Russian cold beetroot soup "Svekoljnik"

Ingredients for 1 servings:

• 3 beetroot tubers, with stalk and leaves (large)
• 1 bunch of radishes
• ½ half cucumber(s) (large)
• 1 bunch of spring onions
• 1 small sausage (poultry sausage) optional, then not vegan/vegetarian
• 1 handful of cherry tomatoes
• 1 cup crème fraîche
• 1 bunch of fresh herbs (dill, parsley, chives, etc.)
• e.g. salt and pepper

Instructions

Working time approx. 30 minutes; Rest time approx. 2 hours; Cooking/baking time approx. 1 hour; Total time approx. 3 hours 30 minutes

low in calories and very healthy and refreshing (vegetarian or with sausage)

These quantities are for a whole pot. The quantities given here are guidelines, so you should judge for yourself. It should be a rich soup, but with enough liquid. This recipe is best when fresh beetroot with the stalk and leaves is available and is very refreshing in summer. Without the greens, the soup is only half as good. The beetroot should be washed thoroughly, including the stalk and leaves. There is actually no need to trim any of the leaves. Boil it in a large pot with plenty of water until soft. Once boiling, reduce the heat and simmer with the lid on until soft. Then everything needs to cool. This can also be done overnight. The red liquid serves as the broth. The remaining ingredients (except the tomatoes, crème fraîche, and herbs) should be finely chopped (cubes and rings). Carefully remove the beetroot from the broth, cut the beetroot into cubes, and cut the leaves into strips/pieces. Then you can add all the chopped vegetables and sausage to the broth and season well with salt. Refrigerate the soup for at least an hour. Before serving, dice the tomatoes and chop the herbs. Serve the soup in a soup bowl with a tablespoon of tomatoes, a teaspoon of crème fraîche, herbs, and pepper! Theoretically, you could add the tomatoes to the soup with the other ingredients, but then it would go bad faster and taste less fresh.