Beets may be associated with cooler weather, but when bunches of fresh and lovely beets start appearing in the farmers’ markets, you make beet soup! Of course, it’s probably too warm to make piping hot borscht if you’re in the Northern Hemisphere, so today I’m sharing a cool and refreshing alternative to beet soup. A no-cook borscht, to be precise.
Enjoying summer
Quebec summers are (in)famous for being terribly short, sometimes the folks here joke that summer lasts but a fortnight. However, it’s been a wonderful summer so far, with loads of glorious sun drenched days interspersed with cloudy days and short passing showers.
My family has been taking advantage of the lovely warm weather, spending as much time as possible outdoors during the weekends. That leaves me less time to spend in the kitchen, especially with the kids eager to head out to explore!
Make a no-cook meal
So here’s a meal that requires minimal effort and zero cooking that I like to serve during lunch (or as a light dinner). It’s just a simple matter of shredding the beets and other vegetables in the food processor, mixing them with filtered water, and letting the veggie goodness infuse into the water as it chills. My kids love slurping down this no-cook borscht as it’s so easy to eat.
The addition of sauerkraut gives this no-cook borscht an extra dimension and livens it up with its naturally tangy taste. I use unpasteurised sauerkraut made in-house from a local small-scale produce store, you can use a commercially-produced AIP-friendly sauerkraut or make your own.
It’s totally up to you whether you want the vegetables finely or coarsely shredded. The vegetables have a tendency to clump a little more if finely shredded but that is not an issue. Play around with it; this no-cook borscht recipe isn’t fussy at all. It’s not rocket science (or AIP baking)!
Kick it up a notch and make your no-cook borscht fancier with a generous dollop of billowy homemade coconut sour cream and a pile of tasty microgreens. Maybe a good sprinkle of hemp seeds (if you’ve started on reintroductions while on the AIP and have reintroduced them successfully). Otherwise, flake a can of boneless smoked herring fillets in it and enjoy.
Where to purchase certain ingredients online (affiliate links):
- 3 cups peeled and grated beets (about 4 fist-sized beets)
- 1 cup grated carrots (about 2 medium carrots)
- 1 peeled and coarsely grated apple (optional)
- 2 - 3 oranges, juiced (1/2 cup)
- ½ cup sauerkraut
- 5.5 cups filtered water
- 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
- 2 teaspoons sea salt, or to taste
- Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and refrigerate for 2 - 3 hours, or until chilled
- Season to taste with additional vinegar and sea salt, if preferred
You can choose to grate the vegetables coarsely or finely, depending on personal preference!
