O, My Beet(ing) Heart
Homemade borscht(!): Easy, exquisite, restaurant quality (just look at it!)
The humble beet does got get nearly enough love when it comes to resilient crops. Oft forgotten in the face of the potato’s global prominence (and just as frequently eschewed due to its trademark coloration), it tends to be left by the wayside during most shopping trips. Forgotten, the rotund root sits forlorn in the frequented corners of the produce aisle, watching the days pass by.
But not I.
I am absolutely infatuated with the stalwart vegetable. For beneath its toughened exterior is a versatile heart, hidden within a resplendent, ruddy bauble of flavor and possibility.
I like beets, okay?
In addition to their many health benefits (improved heart health and reduced blood pressure being the principal two), beets can be eaten in a number of ways, each of which is uniquely delicious. They can be cubed up and roasted, boiled, tossed into a salad (restaurant beet salads, are the best, especially if they’re doing golden beets), and their natural sugars even allow for dessert applications.
Depending on how they’re prepared, beets can be crunchy, juicy, sweet, meaty, whatever you set your mind to. Their “bloodiness” also lends to their usage as a potential meat substitute. That’s why Beyond Meat makes use of beet juice to create their vegan burger patties. It’s also why working with freshly boiled beets makes your kitchen look like a crime scene.
Beets are a staple ingredient in Eastern Europe, as they are a crop best suited to growing in cold environments. Harsh winters are commonplace, and what better way to get through the frigid nights than with a hearth, home, and a big, bloody bowl of beets baby.
I’m becoming more convinced by the day that my newfound obsession with beets in adult life are the direct result of awakening some aspect of my paternal ancestry. Perhaps I’ll awaken some chest hair too. Otherwise my bony ass is going to keep shivering like a chihuahua when winter comes back around.
To date, my favorite beet dishes are Russian beet salad (which I still need a proper name for) and borscht! (the exclamation point is necessary to show my enthusiasm).
The “beet salad” is more of a dip, actually. Made with beets, garlic, walnuts, prunes, and mayonnaise, the cold dish celebrates the sweeter side of the root, and it is an addictive spread on sourdough or crackers. I usually have to fight myself to not go in by the spoonful whenever my mom makes it at home. It’s got just the right amount of creaminess, that slight bit of crunch from the walnuts, and all the subtle harmonies of flavor that you could ask for. As with all beet-forward dishes, it also takes on a very pleasing color (this time more purple than red!).
Borscht(!) is another peasant dish/soup, and you know how powerful those tend to be. There are endless ways to make it, whether we’re talking family recipes or regional iterations or distinct styles from each European country that can lay claim to their own beautiful bowl of beets and company. The most common image that comes to mind when you hear borscht(!) is of Ukrainian origin. It combines beets, cabbage, carrots, potatoes, onions, and a fair amount of seasonings to create a symphony of tastes, textures, and flavors.
I referenced a recipe from the Berlin-based Youtuber My Name is Andong to create the dish that we’re looking at today. Unlike his recipe, I decided to keep my version entirely meatless. To be honest, I’ve dreamt about the additional layers of deliciousness that a strong chunk of beef would have added to my soup, but for the sake of budget and ease I decided to strictly celebrate the natural flavors of my vegetables this time.
The key difference that makes Andong’s recipe so special is the insistence that every vegetable be grated instead of the more rustic rough chop/cube that most borscht would probably make use of. While I found myself enjoying pushing the upper limits of my box grater, as well as the endurance of my hands going through about a half dozen beets, carrots, and potatoes, I can see how this level of dedication might not be to everyone’s liking. If you do ever decide to make your own borscht, I really do insist that you try though. If it helps, you can set up a grating station while you watch TV. Because to be honest, it’s going to take you a bit to get through all of that produce. I swear that the effort is going to be worth it.
By grating all of your ingredients the same way (the cabbage and onions are thinly chopped, but the result is effectively identical), you end up with a uniform shape and texture composing the bulk of your soup. This creates a velvety mouth feel, and allows for all of the flavors to soak in and mingle evenly across the tongue as you eat. Topped with a modest dollop of sour cream (Greek yogurt in my case here), some freshly cracked black pepper, and a healthy amount of fresh dill sprigs, you have yourself a restaurant-level meal. Sweet, tangy, and deceptively simple (if you’re up to the box grater workout), it’s definitely a method that I’m going to return to.
And as with all soups and stews, the Day 2 leftovers were even better than the first night.
To date, I’m still picking up beets from the farmer’s market whenever I can. I don’t care that summer is approaching. They’re still being grown, therefore I’m still eating them.
What other countries have their own take on beets? If anyone has any fun new recipes for me to try, I’d love to know.
Until then, I stare at the big, hunky bulb-looking thing staring back at me from the kitchen counter. You are not forgotten.
