Roasted Beet Borscht

A brief cooking demonstration with nutrition education provided by a VA Registered Dietitian as a collaboration of The VA Healthy Teaching Kitchen and Whole Health to support VA employee health and wellbeing. This video is part of the National Nutrition Month(R) celebration for 2022: Celebrating a World of Flavors.

Roasted Beet Borscht
Prep: 20 minutes | Cook: 40 minutes | Total: 1 hour
Yield: 8 servings | Serving Size: 1 cup

Ingredients:
1 pound beets (about 2-3 medium beets), cut into 1-inch chunks
½ teaspoon salt, divided
½ teaspoon ground black pepper, divided
3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
2 large carrots, chopped (about 2 cups)
1 medium onion, chopped (about 1 cup)
2 cloves garlic, minced (about 1 teaspoon)
½ teaspoon dried thyme
6 cups (48 ounces) low-sodium vegetable broth
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon sugar or honey
2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill (about ½ ounce)
½ cup plain nonfat Greek yogurt
1 medium tart-flavored apple (e.g. Granny Smith), cored and finely chopped (about 1 cup)

Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 400°F.
2. On a baking sheet, toss the beets with
2 tablespoons of the oil, ¼ teaspoon of the salt, and ¼ teaspoon of the black pepper. Roast until tender, about 30-40 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, heat a large pot over medium heat. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil and heat until shimmering.
4. Add the carrots, onion, the remaining ¼ teaspoon salt, and the remaining ¼ teaspoon black pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until beginning to soften, about 10 minutes.
5. Add the garlic and thyme. Cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
6. Add the broth and bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat to maintain a simmer.
7. Cook until the carrots are tender, about 15-20 minutes.
8. Transfer the beets to a blender, along with the carrots, onion, and enough broth to fill the blender about halfway.
9. Remove the plastic piece from the center of the blender lid and place a towel over the hole. Blend until smooth, about 2-3 minutes.
10. Return the pureed mixture to the pot and stir in the vinegar and sugar or honey. Reheat over the stovetop if needed.
11. In a small mixing bowl, stir together the yogurt and dill.
12. Serve warm or chill before serving, topping each serving with 1 tablespoon of the yogurt-dill mixture and 2 tablespoons of the chopped apple.

Nutrition Facts Per Serving: Calories: 165 | Total Fat: 7.5 g | Saturated Fat: 1 g Sodium: 350 mg | Total Carbohydrate: 21.5 g | Dietary Fiber: 3.5 g | Protein: 6 g

For more recipes, please visit www.nutrition.va.gov