Polish Borsht Beetroot Soup Recipes

POLISH BORSHT - BEETROOT SOUP

Steps:

• Heat some oil in a large pot and fry the soup meat in it until it is a little browned. Turn the meat once. Add 1 tablespoon of tomato paste and let it fry briefly. Pour in the water and the chopped soup vegetables and then let everything simmer on a low heat for at least 2 hours, 3 is better.
• After the cooking time, remove the vegetables and meat from the broth and pour it through a sieve into another pot. Continue cooking with this one. You can use the meat for other purposes or cut it into small pieces and add it to the broth.
• Peel the beetroot and cut into thick slices. Alternatively, you can use the already fermented beetroot from our introduction.
• Now add the chopped beetroot together with the dried mushrooms and the chopped onion. Crush a clove of garlic and add it with the peppercorns.
• Now simmer the stock over a low heat for about 1 hour until the beetroot is soft. Cover the pot with a lid while it is cooking, but leave a small gap for it to steam off.
• Now strain the borsch through a sieve, reserving the beetroot. Season with marjoram, salt, pepper and sugar. Add the vinegar to taste.
• Hard-boil the eggs and put a halved boiled egg in each borsch plate or put in some stuffed pierogi.
• Extra tip: Add small strips of beetroot to the soup or fry them separately in a pan until hot.

GRANDMA'S BORSCHT (POLISH BEET SOUP)

Steps:

• caramelize the onion in some olive oil.
• Add the potatoes and fry for about 2 minutes, careful not to let the onions and potatoes stick to the bottom of the pan. Use a bit more oil if necessary.
• Add the vegetable stock and carrots. If you use fresh green beans, add them at this point. Bring to a boil. Cook for 5 to 10 minutes until potatoes and carrots are tender.
• Add the beets, green beans, bay leaf, and dill. Simmer for a couple of hours. Serve with sour cream if desired.

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.