Russian cold borscht

Try some cold borsht soup this summertime! 

If our US politicians were introduced to this scrumptious dish, perhaps they would stop manipulating countries... and start enjoying life.

When I worked in the Califon NJ area I used to buy my sandwich and soup at Rambo’s General Store close to the river.  From October to April every weekday was a one soup day... chicken, split pea, tomato, beef barley, maybe onion.  Americans usually think of soup as having one basic ingredient, while Russians prefer more complicated soups. 

For instance, chicken soup in Russia includes cabbage, pieces of chicken (often with bones), along with pepper balls lurking in the depths.  It’s up to you to not swallow the bones and peppers, and to figure out how to cut up the large pieces of chicken with your spoon or fish out the chicken gracefully from the bowl. 

Russians serve hot soups right though the few hot months.  This runs counter to what I consider common sense. 

So, unless we have family or guests with us at the village, Larissa doesn’t make hot soups, only serving as a special treat some холоднй борщ, cold borsht!

You can savor this summer delight right where you are now! 

Ingredients (for two)

Marinated beets маринованная свёкла - 1 jar 450 – 500 grams.

2 Eggs два яйцо– hard boiled, and then refrigerated

Refrigerated water вода– 1 jar

Onion лук greens... just chop some shoots

Fennel (dill) укроп... cut up and sprinkled on top

Sour cream сметана on the table– Sour cream in an English misnomer... It isn’t sour, just delicious! 

Instructions

Marinated beets may be labeled pickled beets.  You  can hard boil eggs by placing three at room temperature in a sauce pan of just turned-off boiled water.  If they can spin on the counter after 12 minutes, they’re ready. 

Make the eggs cold by putting them in the fridge, along with a jar of marinated beets, and a jar of water.  Remember, this is cold borsht, so you want all ingredients cold before putting things together.

In each bowl place a generous portion of chopped beets, and add a roughly equal measure of beet juice and cold water.  Add the pieces of a hard boiled egg... halves or smaller parts... and sprinkle onion shoots and fennel.  Refreshing, filling, and scrumptious!

 

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