Borscht

From EatingWell: January/February 2009 — Subscribe Now!

Borscht is a simple beet soup typically made with beef broth and garnished with sour cream. We give it a kick with horseradish. For a vegetarian soup, use vegetable broth instead.

READER'S COMMENT:

"This was a really nice soup and pleasantly different from what we're used to. Make sure to add enough vinegar to play off of the sweetness of the beets. I doubled the recipe so we could freeze some portions. This was good and it will...

4 servings, about 1 cup each

Active Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

Nutrition Profile

Ingredients

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cups reduced-sodium beef broth, or vegetable broth
1 medium russet potato, peeled and diced
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1 1/2 cups steamed cubed beets, 1/2-inch cubes (see Tip)
2 teaspoons red-wine vinegar
1/4 cup reduced-fat sour cream
1 tablespoon prepared horseradish
1 tablespoon fresh chopped parsley

Preparation

Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and cook, stirring, until beginning to brown, about 4 minutes. Add broth, potato, salt and pepper; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer, cover and cook until the potato is just tender, about 8 minutes. Add beets and vinegar; return to a boil. Cover and continue cooking until the broth is deep red and the potato is very soft, 2 to 3 minutes more.
Combine sour cream and horseradish in a small bowl. Serve the soup with a dollop of the horseradish sour cream and a sprinkle of parsley.

Tips & Notes

Tip: How to Prep & Steam Beets: Trim greens (if any) and root end; peel the skin with a vegetable peeler.
Cut beets into 1/2- to 1-inch-thick cubes, wedges or slices.
To steam on the stovetop: Place in a steamer basket over 1 inch of boiling water in a large pot. Cover and steam over high heat until tender, 10 to 15 minutes.
To steam in the microwave: Place in a glass baking dish, add 2 tablespoons water, cover tightly and microwave on High until tender, 8 to 10 minutes. Let stand, covered, for 5 minutes.
No time to prep? Look for Melissa's brand Peeled Baby Red Beets in the produce section of many supermarkets. They're peeled, steamed and ready to eat and contain far less sodium than their canned counterparts.

Nutrition

Per serving: 172 calories; 10 g fat (2 g sat, 6 g mono); 6 mg cholesterol; 18 g carbohydrates; 5 g protein; 3 g fiber; 395 mg sodium; 534 mg potassium.

Nutrition Bonus: Vitamin C (25% daily value), Potassium (15% dv).

1 Carbohydrate Serving

Exchanges: 1/2 starch, 1 vegetable, 2 fat