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Beet and Wheat Berry Soup with Dill Cream

A hearty vegetarian borscht-style soup built on shredded beets, cabbage and carrot with chewy toasted wheat berries. A spoonful of dill-flecked sour cream stirred in at the table keeps it bright.

SERVES 6 · soup · Eastern European · vegetarian

Ingredients

Soup

  • ¾ cup wheat berries, rinsed
  • 3 tablespoon vegetable oil
  • 2 onion, chopped fine
  • 4 clove garlic, minced
  • 1 teaspoon fresh thyme, minced; or 1/2 teaspoon dried
  • 2 tablespoon tomato paste
  • ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • 8 cup vegetable broth
  • 3 cup water
  • 1½ cup red cabbage, shredded
  • 1 pound beets, trimmed, peeled, and shredded
  • 1 carrot, small, peeled and shredded
  • 1 bay leaf
  • salt and pepper, to taste
  • 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

Dill Cream

  • ½ cup sour cream
  • ¼ cup fresh dill, minced
  • ⅛ teaspoon salt

Method

  1. FOR THE SOUP: Toast wheat berries in Dutch oven over medium heat, stirring often, until fragrant and beginning to darken, about 5 minutes; transfer to bowl.
  2. Heat oil in now-empty pot over medium heat until shimmering. Stir in onions and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in garlic and thyme and cook until fragrant, [text continues beyond the visible portion of the page]

Notes

Avoiding Beet Stains: To prevent beet juice from staining your cutting board, spray your cutting surface lightly with vegetable oil spray before prepping beets. Do not use presteamed or quick-cooking wheat berries here, as they have a much shorter cooking time; be prepared to read the package carefully to determine what kind of wheat berries you are using.