Classic Borscht Recipe Beet Soup

CLASSIC BORSCHT RECIPE (BEET SOUP)

Steps:

• Peel, grate and/or slice all vegetables (keeping sliced potatoes in cold water to prevent browning until ready to use then drain).
• Heat a large soup pot (5 1/2 Qt or larger) over medium/high heat and add 2 Tbsp olive oil. Add grated beets and sauté 10 minutes, stirring occasionally until beets are softened.
• Add 8 cups broth and 2 cups water. Add sliced potatoes and sliced carrots then cook for 10-15 minutes or until easily pierced with a fork.
• While potatoes are cooking, place a large skillet over medium/high heat and add 2 Tbsp oil. Add chopped onion, celery and bell pepper. Saute stirring occasionally until softened and lightly golden (7-8 minutes). Add 4 Tbsp Ketchup and stir fry 30 seconds then transfer to the soup pot to continue cooking with the potatoes.
• When potatoes and carrots reach desired softness, add 1 can of beans with their juice, 2 bay leaves, 2-3 Tbsp white vinegar, 1 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp black pepper, 1 pressed garlic clove, and 3 Tbsp chopped dill. Simmer for an additional 2-3 minutes and add more salt and vinegar to taste.

BORSCHT

Steps:

• Bring the broth to a simmer while you peel and prepare the vegetables. Heat a large soup pot over medium heat with the oil. Add the onions and garlic. Cook, stirring frequently, until the onions are tender and golden, about 5 minutes. Stir in the marjoram.
• Add the celery, parsnips, carrot, leek, and cabbage. Cover and cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are slightly tender, about 8 minutes
• Add the broth and the bay leaf. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Bring the soup to a simmer and cook, partially covered, for 10 minutes before grating the beets directly into the soup. Simmer, partially covered, until the soup is flavorful and the vegetables are completely tender, about 15 minutes. Stir in the dill. Add the red wine vinegar, salt, and pepper to taste. Garnish the soup with sour cream and serve.

UKRAINIAN RED BORSCHT SOUP

Steps:

• Crumble the sausage (if using) into a skillet over medium-high heat. Cook and stir until no longer pink. Remove from the heat and set aside.
• Fill a large pot halfway with water(about 2 quarts), and bring to a boil. Add the sausage, and cover the pot. Return to a boil. Add the beets, and cook until they have lost their color. Add the carrots and potatoes, and cook until tender, about 15 minutes. Add the cabbage, and the can of diced tomatoes.
• Heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, and cook until tender. Stir in the tomato paste and water until well blended. Transfer to the pot. Add the raw garlic to the soup, cover and turn off the heat. Let stand for 5 minutes. Taste, and season with salt, pepper and sugar.
• Ladle into serving bowls, and garnish with sour cream, if desired, and fresh parsley.

BORSCH (((AUTHENTIC UKRAINIAN CLASSIC BORSCH)))

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Place the diced bacon or panchetta in a Dutch oven or stockpot and cook, stirring, over medium-high heat, until the fat begins to render, about 3 minutes.
• Add the beef and continue to cook, stirring, until the beef is brown on all sides, about 6 minutes.
• Remove both meats from the pan with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels.
• Add the onions and carrot to the fat in the Dutch oven or stockpot and stir to coat.
• Cook until soft, about 4 minutes.
• Add the garlic, oregano, dill seeds and bay leaves and cook, stirring, for 1 minute.
• Add the red wine vinegar and stir to deglaze the pot.
• Return both meats to the pot and add the water, salt and pepper and bring to a boil.
• Reduce the heat and simmer, partially covered, until the beef is tender, about 2 hours.
• Meanwhile, place the beets on a baking sheet and brush with the oil.
• Roast until tender and can be pierced easily with a fork or knife, about 1 hour.
• Remove from the oven and set aside until cool enough to handle.
• When the beets are cool enough to handle, trim the stem and root ends and remove the skins.
• Coarsely grate or chop and set aside.
• When the meat is tender and falling apart, add the beets, potatoes, cabbage, parsley, tomato paste and celery salt or seeds and simmer over low heat for another 30 minutes.
• Season with additional red wine vinegar, salt, freshly ground black pepper and sugar to taste.
• Ladle borsch into bowls and garnish with a dollop of sour cream and a pinch of fresh dill.
• Also, serve with Russian black bread.

BEET BORSCHT

Steps:

• In a saucepan, bring the beets, carrots, onion, water and salt to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 20 minutes. Add broth, cabbage and butter; simmer, uncovered, for 15 minutes. Just before serving, stir in lemon juice. If desired, top each serving with sour cream and chives or dill.

