Hearty Borscht with Coconut Sour Cream (AIP)

Hearty Borscht (with Coconut Sour Cream)

11/24/2016

Soups are my favourite way to get a variety of veggies and bone broth into my diet. I especially love a warm bowl of soup for breakfast in the winter. Or any meal, really. Soup is a staple for me on the Paleo Autoimmune Protocol. If you do it right, soup can be extremely economical and packed with nutrition. Like this delicious Hearty Borscht.

When I was growing up, my mom often made big batches of soup (like I said, economical). One of my favourites was her beef borscht. Hearty, flavourful, tangy, and that wonderful colour! Plus, it was a bonus that we got to put sour cream on it. I could eat sour cream by the spoonful! Seriously. So, when I decided to use some of my garden beets to make an AIP borscht, I just had to make coconut sour cream. It turned out great, quite close in flavour and texture to traditional sour cream. (Yep, I could eat it by the spoonful, too!)

Have you tried borscht? It is a traditional beet soup from eastern Europe. Beets are one of those vegetables you either love or hate. Borscht, though, is often enjoyed even by beet haters. (Just ask my sister.) Beets are definitely something we should try to eat when making our diet as nutrient dense as possible. They contain unique phytonutrients called betalains which are anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and support detoxification. Beets are also a great source of: folate, manganese, potassium, copper, magnesium, phosphorous, vitamin C, iron, & vitamin B6.

I kept this AIP version as close to classic borscht as I could. Of course, I had to remove the tomato and potato (nightshades) that are traditionally used. The potato, no problem. I often substitute rutabaga (swede to you U.K.-ers) for potato in my soups and it is perfect here! The tomato, though, that's what gives borscht it's wonderful depth of flavour and tang. I decided to use red wine to replace it. I still wasn't sure if it would be as good without the tomato. I shouldn't have worried. The wine adds beautifully to the layers of flavour, giving an almost smokey undertone. I have to say I like it even better than my old version!

I know what you're thinking, though. Wine is not AIP compliant! You're right, alcohol is out for the AIP elimination. However, when we cook it, especially for the length of time in this recipe, the amount of alcohol left is negligible. Therefore, cooked alcohol can become AIP compliant. (Sarah Ballentyne [PhD] outlines alcohol cook-off times in her book The Paleo Approach Cookbook. She says when simmered for 1-2 hours only 10-20% of the alcohol remains. So, starting with 1 cup of wine that is 13.5% alcohol, only 2.7 - 1.35% alcohol remains in that 1 cup. That works out to no more than 0.3% for the whole finished soup. To put that in perspective, less than 0.5% makes a beverage legally non-alcoholic.) However, if you are extremely sensitive to alcohol and would like to err on the side of caution, I would simply replace the wine with more broth and add an extra tablespoon of balsamic vinegar. It will still be delicious!

Hearty Borscht with Coconut Sour Cream (AIP)

Yield: 10-12 servings

BORSCHT:
Ingredients

1.5 lb beef, cubed (use up a cheap cut here if you want)
4 beets, cubed
1/2 a small green cabbage, chopped
1/3 of a rutabaga, cubed
3 large carrots, chopped
3 stalks of celery, chopped
2 large onions, minced
4 large garlic cloves, crushed
7 cups bone broth
1 cup red wine (preferably a dry red)
2 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar
1 Tbsp. coconut oil
2 bay leaves
3 Tbsp. dried dill-weed
2 tsp. pink salt, or to taste (or use sea salt)
2 tsp. onion powder
2 tsp. garlic powder

Method

Heat oil in a large stock pot on medium heat. Add cubed beef and garlic, sauté until browning. Add the wine, onions, and celery. Continue to sauté another 5 min.
Add all remaining ingredients except for the balsamic vinegar. Cover and bring to a boil.
Turn heat to low and continue to simmer until all the vegetables are soft. (1-2 hours.)
Remove from heat and stir in the balsamic vinegar.
Serve topped with a spoonful of coconut sour cream.

COCONUT SOUR CREAM:
Ingredients

2 cups high fat coconut milk
1 1/2 tsp. nutritional yeast
1 1/4 tsp. gelatin powder
1/2 tsp. raw apple cider vinegar
juice from 1/4 of a lemon (approx. 3/4 tsp.)
pinch of pink salt (or sea salt)

Method

In a small saucepan, whisk together milk, yeast, and gelatin. Heat, while stirring, over medium-high heat until hot and steaming. (Just before boiling.)
Pour into a bowl/container (a wide bottomed metal container will chill fastest) and whisk in salt, vinegar, and lemon juice. Chill in refrigerator until set (2-6 hours).
Using an immersion blender, hand mixer, or even a whisk, blend the set cream until smooth.
Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

Tip: This recipe makes a large batch for planned leftovers. Freeze half the soup as single portions (in small glass jars) for quick meals down the road.