Borsch with purple puree and dill
I was asked to make this for the wife of the late Ewen Pinsent whose son Mathew won various medals for rowing in the Olympics. This is his wife, Jean’s favourite soup. The first time, I made a blended version, not really having an idea what I was doing beyond beetroot soup. When I mastered the art of what he was really looking for, this was the answer. It is so delicious cold, but you could also serve it hot.
INGREDIENTS
1kg beetroot
2tbsp olive oil
25g butter
1 leek
1 carrot (medium size)
1 stick celery
sprig thyme
3 tbsp organic raw cider vinegar
2 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar
beef stock
fresh dill
soured cream or creme fraiche to serve
Remove the skins from the beetroot. This can be done by peeling them or by boiling them for about twenty minutes then running under cold water to remove the skins.
Chop the leek, carrot and celery and fry in a large casserole dish until glossy in the oil and butter over a medium low heat. Add a few dill stems
Boil one third of the beetroot until a knife will go through without much give. Remove from the water and chop into small neat square. Set aside.
Roughly chop the remaining beetroot and add it to the casserole dish with the already fried vegetables. Completely cover in beef stock. If using stock cubes, this will be two stock cubes.
Simmer until a knife easily cuts through the beetroot.
Strain liquid into a separate pan, reserving the vegetables.
Blend the vegetables into a puree and set aside.
Simmer the liquid in a clean pan until the flavour is to your liking.
Either leave this to cool before serving, or serve warm.
To serve, put a spoonful of the puree in soup bowl and ladle the soup on top. Scatter a few of the chopped cubes of beetroot onto the soup. Dollop some creme fraiche or soured cream in the centre of the bowl. It should rest on top of the puree. Top this with a sprig of fresh dill and a little pepper if you wish.
