Beetroot takes center stage: three recipes, including real borscht

Beetroot is one of the sweetest and most vividly colored autumn vegetables – people tend to either love it or feel indifferent to it. It contains vitamins C, B6 and A, along with sodium, magnesium and calcium. Vitamin A absorbs best when paired with oil or cream, so grated beetroot benefits from a splash of oil or a mix of orange juice and olive oil. A 100-gram serving of boiled beetroot has only about 40 calories.

Boiling versus roasting

For salads, it's better to roast beetroot in foil rather than boil it. Wash the root, wrap it in foil, and roast at 170 degrees for 1–1.5 hours, letting it cool in the oven afterward. If boiling instead, leave the root ends and stem base intact, add salt to the water only near the end of cooking, and optionally add a pinch of caraway seeds. Simmer covered on low heat for 1.5 hours, then cool quickly in cold water to make peeling easier.

Three recipes

Beetroot salad with cottage cheese is layered like a tower – slices of roasted beetroot alternate with a mixture of cottage cheese, egg and onion, topped with sour cream and walnuts.

Beetroot salad with dried prunes combines julienned beetroot with avocado, cashews, pumpkin seeds and lemon juice, and can be rounded out with arugula or spinach.

Borscht is made from a beef and pork broth with carrots, cabbage, potatoes, tomatoes and beetroot, finished with a mixture of garlic and pork fat ground together. The soup can be varied with beans, sauerkraut or mushrooms, with acidity added via vinegar, lemon juice or sour apples. It's best served with a spoonful of sour cream and left to rest a little before eating.