What does a classically trained French chef know about making borscht, the legendary Russian soup?
Well, if you're Paul Seaman -- the mind behind SproutStream, a Sioux City mobile eatery featuring organically-grown veggies -- you can't beat a stew that's made with plenty of beets, the star ingredient in borscht.
"Beets are very nutritious," Seaman, a graduate of the California Culinary Academy and a certified culinarian through the American Culinary Federation, explained. "They're high in potassium, magnesium and fiber and full of Vitamin A, B and C."
Popular in Eastern and Central European countries like Russia, borscht takes advantage of the region's many root vegetables like beets, carrots and potatoes.
"Russian winters are notoriously frigid," Seaman said. "That's why hearty soups like borscht are so prominent."
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And borscht is the type of soup that can be modified to suit the dietary desires of diners, he added.
"Borscht can be made with beef or a meat broth," Seaman said. "But I prefer to make my borscht vegan."
So, as a way to get you in the mood for the 2014 Winter Olympic Games in Sochi, Russia, here is Seaman's healthy take on the classic comfort food of borscht.
Vegan Russian Borscht
Ingredients
3 medium beets
4 potatoes
2 celery stalks, chopped
2 large carrots, sliced
3 cups, coarsely chopped cabbage
2 cups, chopped onions
2 cups, vegetable or vegan stock
2 cups, mix of water and ketchup
2 tablespoons, canola oil
1 tablespoon, lemon juice
2 teaspoons, salt
1/4 cup, dill
Black pepper to taste
Sour cream, for topping
Directions
Place sliced beets in water into a medium saucepan over high heat. Boil until tender, remove and reserve the stock. Boil the potatoes in a similar manner.
Put a lightly-flavored oil (such as canola or grapeseed oil) into a large skillet over medium heat. Stir in onions and cook until they become soft and translucent. Then, stir in celery, carrots and cabbage. Mix in reserved stock and cook until all of the vegetables are tender.
Remove skin from beets and cut into thin slices. Do the same with the cooked potatoes. Season with black peeper and dill, while adding ketchup-infused water, vegan stock and lemon juice. Cover and reduce heat to medium low, allowing it to simmer for 30 minutes.
Serve with sour cream and extra dill.
Even though Seaman doesn't make borscht very often, he agrees it's a soup that's as versatile as it is nutritious.
"People think borscht is going to be hard to make but it's not," he allowed. "Also, they think beets are going to be messy to cook. Well, that's true but if you clean up as you go along, it's certainly manageable."
Yet, Seaman said this aromatic and colorful soup may be the perfect accompaniment for watching the Winter Olympic Games.
"Chances are Sioux City's weather will be similar to Sochi, Russia," he said with a shrug. "That will be the perfect time to make a rib-sticking soup like Borscht.
