Summer Borscht
Besides coming to the realization that Jewish food is not amongst the most attractive snacks on the block, I have noticed that we manage to force more consonants into a still fairly pronounceable word than any other ethnic cuisine. Plus one for the chosen people! Imagine if I could play tzimmes in Words with Friends? For a triple word score? Jackpot!
Borscht is another food with a mind-boggling number of consonants. There are many kinds of borscht, and my Bubbe’s (and her Bubbe’s) borscht includes sour cream, which made it a beautiful shade of pink. This got me on board! I pictured my Great-Great-Bubbe (GGB) slaving over a hot stove on a bitter cold Russian night, lovingly stirring her borscht and swigging vodka to stay warm. That was until Bubbe told me GGB was British. There goes that dream. But my dream of making her pink soup is still alive and well. It’s borscht time!
What Is Summer Borscht?
Borscht is a beet soup with deep roots in Eastern European and Ashkenazi Jewish cooking. Summer borscht is the chilled version, served cold and refreshing on hot days, tinted a gorgeous pink from beets and a swirl of dairy. This lighter, no-hot-kitchen-required take is my Great-Great-Bubbe’s cold soup, updated to be extra fresh and pretty. Finally, a Jew recipe as attractive as its people!
Why You’ll Love This Summer Borscht
- Served cold, so no standing over a hot stove in summer.
- Protein-packed, thanks to Greek yogurt in place of sour cream.
- That knockout neon-pink color.
- Make-ahead and refreshing, perfect for a hot day.
Ingredients You’ll Need
It is summer here in Austin, Texas. Those three months weeks of winter were brutal! I used boxed chicken stock (the horror!), but you can always make your own or use vegetable stock to keep things kosher.
- Beets
- Cucumber and green onions
- Fresh dill
- Chicken or vegetable stock
- Greek yogurt
- Vinegar, sugar and lemon
- Salt and pepper
To make this a protein-packed meal, I switched out the traditional sour cream for Greek yogurt, and the red wine vinegar for a snazzy strawberry basil vinegar I found at my local Tar-jay. Luckily the swap did not affect the Pepto shade of my soup!
How to Make Summer Borscht
First, fill a large saucepan with water and bring to a boil. Remove the tops of your beets and boil for 40 minutes.
While your beets are cooking, chop the green onions and cucumbers into small pieces. In a large bowl, combine chicken stock, vinegar, yogurt, sugar, lemon, salt and pepper. When the beets are done, remove them to cool and reserve the liquid. Add the cooled liquid to the mix. Then add the cucumbers, green onions and dill. When the beets are cool, peel and dice them and add them to the soup. Side note, your hands will look like this. Do not fear, the key to beet-stain removal is lots of soap and a prayer.
Chill thoroughly, then serve cold. Here is where the magic happened. Ooh! Ahh! Turns out I do like borscht! Who knew?
Tips for the Best Summer Borscht
- Chill it well before serving. Cold borscht is the whole point.
- Wear gloves when handling beets unless you want pink hands.
- Balance sweet and tart at the end with sugar, lemon and vinegar.
- Use Greek yogurt for extra protein and a tangy, creamy finish.
How to Store Summer Borscht
Summer borscht keeps in the fridge for up to 5 days and only gets better as it chills. Store it covered and give it a stir before serving. It’s meant to be eaten cold, so it’s the ultimate grab-from-the-fridge summer lunch.
Hot or Cold Borscht?
Borscht is delicious both ways. This chilled version is perfect for warm weather, but when the temperature drops, try my cozy hot borscht recipe instead.
Summer Borscht FAQ
What is borscht?
Borscht is a beet soup from Eastern Europe that’s a staple of Ashkenazi Jewish cooking. It can be served hot or cold and gets its signature color from beets.
Is borscht served hot or cold?
Both! This summer version is served chilled, which is refreshing in warm weather. In winter, borscht is just as delicious served hot.
