Borscht, like gazpacho, is difficult to define; there are more versions than you can count. But at least we know they all (or almost all, anyway) contain beets (it’s likely that the word borscht comes from the same root as the word for beet). And usually borscht is served cold. But it can be a vegetarian affair or a big meaty stew. The vegetarian version is usually served cold, while the beefy version is usually a hot winter dish. Here’s a fairly simple cold borscht with hot potatoes, a style I have made for thirty years (and first ate, at my grandmother’s table, before that). For a meaty borscht, see page 148.

　　

Ingredients

makes 4 servings

　　2 pounds beets, peeled

　　1 large white onion, peeled

　　1 bunch of fresh dill

　　Salt and black pepper to taste

　　4 hard-cooked eggs (page 338), peeled and quartered, for garnish, optional

　　1 medium cucumber, peeled, cut in half, seeded, and diced

　　4 medium red or white waxy potatoes, boiled until tender and kept hot, for garnish, optional

　　Fresh lemon juice to taste

　　Sour cream or yogurt for serving

　　

Step 1

Grate the beets and the onion together; you can do this on a box grater or, faster and easier, in a food processor; use either the basic metal blade and pulse carefully (do not puree) or the grating disk. Put them in a large saucepan with the stems of the dill (tie them in a bundle) and water to cover, about 6 cups.

　　

Step 2

Bring to a boil, then adjust the heat so the liquid simmers steadily but not violently, until the beets are tender, 15 to 20 minutes. Add salt and pepper, remove the dill stems, and chill. Meanwhile, prepare the eggs, cucumber, and/or potato.

　　

Step 3

When the soup is cold, taste and add lemon juice, salt, and pepper as necessary. Snip or chop the remaining dill. Serve the borscht in bowls, with any of the garnishes you like as well as the dill; pass sour cream at the table.

　　

Borscht Consommé

Step 4

An elegant and unusual starter: Cook the beets and onion in about 6 cups beef or chicken stock (page 160), along with a bay leaf. When tender, strain; discard the beets and, to the liquid, add the lemon juice, salt, and pepper to taste. Reheat and serve hot, garnished with chives, with or without sour cream.

　　The Best Recipes in the World by Mark Bittman. © 2005 by Mark Bittman. Published by Broadway Books. All Rights Reserved.MARK BITTMAN is the author of the blockbuster The Best Recipes in the World (Broadway, 2005) and the classic bestseller How to Cook Everything, which has sold more than one million copies. He is also the coauthor, with Jean-Georges Vongerichten, of Simple to Spectacular and Jean-Georges: Cooking at Home with a Four-Star Chef. Mr. Bittman is a prolific writer, makes frequent appearances on radio and television, and is the host of The Best Recipes in the World, a 13-part series on public television. He lives in New York and Connecticut.