LET’S MAKE BORSCHT
As most of you will know, Paulina, one of the founders of Lentils and Lather, is from central Poland, so hearty and healthy broths and sauces feature heavily at our dining table. Probably the most distinctive dish of them all is the vibrant purple coloured soup known as Borscht, which is extremely popular in Slavic countries like Ukraine and Russia. The colour of course comes from beetroot. There’s really no other vegetable that has can match its intense deep purple. This is a simple recipe that is packed full of nutrients, as beetroots are a great source of fiber, folate (vitamin B9), manganese, potassium, iron, and vitamin C. Don’t miss out the lemon juice at the end for the truly authentic tang!
INGREDIENTS (SERVES 4)
50g plant butter
500g raw beetroot, peeled and roughly chopped
1 large onion, chopped
3 big cloves of garlic, chopped
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
1 tablespoon caster sugar
1 heaped tablespoon bouillon
1.5 litres boiled water
Salt and pepper
Juice of one large lemon
METHOD
Bring a large saucepan to a medium heat and add melt the butter.
Add the onions and, stirring every now and then, allow them to caramelise. This should take around 10 minutes.
Next, add the chopped beetroot, garlic and carrot and slowly sweat the vegetables for another 10 minutes so that all of the oils and flavours from the vegetables start to release.
Add the sugar, bouillon and freshly boiled water, put the lid on the pan, reduce the heat to a slow simmer and cook for around 40 minutes, until all of the vegetables are tender.
Remove the pan from the hob and allow things to cool slightly then, using either a stick blender or food processor, blitz the soup until it’s smooth.
Season according to taste, pour in the lemon juice and give it a final stir.
Enjoy the hearty goodness!