Hearty Borscht with Barley

I kept forgetting my beets in the garden because they had such a slow start.  By the time I was in the mood to pull them, I didn't feel like making anything summery with them.  That led me to a search for a beet and barley soup, which turns out to be hot borscht.

I'm used to chilled borscht in the spring and summer, but have never had a hot version.  It's what is common in Russia, Poland, and other countries in Eastern Europe.  It is not a light, first course soup.  It's a winter meal.  It's vegetable soup with all kinds of root vegetables, a sturdy beef broth, and even sometimes chunks of beef stew meat.  Beef was $9 a pound for stew meat, so I'm using pork today at one-third the cost.

There are convenience beets now, for those who hate cleaning and peeling fresh beets.  You could also use canned in water.  I'm choosing to roast my fresh-pulled beets for deeper flavor.  Besides, the skin peels right off once they're roasted.

You will notice in the top photo that the soup is not dark.  That's partly because the beets were smaller than I was expecting and I didn't feel like going back to the store.  It's also because I'm not using tomatoes.  I wanted to taste the root vegetables.  As a result, this soup is slightly sweet.  You can add lemon juice and/or more salt to counteract that sweetness, or use potatoes instead of parsnips.

*1 bunch (3) red beets
2 Tb olive oil
1/2 C diced yellow onion
*1 rib celery, diced
1 quart unsalted or low-sodium beef broth
1/2 C pearl barley, rinsed
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
2 parsnips, peeled and chopped
1 lb stew meat, optional
salt and pepper to taste
parsley and/or sour cream, for garnish

1.  Preheat oven to 375º.  Scrub beets clean.  Remove tops and any long taproot.  Wrap in foil and roast until tender, about 30 minutes.  Allow to cool 10 minutes.  Unwrap from foil and rub skins off.  Chop into bit-sized pieces.

2.  While the beets are roasting, start the soup.  In a large pot over medium heat, cook the onion and celery in the oil until soft.  Add the meat and cook until browned, stirring often.

3.  Add the stock and rinsed barley and bring to a low boil.  Reduce heat to a simmer, cover, and cook about 20 minutes.  By now, the beets should be done and ready for the pot.

4.  Add carrots, parsnips, and beets to the soup.  Taste broth and add salt and pepper.  You want to add seasonings when the soup is the same temperature it will be served.  Cover and continue to simmer until vegetables and barley are cooked, about 15-20 more minutes.

5.  Ladle soup into bowls and garnish with parsley and/or sour cream.  Serve hot.

Difficulty rating  π