This is a vegetarian Borscht, but you may add meat if you wish. I think it holds better in the fridge without meat and the beans are an excellent source of protein. This is definitely a traditional soup and if you’ve never tried it, you are missing out on a real treat.  It looks and tastes fantastic…..

Ingredients: 

2 large potatoes, washed, peeled and cut into chunky bite-sized pieces

3 large beets, thoroughly washed and peeled and cut into bite-sized pieces

1  red capsicum, cleaned and cut into thick strips

1 large onion, finely chopped

3 ripe tomatoes, chopped into eighths

2 carrots, peeled and cut into bite-size chunks

1/2 head of sugar loaf cabbage, thinly chopped

1 can white beans with their juice

4 tablespoons oil

2 bay leaves

2 dessertspoons of massel chicken stock powder

3 tablespoons tomato sauce

4 tablespoons lemon juice

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

1 tablespoon chopped dill

1 teaspoon salt

Method:

 It is the objective to cook all your vegetables so they stay slightly firm so they will be individually visible in the soup.

1.  Add potatoes to a large soup pot and cover with boiling water and bring to a boil. Cover and cook for 15 minutes or until potatoes are starting to soften.

2.  When the potatoes are almost cooked and you can pierce them with a fork, add cabbage and continue to cook 5 minutes.

3. Start this step while potatoes are still cooking. Heat a large skillet over medium/high heat. Add 4 tbsp olive oil and sauté the beets, onions, tomato and capsicum. Cook until vegetables are starting to soften (15 – 20 minutes).  Stir through the ketchup and add sautéed veggies to the potato soup pot.
4.  Add 2 dessert spoons of massel chicken stock powder to a 500 mls boiling water and add to soup pot. Then add the lemon juice, pepper, bay leaves and can of white beans (with their juice) to the pot.

5.  Add chopped dill (retain enough to sprinkle a little on the top of each bowl) and ½ teaspoon of salt. Taste and add more if required.

6.  Cook the soup for another 5 minutes, or until the cabbage is soft and well cooked. If too much  liquid has evaporated add more at this point and quickly heat through.

Serve with a dollop of sour cream and sprinkle of dill.

It’s a great meal for babies too –  just puree it in a blender.

• Beetroot ‘can help to cut blood pressure’ Drinking just 500 mls of beetroot juice a day can significantly reduce blood pressure current research suggests. The key beneficial ingredient appears to be a healthy type of nitrate, which is also found in green leafy vegetables. Researchers found that in healthy volunteers blood pressure was reduced within an hour of drinking the juice. While it took less than an hour to note a reduction in blood pressure in the beetroot juice tests, it was more pronounced after three to four hours and a degree of reduction continued to be observed for up to 24 hours. Not only is drinking beetroot juice a low-cost way to treat hypertension, but a simple way to maintain a healthy cardiovascular system.  It is important to regularly check your blood pressure if you have had a history of hypertension and remember the importance of a healthy diet and regular exercise.

• Beetroot is ‘Mood food’ and has also been the focus of some interesting research to assess the long term benefits that eating or drinking beetroot has on mood enhancement. Along with being rich in phytochemicals and soluble fibre, beetroot contains this healthy nitrate compound called betaine that is thought to relax the mind. In the diet, betaine rich foods are pharmacologically active and have been shown to promote the synthesis of the mood enhancing chemical serotonin. Legumes, broccoli and spinach also contain betaine, however the levels are not as high as those found in beetroot. So it sounds like a vibrant, roasted beetroot salad is a hard option to pass over this winter.

• The beetroot is oily, cool (the cool element of the vegetable helps reduce inflammation), nutritious and a bile controller (aids digestion and bowel regularity). It improves the quality of the blood. It reddens and vitalises the body. The betaine content of the beet also helps in cleansing the stomach, liver and the intestine. Beetroot juice is often included in cancer programs. In France, there have been many experiments on the use of very large quantities of beet-juice to aid recovery in cases of malignancy. Specific anti-carcinogens are bound to the red colouring matter, which supposedly helps fight against cancer and beetroot also increases the uptake of oxygen by as much as 400 percent. Additional studies are taking place to add support to these claims. In Germany, the juice is available in bottles. It is widely used as a powerful restorative during convalescence. Beetroot juice is harmless and obviously very beneficial. It is rejuvenating and is effective in every type of weakness.

