Ukrainian Beetroot Borshch Recipes

UKRAINIAN MEATLESS BEET SOUP (BORSHCH)

Steps:

• Gather the ingredients.
• Cook 3 red beets in boiling water just until the skins slip off easily. Place in cold water and, when cool enough to handle, peel. Cut beets into thin strips and set aside.
• Meanwhile, in a heatproof bowl, pour enough boiling water to cover over 1/2 cup dried mushrooms and let soak for 1 hour. Carefully remove from soaking liquid so as not to disturb the grit at the bottom of the bowl, and chop. Strain soaking liquid and reserve.
• In a soup pot, sauté 1 large diced onion in 2 tablespoons oil until translucent. Add 2 cloves minced garlic and sauté 1 minute longer. Add 1 large peeled and diced carrot, 1 large peeled and diced potato (if using), 1/2 peeled and julienned parsley root , 1 diced celery rib, 3 black peppercorns, chopped drained mushrooms, strained mushroom soaking liquid, peeled beets and 8 cups water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until vegetables are al dente . Add 1/2 head shredded cabbage and cook until tender.
• Add 2 tablespoons beet kvas or white vinegar or lemon juice to give the soup its characteristic sour taste, 2 tablespoons tomato paste, 1 tablespoon chopped dill, 1/2 cup cooked white beans (if using), and salt and pepper to taste. Cook 5 minutes longer and serve hot with sour cream and dill garnish.
• Enjoy!

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.

UKRAINIAN BEETROOT BORSHCH

Steps:

• Gather the ingredients.
• In a stockpot over medium heat, combine beef and water.
• Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer gently for about 30 minutes. Continue to skim top surface to remove any impurities.
• Add onion, carrot, and celery. Tie stock sachet to pot handle and drop into pot.
• Simmer, covered, for 1 hour or until meat falls off the bone, adding water as needed to cover.
• Transfer beef to a bowl and pull meat off bones. Chop into bite-sized pieces and set aside.
• Strain stock into a clean stockpot, pressing on vegetables to obtain maximum flavor. Discard vegetables.
• Gather the ingredients.
• Add beets and carrots to the beef stock and cook, covered, until tender, about 45 minutes.
• Remove vegetables from broth, allow to cool until easy to handle, and then coarsely shred. Set aside.
• Add cabbage, potatoes, and onions to broth. Bring back to a boil and then simmer 20 minutes, covered, or until tender.
• Add shredded beets and carrots, tomato paste, sugar, and salt and pepper to taste. If serving with caraway dumplings, drop batter into soup at this point-they need a total of 10 minutes of cooking.
• Gather the ingredients.
• In a small bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, salt, and caraway seeds.
• In a separate bowl, whisk together milk, beaten egg, and pepper to taste. Add to flour mixture and blend with a fork until a stiff, sticky batter forms.
• Using a tablespoon or a small cookie scoop, transfer batter to simmering soup, not boiling. Cover and let steam for 5 minutes. Turn dumplings over and steam another 5 minutes, covered.
• Add reserved meat to soup and heat through, or around 5 minutes.
• Serve borshch in warmed bowls with a dollop of sour cream, fresh dill, and a lemon wedge, if desired.

UKRAINIAN BORSCHT

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Heat 1/4 cup oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Season ribs with salt and pepper. Working in batches, brown ribs, 3 to 4 minutes per side; set aside.
• Add 1 onion, and reduce heat to medium. Cook, stirring, until softened, 5 to 6 minutes. Return ribs to Dutch oven, and add wine; simmer for 1 minute. Add chicken stock; bring to a simmer, and season with salt and pepper. Cover; transfer to oven, and roast until ribs are tender, 3 hours.
• Shred ribs, discarding fat and bones. Strain stock through a sieve, and skim off fat. (You should have 2 cups.)
• Heat remaining 2 tablespoons oil in Dutch oven over medium heat. Add remaining onion and the garlic; cook until translucent, about 4 minutes. Add celery root and carrots; cook for 4 minutes. Add reserved stock, the cabbage, beets, water, and tomato paste. Cook for 30 minutes. Add meat; cook until vegetables are tender, about 20 minutes more. Stir in lemon juice and vinegar; garnish with 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.