Borscht 

Ward off those rainy dismal days

With roots firmly embedded in central European rural communities, this soup is as hearty as it gets, not that this means its bland or lacking in character, far from it! Traditionally a balance of flavour stems from a bitterness found in cruciferous vegetables, and sweetness found in sugar dense root vegetables. Cooked in rich meat broths to be mopped up with slabs of farmhouse bread, this soup is a meal in itself… which is the whole point really. 

Refinement of thrifty farmhouse fayre is the bread and butter of many a posh restaurant chef to be showcased in fine china and a sophisticated décor. It can be, and more often than not is, far more straightforward with a lot less faff and ceremony. The key is to season with an eye to enhancing inherent characteristics without overpowering the start of the show. 

This time of year sees beetroot, Cavolo Nero (or any of the kale family) and carrots in abundance, and often resigned to be a supporting character rather than having a staring role. This recipe readjusts the balance. A simple flow of preparation and cooking sees this soup made in a flash, ready to eat before your mac and wellies have even had time to drip dry.


Serves 2
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time:35 minutes
Ingredients:
1 onion
Rapeseed oil
½ tsp mustard seeds
1tsp fennel seeds
½ tsp dried chilli flakes
2 beetroot, with leaves if you can
1 onion
2 carrot
Stock or any kind, or water
Sea slat flakes
6, or so, stalks of Cavolo Nero
Fresh ground black pepper

1. Gently heat a small puddle of rapeseed oil in a large saucepan with lid. Lightly crush the mustard seeds, fennel seeds then toast in the oil with the chilli flakes. 

2. Peel and cut the beetroot into small even dice, reserving the leaves and stems, then add to the pan. By this time the spices will have tempered, releasing their aroma.

3. Peel and finely slice the onion then add to the pan, keeping the medium heat and stirring occasionally to avoid any colouration.

4. Scrub and cut the carrot into small dice and add to the pan as well. By this time the beetroot will have softened slightly and onion become translucent. At this point turn up the heat and barely cover the ingredients with stock or water. Season with half a teaspoon of salt at this stage.

5. Slice the Cavolo Nero, beetroot stems and leaves, discarding the tough base of the stems. Once the soup has reached a boil, turn down to a simmer, add the Cavolo Nero and replace the lid. Cook for a further 10 minutes.

6. Remove from the heat and season with lots of black pepper and salt, if necessary, to taste.

Serve with yoghurt mixed with a little oil, salt and pepper, and your favourite bread.

Chef Notes:
1. Seasoning with mustard seeds accentuates the slight bitterness found in vegetables of the brassica family. Take this one step further by stirring in some whole grain mustard after cooking so as not to destroy the kick.
2. Fennel seeds bring out any floral notes hiding in the beetroot and carrot. Seasoning with dill at the end builds on this.

Robin Popham
Chef at ‘Create Terroir’ and Sandy Lane Farm veg box customer