Beet and Beef Soup

This hearty gluten-free soup is based on the classic borscht. It is substantial enough to be a meal in itself and can be prepared in a single pot.

Hot beet and beef soup—topped with sour cream and fresh dill and served with a slice of buttered, gluten-free pumpernickel bread—makes a complete meal!

When cold, icy weather hits the North, my mind turns to warming dishes. Soups, stews, and braised meats and vegetables are what hit the spot when the skies are gray and wet, so I’m going to share a recipe for a gluten-free soup that is based on the Russian classic known as borscht. It has more vegetables than just the beets and uses lean ground beef instead of the traditional chunks of stewed beef. This dish tastes best when topped with chopped fresh dill leaves, so do yourself a favor and find some at your local market.

You can make this entire dish in a single pot, so go ahead and make a large portion, enough to last a few days. The leftover soup will taste even better the next day and is easily reheated to make a quick but filling meal.

Oh, and here’s a secret about beets—they are a two-for-one vegetable. The beet roots are delicious, and so are the leaves and stems. So when you shop for beets, look for bunches with fresh, healthy greens. You can cook the leaves the same way you cook chard; they are basically the same vegetable. When I worked for an organic farm market, it always puzzled me when some customers would ask the market staff to remove the beet leaves and then just take the roots. I would take those leaves home and cook them. Anyway, you may notice in the photo below that about half of the chopped beet on the cutting board is actually chopped stems; that’s because they taste exactly the same, and wanted to use that stems that day (you’ll also see a bit of green from a few leaves that got thrown in as well).

I was chopping vegetables and thought I was going to use yellow onion—until I saw I was out of fresh onions—so, as I often do, I improvised, substituting garlic for the onion. The results were fantastic. Also, you may notice that about half of the beets are actually chopped beet stems (with a bit of the leaves thrown in). The stems taste the same as the beet roots.

Ingredients:

• 1 pound 90% lean ground beef

• 1 tablespoon finely chopped garlic (alternatively, you could use a cup of diced onions)

• 1 cup diced celery

• 1 cup diced carrots

• 4 cups finely chopped or grated beets

• 2 cups shredded purple cabbage

• 6 cups beef or vegetable stock (see my recipe for vegetable stock)

• 1 tablespoon sea salt (or to taste)

• 2 tablespoons apple cider or red wine vinegar

• ½ cup chopped fresh dill leaves

• Sour cream (to be added when serving)

Directions:

• Brown the ground beef in a heavy pot (I used my Le Creuset enameled cast iron Dutch oven)

• Add onions, celery, and carrots and sauté until soft

• Add the beets, cabbage, stock, and salt

• Bring the pot to a boil, then reduce to a simmer for 30 minutes

• Remove from heat and stir in the vinegar and dill

• Serve topped with a spoonful of sour cream and a sprinkle of fresh dill

  

  Sauté the beef until it is thoroughly browned.

  

  Once the celery, carrots, and garlic (or onions) are cooked until soft, you can add the beets and cabbage, as shown here.

  

  That is one hearty soup!