BORSCHT

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• Scrub the beets and put each beet on a separate square of aluminum foil; Use 1 tablespoon of the olive oil and drizzle a little bit over each beet. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper. Wrap the beets loosely with the foil.
• Transfer the wrapped beets to a baking sheet and roast for 50-60 minutes.
• Remove from the oven and let the beets cool so they're easier to handle.
• When the beets have cooled, the skins peel off easily. Use a knife and slice off the tip of the beet and carefully pull the skins off.
• Chop up the beets into 1/2-inch pieces and set aside.
• In a large pot over medium heat, add the remaining 2 tablespoons of the olive oil. Put in the onions, carrots, celery and potatoes and cook, stirring until softened, about 10 minutes.
• Add the garlic and cook for a minute more.
• Add the chicken broth and the beets and simmer until beets are completely tender, about 10 minutes.
• Add the thyme and the allspice and continue simmering for another 10 minutes.
• Use an immersion blender to puree the soup. If you don't have an immersion blender, a regular blender will work just fine and puree in batches.
• Blend until smooth, adding more broth if the puree is too thick.
• Stir in the vinegar and honey and season with salt and pepper to taste.
• Top with sour cream and serve.

CLASSIC BORSCHT (RED BEET SOUP)

Steps:

• Peel all vegetables, then grate or slice them. Keep potatoes in cold water to prevent browning.
• Heat a large soup pot (6 Qt) over medium high heat and add 2 Tbsp olive oil.
• Add grated beets and sauté 10 minutes, stirring occasionally until beets are softened.
• Add 8 cups broth and 2 cups water and bring to a boil. Add potatoes and carrots, simmering for 10-15 minutes until vegetables are tender.
• While vegetables are simmering, put a large skillet over medium high heat and add 2 Tbsp oil.
• Add chopped onion, celery and bell pepper. Sauté stirring occasionally until softened and lightly golden (7-8 minutes). Add 4 Tbsp Ketchup and stir fry for 30 seconds, then transfer contents of skillet to the soup pot.
• When vegetables are adequately cooked, add the cannellini beans with their juice, bay leaves, vinegar, teaspoon salt, pepper, garlic, and chopped dill. Simmer for an additional 2-3 minutes.
• Add more salt and vinegar to taste.

BORSCHT

Steps:

• Put the rinsed pork ribs into a large pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil over a medium-high heat, then remove the foam and rinse the ribs again.
• Add more (cold) water, salt, and bay leaves. Bring to a boil once again; keep it at light boil till the meat starts falling off the bone (approx. 1 hour).
• Peel all the veggies, grate the carrots and beetroots, shred the cabbage, chop the onions, and cube the potatoes.
• Keep them in cold water until you use them. Rinse and strain the canned beans.
• Sauté the chopped onions in sunflower oil until yellow, then add the tomato paste and grated carrots and continue for 5-6 minutes.
• Continue for another minute or two if the carrots have not softened.
• Once the pork ribs are ready, add the grated beetroots and cubed potatoes to the same pot.
• Bring the heat to medium and bring the water to a boil.
• Cook for another 10-12 minutes.
• Then, add the shredded cabbage, sautéed carrots, and onions to the pot.
• Cook until the potatoes can be pierced easily with a fork (approx. 7-10 minutes).
• Add the beans, black pepper, sugar, and vinegar. Cook for another 2-4 minutes.
• Turn the heat off and leave to stand covered with a lid for half an hour.
• Serve with a dollop of sour cream, finely chopped parsley, and dill.

BARSZCZ (CLASSIC POLISH BORSCHT)

Steps:

• In a large pot, combine the beets, bones, carrots, parsnip, onion, leek, celery, garlic and bay leaves, plus the mushrooms, peppercorns and marjoram, if using. Top with 14 cups water. (There should be enough water to cover all the ingredients.) Bring to a boil over high.
• Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer until the vegetables are very tender, 2 to 2 1/2 hours. As it cooks, use a small ladle to periodically skim off and discard any foam, impurities and fat that have risen to the top of the pot.
• Transfer the 3 whole beets to a cutting board to cool. Strain the soup through a colander set over a large bowl. Remove the bones and press the solids to extract all the liquids, then strain the liquid through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean medium saucepan.
• Once they're cool enough to handle, chop the reserved whole beets into small 1/2-inch cubes. Stir the diced beets into the soup and season with salt and pepper.
• Heat soup over medium until warmed, then stir in lemon juice, salt and pepper to taste. Serve very hot in small bowls or even large teacups, which you can pick up and drink. If desired, serve with a spoonful of sour cream. Keep refrigerated for up to 5 days.