Paleo diet food list

BORSCHT

Borscht is such a wonderfully tasty way to use up any veggies you might have in your refrigerator. The combination of beets and fresh dill is great, and the beef broth gives the soup a lovely richness. You can make your own beef broth (see the Chicken Soup recipe, here), but if you’re in a hurry or don’t have any, some store-bought broth will do the trick. SERVES 4

PREP TIME: 15 minutes

COOK TIME: 40 minutes

8 cups beef broth

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 onion, diced

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 carrots, chopped

2 celery stalks, chopped

1 teaspoon dried oregano

Salt

Freshly ground black pepper

2 dried bay leaves

3 beets, peeled

¼ cup minced fresh dill

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

  1. In a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, bring the broth to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, and simmer.
  2. In a large saucepan over medium heat, heat the olive oil. Sauté the onion and garlic until the onion becomes slightly translucent, about 5 minutes.
  3. Add the carrots, celery, and oregano to the onions and garlic, season with salt and pepper, and stir. Reduce the heat to low, and cook for 7 to 8 minutes, or until the vegetables become fork-tender.
  4. Carefully transfer the simmering broth to the pot with the vegetables. Add the bay leaves, and continue to simmer for about 10 minutes.
  5. Grate the beets right into the soup, and simmer for an additional 15 minutes.
  6. Add the dill, and remove the borscht from the heat. Stir in the red wine vinegar and serve.

VARIATION 1 VEGETARIAN BORSCHT: Use vegetable broth instead of beef broth if you’d like to make a vegetarian-friendly soup.

VARIATION 2 BORSCHT WITH COCONUT CREAM: Traditionally, borscht is served garnished with sour cream, but since dairy isn’t Paleo, you can top it with whipped coconut cream—refrigerate a can of coconut cream overnight and then scoop the solid part out from the top. Whip it quickly in a mixer to make it extra fluffy, and season with salt, pepper, and garlic powder to bring out a more savory flavor. Spoon a dollop onto the soup.

PREP TIP: Make this soup ahead of time, and reheat on the stove before serving.