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Cold Beet Soup
(Saltibarsciai)
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This is an unusual version of the traditional Eastern Europe beet soup. This one is chilled, then served very cold with a garnish of hot potatoes cooked with onions and dill. When the garnish goes into the soup, the result is stupendous.
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| What You Need: |
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10 beets, about 3 - 3½ pounds, with greens
3½ quarts water
2 medium cucumbers, peeled and coarsely julienned
¼ cup finely chopped fresh dill
¼ cup distilled white vinegar
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 pint sour cream
GARNISH
2 russet potatoes, boiled until just tender
1 medium yellow onion, peeled and finely chopped
4 tablespoons butter
4 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
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| How To Cook: |
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1. Remove and save the beet greens for another use. Leave 1 inch of the stem on the beets to prevent excess bleeding.
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2. Scrub the beets clean and place them in a 5- to 6-quart pot. Cover with 3½ quarts of water; bring to a boil, and simmer, uncovered, for 20 minutes or until just tender.
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3. Drain the beets, reserving the beet water, and allow cooling. Strain the water, making sure to remove any dirt that may have clung to the beets. Set it aside.
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4. Trim and peel the beets and cut 8 of them into short julienne. Grate the remaining 2 beets on the coarse side of a hand grater.
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5. In a 6- to 8-quart stainless steel pot, combine 3 quarts of the reserved beet water, the beets, cucumbers, dill, vinegar, and salt and pepper.
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6. In a separate bowl, whip the sour cream with 1 cup of the reserved water. Mix until smooth, add to the pot, and stir in. Chill several hours.
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7. Peel and dice the potatoes. Saute the onion in the butter and oil until clear. Add the potatoes and dill, and toss until hot.
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8. Serve the potato mixture on the side as a garnish for the cold soup.
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NOTE:
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Use a mandoline for best results with the julienned beets and cucumbers.
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