borscht (beet soup) with dill yogurt + pumpkin seeds

Currently, I am in the middle of preparing the biggest meal of the year, but while my stove is simmering and my oven is braising I thought I would share this recipe with you which has been my new favorite.

It also happens to have the colors of christmas, so I thought it was even more appropriate that I share this recipe today. 

Borscht is a beet soup that originated in central and eastern europe. If you love beets, you will love borscht.

This version is a dressed up, spruced up version. Perfect to serve for a holiday meal, christmas (if you celebrate it) would be ideal. Of course, if you don't celebrate christmas or if you just want to make a big batch of it for yourself, that is ideal too. 

Happy Holidays! XO 

borscht (beet soup) with dill yogurt + pumpkin seeds

serves
about 8 

ingredients

2-3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
1 yellow onion, diced
1 small leek, diced
3 garlic cloves, minced
4 beets, peeled and diced
2 carrots, diced
1 celery stick, diced
1 large potato, peeled and diced
4-6 cups of water (or homemade vegetable stock) 
1 teaspoon of dried sage
1 teaspoon of salt
pepper
a bay leaf

1 cup of plain greek yogurt
1/4 cup of fresh dill, chopped
1/2 a teaspoon of salt
pepper (or white pepper)

roasted pumpkin seeds for garnish (about 1/4 - 1/2 a cup)

method

• In a medium sized heavy pot heat the olive oil over medium heat and add the onions, leeks, and garlic. Sauté for 5-6 minutes, until the onions are clear and soft. 
• Add the remaining vegetables: beets, carrots, celery, potato, and add the sage, salt and pepper. Stir to coat the vegetables with the onions and cook for about 5 minutes. 
• Then add the water or stock and the bay leaf. Bring to a gentle boil, reduce the heat and simmer on low for 20-30 minutes, until the vegetables are tender. 
• While the soup is cooking, make the dill yogurt. Combine the ingredients in a small bowl and stir to combine. Set aside or refrigerate until you are ready to use. 
• When the vegetables are tender, the soup is ready. Here you can chose to serve the soup as is (chunky) or you can puree part or all of the soup. I like to puree a little, leaving some of the vegetable chunks. I use an immersion blender to get this texture. I pulse a few times all around until I have the consistency I like. If you want to puree the soup, using a blender (a vitamix works great), carefully transfer the soup to the blender and blend on low-medium until you have the desired consistency. 
• Serve warm and top with the dill yogurt and a sprinkle of the toasted pumpkin seeds.