Turkish Borscht
Borscht is one of those recipes that travelled with populations and moved around with wars and empires, thus you will find one in various countries each with a slight variation; all with a vibrant colour and a full taste!
Ingredients:
1 tbsp sunflower oil
2 onions
3 cloves garlic
1 lb raw beets
1/2 large cabbage
2 stalks celery
2 medium potatoes
1 medium green or red pepper
1l water or vegetable stock
1/2 lb tomatoes, chopped
sea salt and pepper to taste
1/2 tsp dill seeds, crushed
juice of one lemon
3 tbsp chopped fresh dil
1 cup plain low-fat yogurt
Procedure:
- Chop the raw beets and the potatoes in roughly the same size (mirepoix- 2cm thick)
- Shred the cabbage either by grating or by chopping in julienne
- Slice the celery and peppers in the same size ( 1.5 cm pieces)
- Grate the tomatoes and garlic
1. Heat oil in a large heavy-bottomed soup pot and add the onion and garlic. Sauté for a couple of minutes and then add the other vegetables, dill seeds, salt and pepper.
2. Cook, stirring, for another minute, then add water or stock. Bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat and cook for 1 hour.
3. Remove 2 cups from pot and puree in a blender or put through a food mill. Return to soup pot. Correct seasonings.
4. Serve by topping each bowl with a spoonful of yogurt.