But what this weather does for me is make me crave all kinds of warm hearty things… and above all soup! I almost never want to make soup during the summer, when all I want is a salad. But now, I want to tuck into something that feels just as cosy as the hot water bottle currently residing somewhere near my toes… which are covered in thick socks.

Now, this soup isn’t just warm and cosy, but it’s actually good for you! As I mentioned in a previous post about cooking with these bad boys, Jerusalem artichokes are full of inulin, which is amazing for your gut bacteria… just not for your dignity. They call them fartichokes after all. And that’s not the only part of this soup which is healthy – celeriac is too! I mean, it’s definitely not the prettiest vegetable to look at (seriously, it’s not winning any vegetable beauty contests) but celeriac is full of dietary fibre, minerals, and vitamins! With these two as the main ingredients in a soup, you’ll feel better in more ways than one. And seeing as how they are both currently in season, why not try this recipe this weekend?

Fun fact, we actually grew Jerusalem artichokes this summer, by accident. Turns out we missed some of the plant we dug up last year, and covered it with our new composter. Now we can’t properly dig the rest up, and so we will forever have Jerusalem artichokes growing by our composter. Which is great news for me, but not so for Richard. His gut seems to go particularly crazy when he has Jerusalem artichokes… which isn’t something he likes too much.

Now I really liked the flavour of this soup, as it’s very different from anything else I’ve ever had. Celeriac has a definite celery taste (obviously), and combined with the nutty Jerusalem artichoke, it was quite unique. I seasoned it a bit less than most things I make, as I really wanted those two flavours to shine through. Normally I go crazy with tons of garlic… mmm garlic… **insert drooling here**

One other thing I tried, was making this dairy-free. I’ve always struggled with digesting lots of fats, especially dairy, and have been trying to reduce the amount I consume. I used some single soya instead of cream to thicken the soup, and you couldn’t really tell the difference! So if you happen to be vegan, or trying to introduce vegan recipes into your life, you can easily switch some ingredients here to make it work for you.

And that’s it! It’s a really simple soup to make, and pairs quite well with my customary garlic sourdough bread… mmmmm… gotta love a big warm bowl of soup, and some crunchy garlicky toast! Perfect for this recent cold snap!

It’s beginning to feel like fall over here, despite the fact that it’s still technically summer. The weather here in London definitely hasn’t received that memo The chill in the air has got me craving soups, casseroles, and all things cozy. But, as it’s still summer, I thought I would compromise with this summer borscht!

My grandma used to make two kinds of borscht, summer and winter. And my favorite was always summer, hands down. I loved the fresh dill flavor, the slight tang from the sour cream, and the salty ham. And not only does this meal taste good, but it looks kind of fun too! Depending on how much beetroot you add, or how bright their color is, it can turn out almost pepto-bismol pink!

So with our allotment of beets and potatoes ready for harvest, I set about making this soup. Now, I normally only make borscht after I’ve had a ham roast, as it provides me with the bone for stock and meat for the soup – but not this time. I’ve been having trouble finding a ham over here with the bone in, so I cooked a small ham, sans bone, and then got a friendly butcher to give me some bones for the stock. The bones didn’t provide as much flavor as I would have liked, and maybe you’re also struggling to find a ham with a bone? If that’s the case, just substitute some chicken or other neutral-ish stock.

So whether you’re feeling the last of the summer weather, or you craving something a bit warmer, try this soup! Personally, I think it’s a great meal no matter the time of year. So, forget “summer” borscht, let’s call this anytime-of-year-borscht.