Cherry Berry Beet Soup

Here is a bright, lively, and unusual borscht with sweet cherries and berry juices. It requires no cooking if canned beets are used.

Its deep burgundy color is even more magnificent when garnished with dill sprigs and paper-thin rounds of lemon or orange, or topped by a few berries. Yields 8 cups, serves 4-6.

4 cups peeled, diced, cooked beets*
2 cups reserved beet cooking liquid*
1 pound pitted frozen sweet cherries (about 2 cups)
1/3 cup fresh squeezed orange juice
3 tablespoons frozen or bottled cranberry-raspberry juice concentrate
1/4 cup minced red onions
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill

* Three 15-ounce cans of whole beets will yield 4 cups diced and provide 2 cups of beet liquid--exactly right for this recipe. Two bunches of fresh beets, about 1-1/2, pounds without their green tops, will yield about 4 cups diced. Cook them in ample simmering water to cover until tender, about 35 minutes.

Place the diced beets in a large bowl and set aside.

In a blender, combine the reserved beet-cooking liquid with the cherries, orange juice, cranberry-raspberry concentrate, red onions, and salt and purée until very smooth. Stir the purée into the bowl of beets and add the chopped dill. Chill the soup for at least an hour before serving.

From: Moosewood Restaurant Daily Special: More Than 275 Recipes for Soups, Stews, Salads and Extras by Moosewood Collective