Lately, I’ve been obsessed with soup.  First, I was sick, then the weather got cold, and a comforting, piping hot bowl of soup sounded like the cure to my woes.  But, I didn’t want just any old soup – I wanted borscht.

Hot Bison Borscht

I cannot tell you why I wanted borscht.  To my knowledge, I’d never had borscht. But I got these big, beautiful beets from Farmhouse Delivery and, suddenly, all I could think of was borscht.  I’ve learned to just give in to these unexplained fixations; it really is the only way to make them go away.

After studying up, I discovered borscht can be served hot or cold, depending on the region of origin, and can have meat or be vegetarian.  I picked a hot beef borscht recipe from Bon Appetit, but substituted a few ingredients for what I had on hand – turnips for the potatoes and bison short ribs instead of the beef.  Don’t be scared off by making the stock – you can substitute store bought beef broth and add some browned stew meat to the soup.

Bison Short Ribs for the stock

The end result is worth the effort a hearty, rich, slightly sweet soup that is deeply satisfying. I’m so glad I made enough for 10 people so I have plenty in the freezer.

It’s chilly outside – what soup are you cuddling up with?