An Unusual Borscht Recipes

BORSCHT I

Steps:

• Place water, salt, carrots, 1/2 of the bell pepper, celery, beet, tomatoes, and quartered potatoes in a large stock pot over high heat. Bring to a boil.
• Melt 1/3 cup butter in a separate skillet over medium heat. Saute onions in butter until tender, approximately 5 minutes. Stir in tomatoes, reduce heat to medium low, and simmer for 15 minutes. Remove 1/2 cup of sauce from skillet, and set aside. Stir half of the cabbage into the skillet with remaining sauce, and continue simmering 5 minutes more, or until tender.
• Remove beet from boiling liquid and discard. Remove potatoes with a slotted spoon or tongs, and place in a bowl with remaining 1 tablespoon of butter and the cream. Mash together until smooth.
• Return the 1/2 cup of reserved onion-tomato sauce to the stock pot. Stir in diced potatoes, and simmer until just tender but still firm, approximately 5 minutes. Increase heat to a low boil, and stir in remaining cabbage, tomato sauce, and mashed potatoes. Reduce heat and simmer a few minutes more. Stir in remaining bell pepper, season with black pepper, and serve.

FAMILY BORSCHT RECIPE BY ANDREW RECIPE BY TASTY

Steps:

• Place the dried mushrooms in a medium bowl and pour in enough water to cover. Let soak for 20-30 minutes, or until the mushrooms are soft and plumped. Working over the bowl, squeeze any excess water from the mushrooms. Reserve the soaking liquid, and chop the mushrooms into bite-size pieces. Set aside.
• Trim and peel the beets, then grate on the large holes of a box grater. You should have about 8 cups grated beets. Set aside.
• Make a bouquet garni: Place the peppercorns, allspice, garlic, and bay leaves on a double-layer square of cheesecloth. Tie the ends of the cheesecloth around the spices and set aside.
• In a large pot, heat the canola oil over medium heat. Add the leeks, onion, and celery. Season with salt and cook until the vegetables have softened, 5-8 minutes.
• Add the water, grated beets, chopped mushrooms and reserved soaking liquid, and the bouquet garni. Bring to a boil then lower the heat and simmer for 20-30 minutes, or until the beets are tender.
• Add the potato and season with a pinch of salt. Cook until potatoes are tender, 10-15 minutes, then add the carrots and cook until tender, 10 minutes more.
• Add the tomatoes, tomato sauce, and pickled beets. Cook for another 10 minutes, or until all of the vegetables are tender. Stir in the dill, then remove the pot from the heat.
• Ladle the borscht into bowls. Garnish with dill and serve with rye bread and sour cream, if using.
• Enjoy!

RUSSIAN BORSCHT

Steps:

• Place the first six ingredients in a large soup kettle or Dutch oven; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 1-1/2 hours or until beef is tender. Meanwhile, in a skillet, saute beets in 1 tablespoon oil for 3 minutes. stir in vinegar; set aside. Remove beef with a slotted spoon; cool. Remove meat from the bones; discard bones. Cut meat into chunks; set aside. strain broth, discarding peppercorns and bay leaves. Skim fat. Add enough water to broth to measure 6 cups; return to kettle. Add potatoes, carrots, cabbage, parsley and beets. Bring to a boil., In a skillet, saute onion in remaining oil for 5-7 minutes or until tender. Sprinkle with flour; stir until blended. Whisk into soup. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 30 minutes or until vegetables are tender. add tomatoes. process soup in small batches in a blender or food processor; pour into a large saucepan. Add beef; heat through. Garnish with sour cream.

BORSCH

Steps:

• To make the stock, put the meat, whole onion, bay leaf and 2 litres of lightly salted cold water in a large saucepan. Cook over a very low heat for 1 hr 30 mins or until the beef shin is soft and falls apart easily - this can take up to 3 hrs. Skim off the scum with a spoon from time to time. Break up any larger pieces of beef into the broth, remove the whole onion and discard.
• Add the potatoes to the borscht, season well with salt and pepper and cook for 10-15 mins until tender. Meanwhile, heat the sunflower oil in a large, deep frying pan. Add the diced onion and carrot, and cook over a medium heat, stirring, until the carrot is soft and is about to start caramelising.
• Add the beetroot and cook for around 5 mins, stirring occasionally. Add the red pepper, if using, and cook for another 2 mins, then add the tomatoes and prunes, stir, then increase the heat and boil to reduce slightly, before adding everything to the borscht.
• Add the shredded cabbage and the kidney beans, and cook for 7-10 mins or until tender. Serve with a dollop of sour cream or crème fraîche, lots of chopped dill and some crusty bread.

BORSCHT II

Steps:

• Combine the first five ingredients in a large non-reactive pot. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and allow the soup to simmer for 2= hours.
• Half an hour before serving, remove beets, keeping the broth at a simmer.
• When beets are cool enough to handle, peel and grate them (the peels should slip right off). Then return them to the pot. Stir in lime juice and sugar, then season with salt and pepper.
• Serve, garnished with a dollop of sour cream and/or some snipped chives.

BORSCHT

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place beets on a piece of parchment paper-lined aluminum foil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Fold foil and parchment up to enclose beets. Place on a small baking sheet and bake until tender when pierced with the tip of a knife, about 1 hour. Let stand until cool enough to handle. Peel and coarsely grate; set aside.
• Soak the mushrooms in the water for 30 minutes. Drain through a fine mesh sieve; reserving liquid. Coarsely chop mushrooms; set aside.
• In a medium stockpot, combine the stock, beets, mushrooms, mushroom liquid, celery leaves, parsley, garlic, sugar, a large pinch of salt, and a large pinch of pepper. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer and cook for 20 minutes.
• Add enough lemon juice or citric acid until you've reached your desired flavor. Cook until slightly thickened, about 2 minutes. Refrigerate until cooled, up to overnight. Serve with a dollop of sour cream and garnish with dill.

AN UNUSUAL BORSCHT

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
• Wash the beets. Remove the green tops. Cut the beets in half.
• Cut the squash in quarters and remove the seeds.
• Place the beets and squash cut side down on a baking sheet. Sprinkle vegetables with 1/4 cup water.
• Roast the vegetables for 1 1/2 hours or until very soft. Turn the vegetables halfway through cooking and add more water if necessary.
• Remove vegetables from the oven and let cool 10 minutes.
• Remove the squash pulp from the skin and puree it in a food processor or blender.
• Peel the beets, cut them into small pieces, and add them to the processor.
• I find when using the blender to puree this that I have to a small amount of water to each group of vegetables to keep it from jamming.
• Puree until smooth.
• Add the yogurt and puree again.
• Add 1/3 to 1/2 cup cold water and 1 teaspoon salt. Blend until smooth and creamy.
• This is excellent both hot and cold.
• Garnish with additional yogurt, or with beet greens that have been steamed and chopped.