Ukrainian Clear Beet Soup Borshch Food

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 CLEAR BEET SOUP (BORSHCH)

Steps:

• FOR THE BEEF STOCK: Combine the beef brisket and 2 quarts of cold water in a heavy 4 to 5 quart enameled or stainless steel casserole. Bring to a boil over high heat, meanwhile skimming off the foam and scum as they rise to the surface. Add the bacon, onion, parsnip, carrot, garlic, parsley root, bay leaf, 1 teaspoon salt and a few grindings of pepper. Then reduce the heat to low and simmer partially covered for about 2 hours, or until the brisket is tender and shows no resistance when pierced deeply with the point of a small skewer or knife.
• With tongs or a slotted spoon, transfer the brisket to a plate and drape foil over it to keep it warm.
• Strain the contents of the casserole through a fine sieve into a deep bowl, pressing down hard on the bacon bits and vegetables with the back of a spoon to extract all their juices before discarding them. With a large spoon, skim off and discard as much of the surface fat as possible. Return the stock to the casserole.
• FOR THE BEET STOCK: In a 3 to 4 quart enameled or stainless steel saucepan, bring the grated beets and 5 cups of cold water to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to moderate and cook uncovered for 10 minutes. Then reduce the heat to low, stir in the vinegar and 1 teaspoon of the salt, and simmer, partially covered, for 30 minutes. Strain the stock through a fine sieve into a glass or ceramic bowl, pressing down hard on the beets with the back of a spoon to extract all their juice before discarding them.
• The beet and beef stocks may be set aside at this point if you wish to use the brisket to make meat stuffed buns (Ukrainian Filled Yeast Pyrizhky (Stuffed Buns with Variations) see recipe, usually accompanying the soup.
• Just before serving, combine the stocks, add the remaining 1/2 teaspoon of salt, the lemon juice and sugar, and bring to a boil over high heat. Taste for seasoning and serve at once from a heated tureen or individual soup plates. If you have not prepared the pyrizhky, the brisket may be sliced and served with the soup. Serves 8 to 10.

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.

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.

VESELKA'S FAMOUS BORSCHT

Steps:

• To make the "beet water," roughly chop 2 pounds of the beets (select the smaller ones), preferably in a food processor fitted with the metal blade. Place the chopped beets in a large stockpot. Add 10 cups of water and 1 tablespoon vinegar.
• Place the stockpot over high heat and bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low, and simmer for 2 hours. (If it seems like the liquid is evaporating too quickly, you may need to cover the pot partially with an offset lid.) The beets should be extremely soft and the liquid bright red.
• Strain the liquid, pressing the cooked beets against the side of the strainer to extract as much liquid as possible. Discard the pulp or reserve. Set aside the beet water. You should have just about 4 cups.
• Meanwhile, place the remaining 1 pound of whole beets in a separate large stockpot. Add water to cover and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, and simmer until the beets are tender-firm, about 40 minutes. When the beets are cooked, add 1 tablespoon white vinegar and set them aside to cool.
• When the whole cooked beets are cool enough to handle, peel them; the skins should slip off easily. Grate the peeled beets on the largest holes of a box grater or in a food processor fitted with the grating blade.
• To make the broth, place the pork butt in a large stockpot and add the beef stock. If necessary, add a little more stock or water to cover. Add the bay leaf, allspice berries, and peppercorns. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to low, and simmer until the meat is tender and beginning to fall apart, about 2 hours. Set the pork aside to cool. When the pork is cool enough to handle, remove it from the pot and cut the meat into ½-inch cubes. Strain the broth and discard the bay leaf, allspice berries, and peppercorns. Reserve the cubed meat and 4 cups of the broth.
• To cook the vegetables, place the carrots and celery in a large stockpot and pour the reserved meat broth over them. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer until the carrots and celery are just tender, about 8 minutes. Add the cabbage and potatoes and continue to cook until the potatoes and carrots are easily pierced with a pairing knife but keep their shape, 15 to 20 additional minutes. Add the lima beans and cook for 5 additional minutes, just to meld the flavors. Gradually add the remaining 7 tablespoons white vinegar, tasting between additions and stopping when the flavor is to your liking. Remove the soup from the heat and set aside.
• To compose the soup, in a large soup pot combine the "beet water" and meat broth with the vegetables. Add the cubed pork and the grated beets. Stir to combine and bring to a simmer over low heat. Season to taste with salt and serve immediately.

LATVIAN BORSCHT(AKA UKRAINIAN BORSHCH)

Steps:

• Heat the stock in a large soup pot, add cabbage and potatoes and simmer for 15 minutes.
• In the meantime, mix the beets, vinegar, bacon fat, sugar, and tomatoes in a saucepan and cook gently, covered, for about 5 minutes.
• Set aside.
• Then, in another small pan, heat the butter, mix in the onion, carrot, and parsley root (or parsnip), and braise.
• When the cabbage and potatoes are finished simmering, add the beet mixture, the onion mixture, the peppercorns, allspice berries, and bay leaves--and cook another 10 minutes.
• Stir in the chopped garlic, the remaining bacon fat, and the chopped parsley.
• Then turn the heat down to a very low simmer, lightly cover the pot, and simmer very slowly for about 4½ hours.
• Turn off the heat, let cool, and allow to ripen for about 12-18 hours.
• When ready to serve, reheat gently then ladle into bowls.
• Top each with a teaspoonful of sour cream and serve with a slice of dark rye bread.