Borscht [V] [GF]

I have no idea why, but I'd been developing a hankering for borscht — a soup I had never even so much as sampled before in my life — that had, by mid-March, trebled to a level which could no longer be endured.  Perhaps it had been a fascination with things traditionally Russian I'd developed since viewing the Met's production of Boris Godunov last autumn (featuring the formidable René Pape in the title role), perhaps it had been the fabulous photographs in the Russian Cooking volume in the old Time Life Books "Foods of the World" series, and perhaps it had been that one of my housemates had been on a beet-eating kick of late, and had been saturating the kitchen with the wonderful, rich aroma of boiling roots on practically a daily basis.  Still, whatever the impetus, it was time.

Of course several allergen-avoidance adaptations in the typical recipes I'd perused (onions, for example, are typically present) had to be made, and after comparing several ingredient lists, I was able to distill the essence of what makes a good borscht.  Basically, the primary rule of thumb is this: if it grows near to or beneath the surface of the ground, throw it in the pot.  Beets, potatoes, carrots, cabbage, and whatever else of this ilk you might happen to have on hand do wonders for the soup (and if you don't react to allium vegetables like I do, I'd recommend chucking a few of those in the broth as well).  The secondary rule of thumb is not to skimp on the balsamic vinegar: it's the interplay of its sourness and the sweetness of the beets that lays the foundation for the soup's flavor.  The tertiary rule of thumb is that the traditional complement of smetana (or a reasonable facsimile) is de rigeur.  Interestingly enough, however, I've been able to manufacture a dairy-free substitute that, more or less, does replicate the flavor of sour cream passably well.  (Fulll disclosure: having never sampled echt smetana, which I've been told repeatedly by cognoscenti is in many ways unlike typical American sour cream, I'm not sure how well it stands up to authentic Russian product.)  The recipe for this has been included below as well.

The borscht itself:

• 4 small beets
• 3 small red potatoes
• 1 1/2 cups diced green cabbage
• 1 medium carrot
• 1 medium tomato
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 4 tsp salt (or to taste)
• pepper to taste
• 2 Tbsp fresh dill
• 1/4 cup red wine vinegar (or to taste)

The imitation smetana:

• 1 tsp lemon juice
• 1/2 cup silken tofu (firm tofu is preferable)
• Salt to taste

Peel the potatoes, then boil them together with the beets in a modicum of water until they're tender.  Remove the beets and potatoes and retain the water in which they were boiled as stock for the soup.  Dice the cooked beets and potatoes, the cabbage, the tomatoes, and the carrots and add them to the broth.  Add the vinegar, salt, pepper, and olive oil and simmer on medium heat for 30 - 45 min., or until the cabbage is soft and has grown slightly translucent.  Chop the dill and add it to the broth, then continue to simmer for 10 - 15 min. further.

During these last 10 - 15 min., place the tofu, salt, and lemon juice in a food processor and process for 20 - 30 seconds until reasonably smooth.  Serve the borscht hot with a generous dollop of the smetana atop each portion.