Mediterranean borscht with figs and za'atar spice
Author: 
Recipe type: Soup
Cuisine: Middle Eastern & Jewish
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 5-6 servings
 
Borscht reinvented--pureed, creamy, spiced up with za'atar and sweetened with figs. Serve it warm or cold. Always delicious and VERY filling.
Ingredients
  • ½ cup dried figs
  • 6 medium sized beets
  • 1 medium-large sweet potato
  • 1 clove garlic
  • 1 cup greek yogurt
  • 3 tbsp za'atar spice
  • 3 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 green onion (chives)
Instructions
  1. Soak ½ cup of dried figs in water for 6 hours until plump. Drain, remove the stems and set aside.
  2. Pre-heat your oven to 475 F
  3. Chop off the tops and part of the bottoms of 6-7 beets.
  4. Clean the beets and the potato and set aside.
  5. Chop the potato into 4 equal wedges, halving the potato and then halving again.
  6. Place the potato wedges and the beets (top-side down) onto a cookie sheet lined with aluminum foil.
  7. Sprinkly olive oil, salt, and pepper over the beets and place into the pre-heated oven for 30-35 minutes.
  8. Remove the vegetables from the oven.
  9. Separate the potato skins from the potato flesh. Set the orange flesh aside, and discard the skins.
  10. Dunk the beets into a mixing bowl filled with cold water and remove the outer skin. Discard the skins and set the beets aside.
  11. Crush 1 clove of garlic.
  12. Place the garlic, the beets, the sweet potato, and the figs into the food processor. Pulse until the mixture is fulling pureed.
  13. Add 1 cup of greek yogurt (or more) until the borscht is as thick and creamy as you like.
  14. Place the mixture into a larger bowl and fold in the olive oil.
  15. Serve in small bowls with 1 tsp of za'atar spice sprinkled over the top.
  16. Garnish with chives (cut lengthwise)!
Recipe by THE GRUMPY GOURMAND at https://www.thegrumpygourmand.com/2015/01/21/mediterranean-borscht-with-figs-and-zahatar-spice/