A Jazzier Barszcz courtesy From a Polish Country House Kitchen

INGREDIENTS

About 4 quarts water

4 large or 6 small beets, peel left on, halved

1 onion, peeled and halved

3 garlic cloves, peeled

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

Salt and freshly ground pepper

½ cup plain kefir if eating cold or ½ cup sour cream if eating hot

PREPARATION

Fill a large stockpot with the water and add the beets, onion and garlic. Bring to a gentle boil and cook, uncovered, on low heat for a good hour, or longer if necessary, until the beets are soft. Remove the vegetables with a slotted spoon and set the beet stock aside. Throw out the onion. Remove the skins from the beets by hand—they will slip off easily—and place the beets in a blender with the garlic. Pulse until smooth. Return the puréed beets and garlic to the pot with their stock, and add the balsamic vinegar. Season with salt and pepper and stir. Add water if too thick or boil down more if too runny.

If eating cold, stir in the kefir just before serving, adding a spoonful to each bowl so that people can swish it around with their spoons. If eating hot, consider stirring in spoonful of sour cream instead.

This, like other barszcz recipes, will keep for several days in the refrigerator and generally improve. Drink a glass of it, cold, for an abstemious lunch.