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Cold Beet Soup With Shrimp And Vegetables
(Chlodnik)
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| What You Need: |
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1 pound medium-sized firm young beets, peeled and coarsely grated
6 ½ cups cold water
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
5 teaspoons salt
1½ teaspoons sugar
1 pound uncooked shrimp
1 cup sour cream
2 medium-sized cucumbers, peeled, sliced lengthwise in half, seeded and cut into ¼-inch dice
4 medium-sized scallions, including 2 inches of the green tops, trimmed, washed and cut crosswise into ¼-inch-thick rounds
4 red radishes, thinly sliced
4 tablespoons finely cut fresh dill leaves
3 tablespoons strained fresh lemon juice
A pinch of white pepper
1 lemon, thinly sliced (optional)
3 hard-cooked eggs, chilled and finely chopped (optional)
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| How To Cook: |
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1. In a 3- to 4-quart enameled or stainless-steel saucepan, bring the grated beets and cold water to a boil over high heat.
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2. Reduce the heat to moderate and cook uncovered for 10 minutes. Then reduce the heat to low, stir in 2 tablespoons of the vinegar, 2 teaspoons of the salt and 1 teaspoon of the sugar, and simmer partially covered for 30 minutes.
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3. Dram the beets in a fine sieve set over a large bowl. Set the beets and the cooking liquid aside separately to cool to room temperature.
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4. Peel the shrimp. Devein them by making a shallow incision down their backs with a small, sharp knife and lifting out the black or white intestinal vein with the point of the knife.
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5. Wash the shrimp under cold running water. Then bring 1 quart of water to a boil in a small pan, drop in the shrimp and cook briskly, uncovered, for about 3 minutes, or until they turn pink and are firm to the touch.
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6. Drain and coarsely chop the shrimp. Set aside to cool. When the beet cooking liquid is completely cooled, beat in the sour cream with a wire whisk.
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7. Then stir in the beets, shrimp, cucumbers,scallions, radishes, 2 tablespoons of the dill, the lemon juice, the remaining tablespoon of vinegar, 3 teaspoons of salt and ½ teaspoon of sugar, and a pinch of white pepper.
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8. Taste for seasoning, cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or until the chlodnik is thoroughly chilled.
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9. To serve, ladle the soup into a large chilled tureen or individual soup plates. Sprinkle the remaining dill on top and, if you like, garnish the chlodnikwith thin slices of lemon and shopped hard-cooked eggs.
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