Barszcz is the Polish generic term for any sour soup. Beet barszcz and white barszcz, made with kielbasa-cooking water, are the most common.
Creamed beet barszcz is a brilliant magenta color and can be served warm or cold garnished with sour cream, dill and julienned beets, if desired. Refreshing!
Note: To speed things up, substitute canned or jarred beets for fresh.
Makes 4 servings
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Ingredients:
- 4 beets, washed, or 2 cups sliced canned or jarred beets
- 4 cups meat or vegetable stock
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- Salt and black pepper
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- Chopped fresh dill for garnish
Preparation:
- Heat oven to 400 degrees. Wrap beets in aluminum foil and roast until tender, about 30-45 minutes. When cool enough to handle, peel and slice.
- In a medium pot, bring stock to boil, add beets, sugar, and salt and pepper to taste. Simmer 10 minutes. Transfer to a blender or food processor and puree until smooth, and return to pot.
- Mix sour cream with flour until well blended. Temper sour cream mixture with a ladle of hot soup, whisking constantly. Transfer tempered sour cream to remaining soup and whisk until smooth. Simmer to cook out the raw flour taste and until the soup is thickened, but do not boil vigorously.
- Serve immediately or cool quickly in an ice-water bath and refrigerate to serve cold. Garnish with dill, julienned beets and sour cream, if desired.
