NYE Detox

The holidays are coming to a close...finally.  I have had my fill of cheese trays, cookies, roasted whatevers, and booze.

There was lots and lots of booze.

So as we head into the last night of decadence for the year, I thought I might do something for my liver, and beets fit the bill nicely.  A fabulous source of iron and antioxidants, beets help your liver function at its fullest capacity.

I love borscht, a soup popular in eastern Europe, but it's usually made with beef stock and sour cream.  I thought I might play around with this soup and see if I could make it more veggie friendly.  Here is what I can up with.

Roasted Borscht-ish

This bowl of purpley love is bright and satisfying.

This hearty soup is a smoother version than traditional borscht.  Try adding wilted beet greens or cabbage to the soup to increase its nutritional punch!

3 large beets
4 leeks
2 parsnips
1 onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, whole
6 cups water
6 sprigs thyme
1/2 cup chopped fresh dill
1 lemon, zest and juice
2 Tbl. olive oil
salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 400.  Peel beets and cut into 3/4" chunks.  Remove dark green leaves of the leeks and slice in half lengthwise.  Rinse leeks under cool water to remove any grit and pat dry.  Transfer beets and leeks to a parchment lined baking sheet along with the garlic.  Drizzle with 1 Tbl olive oil, season with salt and pepper, and toss to coat.  Add thyme sprigs and roast in the oven until caramelized, about 40-45 minutes. Remove from oven and discard thyme.

In a large stock pot, saute onions and parsnips in the remaining 1 Tbl olive oil until softened.  Add beets, leeks, and garlic.  Add water and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes.  Puree soup using an immersion blender or food processor.  Add lemon zest, juice, and dill.  Adjust seasoning. Garnish with dill (and, if'n you have a mind, a dollop of Greek yogurt).