slowcooked borscht

the purple fingernails were totally worth it. it’s a bit messy to prep, but this homemade borscht is quite tasty and surprisingly simple. (read: slowcooker goodness.)

beets and kale made for the perfect ingredients for this hearty, cleanse-friendly autumn soup. it was my first try at cooking homemade borscht and i’m so glad that i gave it a go. it was a great way to warm-up on a chilly day — and use up all those beets i bought on special at the local farmers’ market on the weekend! plenty of leftover soup to freeze for a rainy — er, snowy? — day. cheap eats. love it.

slowcook the soup:
add the following ingredients into a medium slowcooker and stir to combine well.
simmer at high heat in the slowcooker for approx 4.5 hours.

– 8-10 medium beets (peeled, diced)
– 5 small purple potatoes (diced, skin on)
– 3 cups raw kale (stems removed, torn into bite-sized pieces)
– 1/4 cup fresh italian parsley (diced)
– 1 tbsp fennel fronds (diced)
– 4-5 cups water
– drizzle 2 tbsp organic apple cider vinegar
– 4 tbsp light sour cream
– drizzle 1-2 tsp extra-virgin olive oil
– season w/ ground black peppercorns

note: recommend not leaving the slowcooker unattended. you will need to stir ingredients occasionally and lift the slowcooker lid slightly to release steam occasionally during the slowcooking process, so it’s best to stay nearby. be sure to follow the safety instructional manual that came with your particular model of slowcooker.

food styling:
– dish up in a large soup bowl
– garnish w/ a dollop of light sour cream
– don’t forget your bib! ;)