We’ve all heard of borscht at some time during our lifetimes and most of us have must have tasted the typically Russian crimson soup. It can easily be made in advance and is served either cold or warm at the start of a meal that will, inevitably, turn into a feast. It originated in the Ukraine but the recipe is well known throughout Russia and, for that matter, the world.  Because it’s so delicious and also looks absolutely beautiful, it’s a natural choice for a special meal like the one at Christmas. There are many recipes and this one is simple enough for you to adapt  to suit your taste.

Ingredients

• 4 large red beetroots
• 1 celeriac
• 2 carrots
• 1 parsley root
• 1 leek
• 1 onion
• 1 large parsnip
• 10 black peppercorns
• 2  allspice
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 glass and a half of red wine (a merlot is really good)
• 1 tsp sugar
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 2 lemons, juice only
• salt and pepper

Method

• Chop all the vegetables with the exception of the beetroot and pop into 1 ½ litres of boiling water, simmering for 20 minutes.
• In a separate pot, place the peeled and sliced beetroots, the peppercorns, the allspice and the bay leaves simmer, uncovered, in ½ litre of water for 30 – 40 minutes.
• Now, sieve the liquid from both pots, reserving the beetroot slices but not the other vegetables and combine the two – this is the borscht.
• Return the borscht to the heat, add the red wine, the lemon juice, salt and pepper to taste, the sugar and the garlic and simmer again for about 15 – 20 minutes.
• In a food processor, place the beetroot slices and add a ladle of water into the processor (you can use a mini-processor as well) and process until the puree is so smooth and silky that it’s a velvet fluid.
• Stir this into the soup, whisk through and serve with loads of Smetana or sour cream.