Weight Watchers Borscht

Last week, I got an email from one of my beet-loving Twitter friends.  Jen and I bond over fabulous beet recipes and new ways to cook with our favorite root vegetable. (She blogs over at Such a Funny Fat… check her out!)

When she sent me this borcht recipe from the new Weight Watchers cookbook… I knew I wanted to try it.  My usual picky self, I was a little nervous about the dish… but I went ahead and made it.

I’ve honestly never made such a pretty soup.  Just gorgeous.

It also confirms something.  I do, in fact, have a beet-colored bathroom!!!

The base of the soup is made from every purple vegetable you can imagine:  Beets, Red Onion, and Purple Cabbage!

No wonder it has such a fantastic color!  The soup itself can be served cold or warm, but my preference was definitely warm.  Try it both ways and see what you think.

 Borscht with Sour Cream

From Weight Watchers

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS

2 cups raw, fresh shredded beets

1 (14-oz) can fat free beef broth

1 1/2 cup water

1/2 cup red onion, finely chopped

1/2 cup red cabbage, finely shredded

1/2 tsp. packed dark brown sugar

2 Tbsp. fresh dill, minced

2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice

1/4 tsp. salt

freshly ground pepper

1/4 cup reduced fat sour cream

2 Tbsp. fresh dill, minced

INSTRUCTIONS

1.  Prepare your veggies.  I used a mandoline slicer… and made a royal mess of my kitchen!

2.  In a large, non-reactive pan, combine beets, broth, onions, cabbage, brown sugar, and water.  Bring ingredients to a boil.

3.  Reduce heat, and simmer for 20 minutes covered (or until cabbage is tender.)

4.  Add dill, and simmer an additional 5 minutes.  Remove from heat.

5.  Stir in lemon juice, salt and pepper.  Optional:  Puree soup with an immersion blender.

6.  Remove to a 1 quart storage container, and refrigerate until chilled at least 2 hours and up to 3 days.

7.  Garnish each serving with 1 Tbsp. sour cream and dill, if using.

Per 1 Cup Serving:

CAL 92; CARB 16g; FAT 2g; SAT FAT 1g; PROT 4g; FIB 3g; SUG 11g

WW Points+: 2; WW Smart Points: 4