Baba’s Borscht

I am super excited to finally have my blog up and running – this is definitely a work in progress as I am clearly not as computer savvy as I thought I was! I will start this blog by posting one of my all time favorite recipes – Baba’s Borscht!

Nothing brings me back to my Baba’s house like the smell of borscht cooking in the crockpot (that’s how I like to make mine – throw everything into the slow cooker, set it, and forget it…or try to because the smell is so wonderful I usually sit in agony with my mouth watering waiting to dive in!). Although borscht seems like it can be a pretty boring bland soup, it is so far from that! Colorful beets, carrots, green beans meld together with fresh dill and create a warm and incredibly nutritious soup.

Baba's Borscht - Welcome!

Cook time

6 hours

Total time

6 hours

So let’s get into the recipe! It is quite simple, and I suggest you do all the prep – chopping of vegetables and dill first, then it’s all ready and easy to just toss into the pot.

Ingredients

1 medium onion, diced
2 -3 medium beets, peeled and diced small
1 large potatoe, peeled and diced
2 carrots, peeled and halved, then diced
1 cup green beans, ends trimmed, cut into ½″
3 cloves of garlic, minced
2 tablespoons of fresh dill, chopped fine
900mL chicken broth (or vegetable broth) – I use organic & low sodium (the smaller the ingredients list the better!)
1 cup of water
¼ cup dill pickle juice (I love getting canned pickles from the farmers market or family who cans their own as many store-bought pickles contain additives and colorants)
5.5oz can tomato paste
1 tbsp coconut sugar (coconut sugar can be found at most grocery stores and has a much lower glycemic index than refined sugar so it does not cause a spike in blood sugar levels)
salt and pepper, to taste
sour cream to garnish

Instructions

Dice and chop all vegetables (beets, potato, carrots, onion, green beans) and place into the slow cooker.
Add minced garlic, coconut sugar, tomato paste, and dill pickle juice.
Pour chicken stock into crock pot, then pour water to make sure all ingredients are just covered.
Add fresh dill, salt and pepper (about a teaspoon of each, you can taste later and add more if needed)
Stir all ingredients to mix well. Turn crock pot on to high heat at 6 hours, and let it do it’s magic!
Be sure to check on the borscht periodically, and if you notice the beets losing color, turn the temperature to low heat until finished.
Garnish with a dollop of light sour cream and a sprig of dill, and enjoy

Notes

A great thing about this soup is the taste gets even better with time – I like to leave leftovers in the fridge and enjoy the borscht again the following day when the flavors have developed even more! It is absolutely wonderful, FULL of nutrients, and very low in fat and calories! I freeze the rest (if there is any) and enjoy it over time on a chilly day, or a day when I am missing my Baba and want a little walk down memory lane!