Cathy Wolz
More a stew than a soup, our Health-e-Recipe for Persian-Style Borscht uses ruby red beets and pomegranate juice with red cabbage, chard, onions and a modest amount of lean beef. This nourishing meal will keep you going on chilly days.
A fine weekend activity, cooking up this sweet-tart borscht will perfume your home with heavenly fragrances from onions and garlic, followed by sweet pomegranate juice (the Persian influence here) and vegetables. When you peel the beets, you can avoid staining your hands red by slipping them into plastic sandwich bags and peeling the beets in the sink.
Cancer-preventive red cabbage, a cruciferous relative of broccoli, and equally healthful Swiss chard are never better than after the first frost of the season. They’ll add texture and fiber to this stew, which is flavored with a bit of red meat, but not too much.
AICR recommends eating less than 18 ounces of lean red meat per week; more than that amount raises risk of colorectal cancer, according to AICR’s expert report and Continuous Update Project findings.
This dish is an excellent crowd-pleaser. You can also put individual servings into containers or resealable plastic bags and store them in the freezer to enjoy for the week to come.
For more delicious cancer-fighting recipes, visit the AICR Test Kitchen. Click here to subscribe to our weekly Health-e-Recipes.
