Chilled Borsch

I always thought of borsch as some yucky hot Russian soup they made with beets because they were too poor to eat anything else...until I tasted a really delicious chilled borsch at a friend's house one evening. Now that I've reassessed the whole idea of borsch, I'm sure the hot winter version can be delicious, too. But it's summer now, and this is the version I know is good. It's nutricious, too -- beets are nutritional powerhouses, and this has carrots and cabbage and cucumber. I find that in the summer I tend away from vegetables and toward fruits. That may be some seasonal genetic thing. But I still think it's good to "eat my veggies"...

Chilled Borsch

1/2 cup carrots, peeled and chopped fine
1 cup onions, peeled and chopped fine
2 cups beets, peeled and chopped fine
1 tablespoon butter
2 cups beef stock
1 cup finely shredded cabbage
1 tablespoon vinegar

Place carrots, onions, and beets in large saute pan and cover with boiling water. Simmer covered for about 20 minutes.
Add butter, beef stock, cabbage, and vinegar. Simmer for about fifteen minutes.
Puree in blender or with immersion blender.
Chill for about one hour (or longer).

Serve garnished with sour cream and shredded cucumber, and pumpernickel bread.