• Beetroot contains copious amounts of nutrients such as vitamin-C, folic acid, potassium, and silica, which makes it a useful antidote to eating too much salt and a contributor to lowering blood pressure.  Silica is an organizer of calcium in the body and also aids in the uptake of calcium. The green leafy part of the beetroot is also of nutritional value containing beta-carotene and other carotenoids (plant pigments) – of which there is a family of about 600 different types. These all function as antioxidants. The yellow, orange, and many of the red pigments in fruits, vegetables, and plant materials are usually carotenoids. This part of the beet contains most of the folate, iron, potassium and some vitamin C. The roots and greens therefore are great for women in general and for those planning pregnancy. Try eating the leaves and stalk boiled or steamed and accompany with other more flavoursome vegies like onions and garlic. Or chop finely and add to quiches, stir-fries or salads.

(c) Maxine Wright:  Advanced Dip Naturopathy – Medical Herbalist – Nutritionalist – Iridologist – Hemaview Tech - Health Coach – Weight Loss counsellor – Massage Therapist – Beauty Therapist – Speaker.  Step Into Health Wellness Centre - facebook - twitter.

This simple, light and delicious – an ideal special lunch for these hot summer days!

Ingredients:

1 cup of mixed salad leaves

4 medium sized beetroot

Celtic sea salt

Ground black pepper

4 oranges peeled and cut into 8 wedges

125 g of goat’s cheese

1 pomegranate deseeded

Dressing:

125 ml extra virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

Method:

Preheat the oven to 200C or 400F gas. Scrub the beetroot thoroughly and pat dry. Place the beetroot on a foil covered tray and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Then cover the beetroot securely in the foil and bake for 1 3/4 hours or until the beetroot is tender when pierced with a fork. Allow it to cool then cut it into 8 wedges.

Mix the olive oil and vinegar well in a small bowl.

Divide the orange and beetroot wedges and salad leaves among four plates and then crumble and spread the goat’s cheese evenly. Drop some of the pomegranate seeds on to each of the plates as above.

Drizzle each with dressing and serve.

Serves 4        Preparation time 20 minutes extra for cooking.

The flavour of fresh beetroot is deliciously refreshing and lifts this soup out of the ordinary. However you can use an 810g can of sliced beetroot. Using a food processor to grate beetroot and chop apple and vegetables saves time. Serve this soup hot or chilled.

Preparation time is approximately 20 minutes

RECIPE INGREDIENTS
Beetroot 4 each medium – peeled & grated
Cabbage (red) 1 cup shredded
Onion (red) 1 medium – chopped
Chives 1 sprig finely chopped
Apple (Granny Smith) 1 large peeled, cored and sliced
Oil (Olive) 2 teaspoon
Tomato Puree 2 tablespoon
White Wine  optional  1/8 cup
Chicken Stock (massel powder)  4 cups
Yoghurt (natural) 200 g
3 bay leaves (remove before serving)

RECIPE STEPS
Heat oil in a large saucepan. Add onion and cook over a low heat for 4-5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add beetroot, apple, cabbage, stock, bay leaves, wine and tomato puree, bring to the boil, cover and simmer for 10 minutes. Add 100 gr of yoghurt and stir well. If serving hot, serve at once. If serving cold, allow to cool and then refrigerate for at least 2 hours.

To serve, ladle soup into four bowls and top each with a good dollop of remaining natural yoghurt. Swirl through with a fork and garnish with chives or parsley and a sprinkle of black pepper.

Additional information on the benefits of beetroot and Beetroot How To’s

(c) Maxine Wright:  Advanced Dip Naturopathy – Medical Herbalist – Nutritionalist – Iridologist – Hemaview Tech - Health Coach – Weight Loss counsellor – Massage Therapist – Beauty Therapist – Speaker.  Step Into Health Wellness Centre - facebook - twitter.