Ukrainian Vegetarian Borscht Recipes

VEGETARIAN BORSCHT

Steps:

• Combine beets and vinegar in a small frying pan over low heat. Cook, while stirring, until soft, about 15 minutes.
• Heat oil in a large frying pan over low heat while beets are cooking. Add onion and stir for 2 minutes. Add carrots and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft, about 10 minutes. Set aside.
• In the meantime, bring water to a simmer in a large saucepan. Add cabbage and lentils. Cook for 10 minutes. Add potatoes and cook for 10 minutes more. Stir in cooked beets and onion-carrot mixture. Season with salt and pepper. Add tomato paste and simmer until all vegetables are tender, about 10 minutes more. Serve with sour cream and dill.

UKRAINIAN VEGETARIAN BORSCHT

Steps:

• If you are using tomatoes for this borscht, start by cutting them into 2-4 parts. Place tomatoes in a little pot, add a bit of water and stew for about 7 minutes. Strain the tomatoes through the mesh sieve.
• Cut the beets into thin strips, sprinkle with white vinegar and cook with some oil on a skillet for 10 minutes. Then add ½ cup water, cover with a lid and cook for 40 minutes. Cut the carrots, parsley root and onions into thin strips and cook in a separate skillet with a little oil until onions start to become golden. Then add tomato puree or sifted tomatoes and cook on low heat for 10 minutes. Then add stewed beets and cook for another 10-15 minutes.
• Heat some oil on a skillet, add flour and cook, constantly stirring, until the flour becomes golden in color. Remove from the heat, cool it down and add 4 tablespoons of water and mix well. Strain through the mesh.
• Add water to a pot and bring to a boil. Add chopped green cabbage and, in 5 minutes, add cubed potatoes. Then add stewed vegetables, flour mix, peppercorns and 1 teaspoon of white vinegar. Let the borscht simmer on low for 20 minutes.
• When serving the borscht, add sour cream and chopped dill and parsley to each bowl.

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 BORSCHT

Steps:

• Grate the carrots, beets, celery and cabbage on a medium size grater. I use the attachment on my Kitchenaid as this reduces the chopping time tremendously.
• Dice the onion, and together with the shredded cabbage, fry in a bit of oil until the onions are light in colour.
• Add the beets to the water; bring to a boil, then simmer on low for 30 minutes. To keep the colour in your beets, add the tablespoon of lemon juice.
• Add the rest of the vegetables and once again, bring to a boil. Turn down your heat to simmer. Add 2 or 3 tablespoons of the fresh dill.
• Add the tomato juice. I very often use tomato sauce but I have also used undiluted tomato soup at times.
• Dissolve the corn starch in 1/4 cup of water and add this to the simmering borsch. It'll thicken the soup.
• Taste and adjust with salt & pepper. Lately I have been leaving out the salt as the tomato juice or sauce already contains a fair amount.
• Just before serving, add a dollop of sour cream. Enjoy!