chocolate and contributes to a sense of well being. So enjoy the special qualities of this burgundy coloured cold soup topped with some sour cream.
Preparation time: 30 minutes
Cooking time: 50 minutes
Serves: 6 people
Ingredients:
500g raw beetroot
Peeled 200g red cabbage
Finely shredded 2 tablespoons olive oil 2 potatoes
Peeled and roughly chopped 1 red onion
Peeled and roughly chopped 2 cloves garlic
Peeled and finely chopped 6 salad tomatoes
Peeled and de seeded 1 litre vegetable stock
Juice of 1 lemon 2 tablespoons brown sugar salt and freshly ground black pepper – to taste
Garnish: 250ml sour cream sprigs of fresh dill
Method:
1. Grate the beetroot in a food processor. Be careful as the juices do stain!
2. Heat a large pan with olive oil and saute the beetroot, cabbage, onions, and garlic for about 10 minutes to soften.
3. Add the potatoes, carrots, tomatoes, stock and lemon juice. Bring to the boil and simmer for 40 minutes or until the vegetables are all soft.
4. Puree in a liquidiser so that is nice and smooth.
5. Add the brown sugar and check seasoning.
6. Leave to cool for a minimum of 4 hours or refrigerate over night.
To serve the stylish way: Ladle the soup into deep bowls and garnish with a generous dollop of sour cream and a sprinkling of fresh dill.
NEXT WEEK: Hazelnut and chocolate bread
Click here for more details about Denise Phillips and her cookery classes
Thank you for helping to make Jewish News the leading source of news and opinion for the UK Jewish community. Today we're asking for your invaluable help to continue putting our community first in everything we do.
For as little as £5 a month you can help sustain the vital work we do in celebrating and standing up for Jewish life in Britain.
Jewish News holds our community together and keeps us connected. Like a synagogue, it’s where people turn to feel part of something bigger. It also proudly shows the rest of Britain the vibrancy and rich culture of modern Jewish life.
You can make a quick and easy one-off or monthly contribution of £5, £10, £20 or any other sum you’re comfortable with.
100% of your donation will help us continue celebrating our community, in all its dynamic diversity...
Engaging
Being a community platform means so much more than producing a newspaper and website. One of our proudest roles is media partnering with our invaluable charities to amplify the outstanding work they do to help us all.
Celebrating
There’s no shortage of oys in the world but Jewish News takes every opportunity to celebrate the joys too, through projects like Night of Heroes, 40 Under 40 and other compelling countdowns that make the community kvell with pride.
Pioneering
In the first collaboration between media outlets from different faiths, Jewish News worked with British Muslim TV and Church Times to produce a list of young activists leading the way on interfaith understanding.
Campaigning
Royal Mail issued a stamp honouring Holocaust hero Sir Nicholas Winton after a Jewish News campaign attracted more than 100,000 backers. Jewish Newsalso produces special editions of the paper highlighting pressing issues including mental health and Holocaust remembrance.
Easy access
In an age when news is readily accessible, Jewish News provides high-quality content free online and offline, removing any financial barriers to connecting people.
Voice of our community to wider society
The Jewish News team regularly appears on TV, radio and on the pages of the national press to comment on stories about the Jewish community. Easy access to the paper on the streets of London also means Jewish News provides an invaluable window into the community for the country at large.
We hope you agree all this is worth preserving.
