BEET the heat soup

This summer soup is a traditional Eastern European way to stay cool in the summer! Sometimes called "cold borsht", it is simple to make, delicious and refreshing. Plus, who can resist pink soup?

Ingredients:

- 3 or 4 medium sized beets

- 2 tbsp salt

- 1 tbsp sugar

- 4 tbsp vinegar

add-ins: chopped hard boiled egg, baby dill, diced pickle, sour cream or strained plain yogurt

Instructions:

- Cook beets, either by boiling them or cooking them in a pressure cooker (a pressure cooker will take less time)

- Once beets are cooked, they will feel soft when pierced with a small knife

- Remove the beets from the pot and run them under cold water until they are cool enough to handle

- Peel and grate the beets on the coarse side of a box grater

- Meanwhile, boil a pot of water

- Once the water comes to a boil, add in the grated beets and add the salt and sugar

- Once the soup comes to a boil, turn off the heat, add the vinegar, close the lid and allow the soup to sit (off the heat) for 10 to 15 minutes

- Once the soup has rested, taste it for seasoning, adding more salt, sugar or vinegar to taste - the soup should taste like sweet beets and be slightly acidic

- Once you are satisfied with the seasoning, allow the soup to cool - ideally overnight in the fridge

- If you want to speed up the cooling process, place the pot of soup into a sink full of cold water with ice

- Once cold, serve the soup with chopped hard boiled egg, a few sprigs of baby dill, a diced pickle and a dollop of sour cream or strained yogurt (you may also try adding diced cucumber or thinly sliced radish)