By DCist contributor Jenny Holm
Strolling past baskets brimming with tender leaves, slender scallions and ramps, and the soft fronds of young herbs at the Dupont Farmers’ Market on a recent weekend, I found myself hankering after a fragrant pot of green borscht. This light, refreshing soup bears little resemblance to the red beet soup with which it shares a name. It contains no beets, relying instead on exactly those ingredients that are freshest right now: leafy greens, scallions, herbs and eggs. Its flavors reflect the essence of springtime—bright, delicate, and, yes green.
I first tried green borscht at a small, sunny restaurant in Astrakhan, a Russian city not far from the shore of the Caspian Sea. There it is usually made with sorrel, a tart green that most Americans regard as a weed but which is used in soups and salads throughout Eastern Europe. I noticed one vendor selling sorrel in pots at the market, but I usually use more commonly available bitter greens: kale, collards, chard or even spinach mixed with a little lemon juice.
You can whip up a pot of this soup in 30 minutes or less, mixing and matching whatever greens you have on hand. It will keep for several days in the fridge. Serve it with crusty sourdough bread and a dollop of sour cream on top.
Green Borscht
(Serves 4)
4 cups chicken, beef, or vegetable broth
2 bay leaves
4 eggs, hard-boiled (if desired)
2 medium or 4 small yellow or red potatoes, peeled or not, chopped into 1-inch chunks
4-5 cups kale, chard, collards, or other bitter greens, roughly chopped
1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
1 bunch scallions, finely chopped
2 medium cloves garlic, minced
1/2 bunch flat-leaf Italian parsley, finely chopped
1/2 bunch dill, finely chopped
A pinch of salt and black pepper to taste
Sour cream, if desired
1. Warm the broth, bay leaves, salt and pepper in a large pot over medium heat to just below a boil.
2. Hard-boil the eggs: put the eggs in a small pot with enough water to cover them by one inch. Bring the water to a boil over medium high heat. As soon as it boils, remove from the heat and set aside for nine minutes. Drain and run cold water over the eggs to stop their cooking.
3. Add the potatoes and greens to the broth, stirring occasionally as they cook.
4. Meanwhile, saute the onion and the white parts of the scallions (reserve the green parts) in olive oil until softened (about five minutes), add the garlic and saute 30 seconds more, then add it all to the soup.
5. When the potatoes are tender (10 to 15 minutes), remove the pot from the heat. Stir in the chopped parsley, dill, and the green parts of the scallions. Add water if you prefer a thinner soup. Adjust salt and pepper to taste.
6. Chop the hard-boiled eggs into wedges and place a few in the bottom of each bowl before ladling soup over them. (Leave out the eggs for a lighter soup.) Stir in sour cream at the table if desired.
Jenny Holm is a writer and cook who spends a lot of time thinking about former Soviet nations, the future of the printed word, and what’s for breakfast, lunch, dinner and everything in between. She writes the blog Eat with Pleasure.
