Williams-sonoma Chilled Beet Borscht With Dill Cream

Total Time: 1 hr 30 mins Preparation Time: 30 mins Cook Time: 1 hr

Ingredients

• Servings: 8
• 8 beets, scrubbed and trimmed (about 2 lbs)
• 1 yellow onion, cut into quarters
• 8 cups chicken stock or 8 cups prepared broth
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 2 cucumbers, peeled, seeded and julienned
• 4 tablespoons finely chopped fresh dill
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons unseasoned rice wine vinegar
• salt & freshly ground black pepper
• 1 cup sour cream
• fresh ground pepper

Recipe

• 1 in a large non-aluminum soup pot, combine the beets, onion quarters, stock, sugar and 1 cup of water.
• 2 cover and bring to a boil over medium-high heat.
• 3 reduce the heat to low and simmer, still covered, until the beets are tender when pierced with the tip of a knife - about 30-35 minutes.
• 4 with a slotted spoon, transfer the beets to a bowl and let cool. reserve the cooking liquid.
• 5 when cool enough to handle, peel the beets under cool running water. cut the beets in half crosswise. reserve 6 beet halves. cut the remaining beets into julienne strips cover and refrigerate until ready to use.
• 6 strain the reserved cooking liquid through a fine-mesh sieve into a large bowl. discard the onions.
• 7 in a blender or food processor, combine the reserved beet halves with 1 cup of the beet cooking liquid and process to a smooth puree. add to the bowl with the remaining cooking liquid. cover and refrigerate until well-chilled, preferably overnight.
• 8 when ready to serve, add the julienned beets and cucumbers, 2 tbs of the dill, the lemon juice, vinegar and salt and black pepper to taste to the soup.
• 9 mix well until incorporated. taste and adjust the seasoning.
• 10 in a small bowl, combine the sour cream, the remaining 2 tbs of the dill, and salt and pepper to taste, and mix well.
• 11 ladle the soup into chilled bowls and garnish with the dill cream.