Borscht
Borscht or borshch is a hearty beetroot vegetable soup that originates from Ukraine. The soup is part of the local culinary heritage of many Eastern and Central European nations. It is also a staple dish in Eastern Europe, and made its way into United States cuisine by way of Jewish immigrants (as well as other Eastern Europeans).
- Prep
- 19 min
- Cook
- 43 min
- Total
- 1 hr 2 min
- Servings
- As written in source
- Difficulty
- Medium
Timings are approximate — worked out from the method, not measured in a test kitchen.
Ingredients
Quantities are retained as written by the source and do not scale automatically. Tap an ingredient to check it off as you go.
Cooking instructions
Procedure
Place the potatoes, beets, and water in a medium-sized saucepan. Cover and cook over medium heat until tender (20–30 minutes). While that is cooking, proceed with the recipe.
Procedure
Melt the butter in a Dutch oven/soup pot. Add the onion and salt. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the onions are translucent (8–10 minutes).
Procedure
Add the celery, carrots, cabbage, and 2 cups of the water in which the potatoes and beets are cooking. Cover and cook over medium heat until the vegetables are tender (8–10 minutes).
Procedure
Add the remaining soup ingredients (including the potatoes, beets, and the rest of the water in which they are cooking). Cover and simmer for at least 15 more minutes. Correct the seasonings. If it is too thin, let it simmer uncovered, and maybe add a little more tomato paste.
Procedure
Serve hot, topped with sour cream or yoghurt and sprinkled with dill. If desired the sour cream or yoghurt can be served with the soup and used as a condiment to taste.
Notes, tips, and variations
A sour environment is essential for the authentic taste and preservation of the red color, but excessive amount of acetic acid from the vinegar (esp. distilled) causes a sharp restaurant smell and taste. The cider vinegar can be replaced with sauerkraut or extra tomatoes.
Notes, tips, and variations
Ukrainian Cabbage Soup (Kapusniak)
Notes, tips, and variations
Montreal Russian Borscht
Photo: No machine-readable author provided. Karmosin~commonswiki assume · CC BY-SA 3.0 · http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/ · Photo source and licence
Wikibooks contributors · CC BY-SA 4.0 · https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/ · Adapted; quantities retained as written. · Original source
Read it through first
Skim all 8 steps before you start — it is the difference between cooking and firefighting.
Scale it
Use the quantities listed in the original recipe. Adjust them manually if making a different batch size.
Storage
Cool completely, then keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to three days.
Reheating
Reheat gently with a splash of water in a covered pan, rather than blasting it, so nothing dries out.
Approximate values per serving. Worked out from the ingredient list — treat them as a guide, not a measurement.
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