Beach Borscht (perhaps) for Winter

By Lisa Shaub

​I invented the cold version of this soup on a hot summer day in NYC. You know, the type of day when you are cowering next to the air conditioner because being outside feels like pea soup? I had cooked up my beets, and the water looked so pretty that I put it in the fridge to use later. As luck would have it, my Husband decided that the next day would be an ocean day. I blended up this soup and served it on the beach chilled in glass jars. So refreshing! Beets have many helpful mineral and nutrients. They cleanse the blood and kidneys. According to Gary Null, drinking beet juice helps athletes perform at a higher level.

​Ingredients
5 medium beets with tails and tops cut
1 onion chopped
3 cloves garlic
¼ C apple cider vinegar
1 T Dijon mustard
1/2 t gray sea salt
Zest of 1 organic lemon
Juice of 1 organic lemon
Filtered water
For cold soup only- 1 cucumber chopped
For hot soup only- 1 potato, boiled, skinned and mashed 

Directions
Cook beets in a medium saucepan filled to the top with water. Add a pinch of the garlic. Boil until soft. Remove from heat. De-skin beets and cut the tails. Chop into medium pieces using a Vitamix or blender. Add half of the beets, cucumber (for cold soup) or potato (for hot soup), garlic, onion, vinegar, mustard, salt, lemon zest. Blend until smooth, adding beet water until desired thickness.

​For Cold Soup: Add beets and refrigerate for one hour.
Extra Credit: Add shredded onion, daikon, avocado, bean sprouts, chopped pecans or yoghurt.

​For Hot Soup: Add beets, and heat until bubbly.
Extra credit: Add crisped onions, toasted pine nuts, or sour cream. Enjoy!