Cold Borscht Recipe with Beet Broth and Sour Cream

Step-by-step recipe

1. In the summer heat we make cold borscht very often – there's almost always a pot of beet broth in the fridge. Young beets are plentiful at any market; just ask right away that they don't tear off the tops, or you may not get the chance. Hard-boil the eggs in advance, cool them and peel. Wash and dry all the other vegetables.
   
2. Pour 8 cups of cold water into a pot. Cut the tops off the beets, trying not to damage the roots themselves, and don't cut off the tails either. The less damage, the better the broth and the darker the cooked beets. Wash the roots thoroughly, scrubbing off any soil with a brush. Put the beets in the water and set the pot on the heat.
   
3. Medium-sized young beets usually take about half an hour. Adjust the time depending on the size of the roots. Once they're done, leave the beets to cool in the broth to room temperature. Strain the broth into another container so nothing unwanted gets into it. Then peel the beets, slice them thinly, add the slices to the broth and refrigerate. Historically, we rarely used a grater here, preferring to slice the beets for cold borscht.
   
4. It's best to boil the beets and make the broth the day before, so the cold borscht comes out ice cold. By the time you start, the eggs should already be boiled and peeled. Young, thin-skinned cucumbers don't need peeling. Just dice them or slice them thinly – whichever you like. Cut the eggs into large cubes, twice the size you would for Olivier salad. Chop the green onions and dill sprigs with a knife.
   
5. Combine all the ingredients in a bowl. Season with salt and ground black pepper, then mix again. Wash the beet leaves and pat them dry. Tear or cut off the tender part of each leaf and discard the tough central vein. Stack the leaves, then slice the stack crosswise into very narrow strips, 2–2.5 mm wide. Add the beet leaves to the bowl and mix.
   
6. All that's left is to pour the broth made the day before over the cold borscht and serve. The quantities given make four servings. Get out deep bowls and divide the vegetable and egg mixture evenly among them. Add 2–3 tbsp of beet slices from the broth to each bowl. Squeeze lemon juice over the vegetables to taste or add a little wine vinegar – 1 tsp is enough. By the way, it's delicious if you add a little pickled beet instead of the acid.
   
7. Pour the cold beet broth into each bowl. If you like, add more salt and pepper to taste. Top each bowl with a heaping tablespoon of sour cream – homemade is best, or store-bought up to 15% fat. Serve this refreshing soup with rye bread and extra sour cream on the side – just in case someone wants more.
   
8. To my taste, ice-cold borscht with rye bread is the perfect dish for the summer heat. It's wonderfully refreshing, leaves you pleasantly satisfied and, honestly, I haven't tired of it in a lifetime. You can make the vegetable mixture in the morning and refrigerate it along with the beet broth. Then all that's left is to fill the bowls and pour over the broth – it takes just a few minutes.