Borscht is one of the most popular dishes in Russia. It appeared at the end of the 18th century, and its main ingredients include red beets, broth made from meat or fish, mushrooms, cabbage, onions, carrots, and smoked sausages. It is often garnished with parsley, dill, red wine vinegar, and served with sour cream.Borsch is derived from an ancient soup that was cooked from leaves, stems, and umbels of common hogweed and has evolved into a wide variety of soups, one of them being the beetroot red Borsch which has become very popular over the ages. Borsch is made by combining either meat or bone stock with vegetables, but depending on the recipe, fish meat or be purely vegetarian. It can be served either hot or cold with some sour cream, potatoes, or hard-boiled eggs.
Prep Time30 minutesmins
Cook Time1 hourhr15 minutesmins
Total Time1 hourhr45 minutesmins
Course: Soup
Keyword: beetroot, soup
Servings: 6
Ingredients
1poundred beets(about 2 large), peeled and shredded
10ouncescarrots(about 2 large), peeled and sliced
8ouncesturnipspeeled and cubed
14ouncesonions(about 2), finely diced
0.5poundwhite or green cabbagefinely sliced
1poundbeefcut into small bite sizes
2tablespoonsbutter
10cupsmeat broth
4tablespoonsred wine vinegar
3tablespoonsbay leaves
1teaspooncaraway seedswrapped in cheesecloth
1teaspoonsugar
salt and black pepper
1bunchparsley(about 4 oz)
1bunchdill(about 5 oz)
0.5cupsour cream
Instructions
Wash the vegetables and cut them into small pieces; cut the beef into small, bite-sized chunks. Melt the butter in a large saucepan, and add the meat, carrots, turnip, and onions. Braise for ten minutes, until the meat has browned and the vegetables are soft. Add the red beet, bouillon, vinegar, bay leaves, caraway seeds, and sugar, as well as a pinch of salt and pepper. Stir thoroughly, then cover and simmer for 45 minutes.
Wash the parsley and dill, and tie in a bouquet. Reserve some small sprigs to garnish. Place in the saucepan with the cabbage and cook for a further thirty minutes. Skim off the foam and stir from time to time; keep simmering. Remove the bouquet of herbs, caraway seeds, and bay leaves. Stir well and serve with sour cream and a sprig of fresh herbs.