My great-grandmother Anna immigrated to the United States from Eastern Europe. As a young child, when I’d visit her, she was always cooking. One of her specialties was borscht, a beet soup served with sour cream and boiled potatoes. This recipe was handed down to her granddaughter Michele.
I tweaked it by adding a half of a small, diced onion and two cloves of minced garlic to the water along with beets. Try it both ways.
Granny Annie’s Borscht
From the kitchen of Priya Hutner
2 C beets, peeled & grated
1 C potatoes, peeled, diced
2 t lemon juice (add more if you’d like it a bit tangier)
1 t sugar
6 C water
2 t salt
1 t pepper
½ C sour cream
½ small onion, diced (optional)
2 cloves garlic, minced (optional)
Boil potatoes in 2 cups of water, drain and set aside.
Fill a medium pot with 4 cups of water. Peel and grate beets and add to the pot, making sure the water covers them. (Add the onion and garlic to the water if desired.) Add lemon juice, sugar, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, then turn down heat and simmer.
Serve with sour cream and boiled potatoes. This recipe can be served hot or cold.