What does summer borscht taste like?
Bright, tangy and lightly sweet, with earthy beets, cool cucumber and a creamy, protein-rich finish from the yogurt.
Is summer borscht healthy?
Very. It’s built on beets and vegetables, and using Greek yogurt instead of sour cream adds protein while keeping it light.
Can you make it ahead?
Yes, and you should. It needs time to chill anyway, so it’s a perfect make-ahead. It keeps for up to 5 days in the fridge.
How long does it last?
Up to 5 days refrigerated in a covered container. Stir before serving.
Summer Borscht
Ingredients
- 2 cups fresh beets I used 5. You can used canned too, but I will judge you
- 2 cups vegetable stock
- 3 cups Greek yogurt
- 3 tablespoons sugar
- 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
- Juice of 1 lemon
- 1 small cucumber
- 1/3 cup green onions
- 2 tablespoons dill
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Fill a large sauce pan with water and bring to a boil.
- Remove the tops of your beets, and boil for 40 minutes.
- Chop green onions and cucumbers.
- In a large bowl, mix stock, yogurt, vinegar, sugar, lemon, salt and pepper.
- Then add in cucumbers, green onions and dill.
- When the beets are cool, reserve the liquid and peel and chop them into small pieces.
- Add 2 cups of the beet juice to the stock mixture.
- Lastly, add the chopped beets to the soup.
- Chill to serve cold. Garnish with Greek yogurt and dill.
23 Comments
I actually want to eat this after reading your description…Beet Soup…Who knew?!
Thanks, Hal! It is quite refreshing. Big borscht fan right here!
Oy Gevalt! I am shvitzing just thinking about all the work that went into this one! But I am just kevellng to think how much you like the soup. Did y’all ever see anything so pretty? So proud of you….Bubbe
Thanks, Buube! It was easy- I swear. Good use of y’all for a Bostonian!
Lovely pictures-your borscht looks better than anything my family ever made….I love it with sour cream..never thought to add greek yogurt, but it is a great idea!
Thanks, Gloria! The color got even more rich the next day. With all the protein in the yogurt, this borscht was super filling and still tasty!
I’m so excited to have just found your blog! So many of your posts look like they came from my grandmother’s kitchen – how fun! But I have to admit borscht has always scared me. Maybe it’s the color, I don’t know – since I do love beets. But yours really sounds fantastic, I will have to finally give it a try!
Thanks, Katie! I can see on your blog you love family recipes too. They are the best! Borscht is totally weird and scary, but if you like beets I think you will enjoy it. Alas, by day three of borscht lunch I was done. Pretty sure it will not be in my regular rotation.
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jews do not mix chicken stock and sour cream or yogurt . This is not a jewish receipe.
Debbi
Hi Debbi- Jews who keep kosher do not mix milk and meat, not all Jews. If you would like to keep this recipe kosher you can use vegetable broth. Easy fix.
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So obnoxious are the opening passages, that I don’t care to read further. I grew up thinking how lucky I am to be Jewish and have all this delicious food. Nothing….snacks, included, was unappetizing, unappealing or force fed to me.
Calm down, it’s just food. I feel very lucky to be Jewish too and love much of the food, but a lot of people are afraid to try things like borscht. I’m trying to make the case that borscht is delicious! And you can’t deny that food such as chopped liver is just not that pretty, though the same can be said for any culture’s dishes.
We’ll agree to disagree re chopped liver. Food is essential to cultural ID and survival
or you wouldn’t have a blog devoted to it. Yes, my own chilled vegetarian recipe borscht is delicious and I’m a guy. As good as gazpacho
Sounds good- I love me some chopped liver either way!
[…] had to fight off a frat house worth of UT Sammys (what an attractive bunch of Jews) over the last borscht in a jar. What a trip! And you thought there were no Jews in Texas. For the record, there were a […]
Great recipe, thank you! I used balsamic vinegar and it came out very well
So glad you liked it!