Beet and Cranberry Borscht

How to Make Beet and Cranberry Borscht Recipe - Cranberry juice brings sweetness and fruity goodness to red cabbage and purple beets in a soup that is full of vitamins and antioxidants. For a main meal, serve with wholegrain bread.

SERVES: 6

PREPARATION: 10 MINUTES, COOKING: 15 MINUTES

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon (15 ml) olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2 celery stalks, chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1/2 teaspoon (2 ml) ground mace or nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon (2 ml) ground allspice
1 1/4 cups (300 g) red cabbage, finely shredded
2/3 cup (150 ml) chicken stock, hot
2 1/2 cups (600 ml) cranberry juice drink
1 3/4 cups (450 g) cooked beets, diced
2 teaspoons (10 ml) red wine vinegar or cider vinegar
2 tablespoons (30 ml) lemon juice
freshly ground black pepper
4 tablespoons (60 ml) low-fat plain yogurt
3 tablespoons (45 ml) snipped chives

Method:
1 Heat the oil in a large saucepan over high heat, add the onion, celery, garlic, mace and allspice and stir to combine. Reduce the heat to medium, then cover the pan and cook for 4 minutes, or until the vegetables begin to soften.

2 Add the cabbage to the pan and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add the hot stock, 13/4 cups (450 ml) water and the cranberry juice drink. Stir in the beets and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover and cook at a slow simmer for 10 minutes.

3 Stir in the vinegar and lemon juice and season to taste with pepper. Ladle the soup into four bowls, then top each serving with 1 tablespoon (15 ml) yogurt and sprinkle with chives.

Each serving provides
141 calories, 4 g protein, 4 g fat (<1 g saturated fat), 23 g carbohydrate (22 g sugars), 5 g fiber, 148 mg sodium

Cut the cabbage into short fine shreds by slicing it into slim wedges and then finely slicing the wedges—the cabbage should then fall apart. Vacuum-packed cooked beets are a brilliant pantry ingredient with a long shelf life. For this recipe, make sure it is not the kind preserved with vinegar. Otherwise, boil or bake unpeeled beets until tender, rub off the skins, and use as directed above.

Superfood
RED CABBAGE belongs to the brassica family, with broccoli and watercress. It is bursting with antioxidant nutrients, and provides vitamin C and B vitamins, such as folate. Evidence links brassicas with a reduced risk for cancer of the digestive tract.

Beet and Cranberry Borscht