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Borscht is another Hanukkah classic that's been made pretty much the same way throughout the 20th Century. But this being the 21st Century, Paula Shoyer, who wrote the new cookbook The Healthy Jewish Kitchen, decided she would try to bring this venerable beet soup into the future. Paula told Tonia's Kitchen one way she's doing that is by using parsnips in place of potatoes. Not only does it make for a lighter soup, it also brings out the natural sweet flavor of the beets that make up the base of the soup. Paula adds that Borscht doesn't just have to be for Hanukkah. Serve it cold with sliced pickles in the summer, or later in the winter with some coconut milk. Truly a soup for all seasons!
MODERN
BORSCHT:
BEET AND PARSNIP PURÉE
Parve, Gluten-free, Vegan, Passover • Serves 10
When I was growing up, borscht, or Eastern European beet
soup, came in a jar, and I remember that my father, Reubin Marcus, z"l
(may his memory be a blessing), was the only one in the family who ate it. I
also remember eating canned beets on occasion and not really liking them.
Fast-forward forty-five-plus years, and beets are now one of the trendiest
vegetables, valued for their vitamin C, folate, and fiber content. You can
serve this thoroughly modern soup hot or cold. When I serve it hot, I add a
dollop of thick, creamy coconut milk on top of each bowl (to mimic the classic
sour cream garnish) and a sprig of dill; when I serve it cold, I garnish the
soup with thin round slices of a half-sour pickle.
PREP TIME: 8 minutes • COOK TIME: 35 minutes • ADVANCE PREP:
May be made 3 days in advance or frozen • EQUIPMENT: Measuring cups and spoons,
cutting board, knife, vegetable peeler, can opener, large saucepan or soup pot,
immersion blender or food processor, ladle, teaspoon
1 tablespoon avocado, sunflower, or safflower oil
2 large onions, halved and sliced
1 pound (450g) parsnips, peeled and cut into 2-inch (5-cm)
chunks
3 large beets, peeled and cut into 2-inch (5-cm) chunks
6 cups (1.4L) water
1 large bunch dill, about 1½ cups (75g) loosely packed, plus
some for garnish (optional)
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
1/3 cup (80ml) canned coconut milk (the creamy, not thin kind),
optional)
1 half-sour pickle, halved the long way and sliced thin, for
garnish (optional)
• In a large saucepan or soup pot, heat the oil over medium
heat and add the onions. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes, or until
the onions look translucent. Add the parsnips, beets, and water and bring to a
boil over medium-high heat. Skim off any dirty foam. Add the dill, salt, and
white pepper, and reduce the heat to low; simmer covered for 30 minutes, or
until the vegetables are soft.
• Purée the mixture for a full 5 minutes using an immersion
blender, or purée in batches in a food processor. Add more salt and white
pepper to taste.
• Serve the soup hot with a dollop of creamy coconut milk
and a sprig of dill, or cold with sliced pickles, if desired.
