barszcz czerwony

Polish red borscht (Barszcz Czerwony) is a clear red soup made with beets, wild mushrooms, and root vegetables. For this recipe, instead of hard-to-find fermented beets and kvas, you will need both raw and cooked beets and the right amount of lemon juice and sugar to recreate the authentic taste.

Polish Red Borscht (Barszcz Czerwony)

beets (you will need both raw and boiled beets)

mushrooms (like porcini

carrots

parsnip

½ large yellow onion, peeled

apple

garlic

water

lemon juice

sugar

salt,

marjoram

allspice

bay leaves

peppercorns

In a medium pot, place 2 beets and fill the pot with water, ensuring the beets are fully submerged. Set the stove to high heat and bring the water to a boil. Once boiling, reduce the heat to low and let the beets simmer for 30-40 minutes or until tender. Peel and grate the cooked beets. Discard the water.

In a medium bowl, add dried mushrooms and hot water. Allow them to soak and hydrate for at least 10-15 minutes.

Meanwhile, peel carrots, the remaining 2 raw beets and parsnip, roughly chop them into large pieces. Peel, core and cube the apple. Peel the garlic and onion. Cut the onion in half. If it is small, you can use the whole one.

Heat the large pot over medium heat. Place the onion facing the cut side down onto the hot surface of the pot. Let it brown for a few minutes to release the flavors.

Add carrots, raw beets, parsnip, apple, garlic cloves, 2-3, 10 cups water, 1 teaspoon marjoram,¼ teaspoon allspice, 3 bay leaves, 5 whole peppercorns, and salt. Bring it to a boil, reduce heat to low and let the borscht simmer for about 30-40 minutes or until all the vegetables are soft.

Now, add the grated cooked beets, 1 Tablespoon lemon juice, and 2 teaspoons sugar to the pot. Stir it and simmer for 5 more minutes over the low heat. Taste borscht and add more salt if needed. Strain it if desired, and serve in a bowl by itself or with polish dumplings.

In the recipe for Christmas Eve borscht, when do you add the raw beets. You also added garlic twice.

This Christmas Eve Red Borscht - served in teacups or with little &#x27;Uszka&#x27; dumplings - is one of the most Polish soups. It’s a shining star on the Christmas Eve dinner table.

Polish Red Borscht Soup for Christmas Eve (Wigilijny Barszcz Czerwony)

0.9 lb (400 g) beetroots

carrots (5.5 oz, 160 g)

parsley roots (5.5 oz, 160 g), can substitute for celery root

0.5 lb (220 g) white mushrooms

leek

celery root (3 oz, 85 g)

onion, any colour

thyme

olive oil

3-4 tbsp white wine, can substitute for water

allspice berries

juniper berries

cloves

prunes, can substitute for regular prunes

wild mushrooms (e.g. porcinis)

lq qt (1 litre) water

(roughly 500-600 ml) beet kvass/fermented beet juice, 1 portion from this recipe

Black pepper,

Salt,

Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C).

Thoroughly scrub the vegetables (beetroots, carrots, parsley roots,...

Thoroughly scrub the vegetables (beetroots, carrots, parsley roots, mushrooms, leek). Peel the celery root and the onion, leave the rest of the vegetables (and a half an apple) in the peel. Chop the veggies into chunks.

Grab a large roasting pan, pour a tablespoon...

Grab a large roasting pan, pour a tablespoon of oil in. Toss all the mushrooms, veggies, herb sprigs and garlic together into the roasting pan. 

Roast in the middle of the oven for...

Roast in the middle of the oven for 30 to 40 minutes, turning occasionally, until vegetables turn golden brown.

Move the roasting pan onto the stove burner,...

Move the roasting pan onto the stove burner, over a medium heat. Add a few glugs of white wine to deglaze the pan (stirring and scraping up the brown bits for 2-3 minutes).

Transfer everything into a cooking pot. Pour in...

Transfer everything into a cooking pot. Pour in 1 quart / 1 litre of water in, bring to a boil and reduce the heat to “low”.

Add bay leaves, allspice &amp; juniper berries, cloves,...

Add bay leaves, allspice &amp; juniper berries, cloves, smoked prunes and dried wild mushrooms.

Cover the pot with a lid (I’m leaving...

Cover the pot with a lid (I’m leaving a small gap) and cook for at least an hour.

Pour the stock through a large fine sieve...

Pour the stock through a large fine sieve into another pot (or a large bowl), firmly pressing on to push out as much stock as possible. Skim off the fat.

The soup is supposed to be clear, therefore...

The soup is supposed to be clear, therefore we won’t need the remaining vegetables. You can reuse them in another dish, but there won’t be much flavour left in them. I usually sneak out one or two of those ultra soft carrots and beetroot pieces before discarding the rest.

Pour in 2 cups of beet kvass /...

Pour in 2 cups of beet kvass / zakwas into a large cooking pot. You can skip the fermented beets, but I add them in. Pour in 3 cups (¾ litre) of the stock we just cooked.

Add in one teaspoon of dried marjoram and...

Add in one teaspoon of dried marjoram and generously season with black pepper. Cook together on the lowest heat for 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally. Have a taste - if it’s too strong, add a little bit more stock.

Cook together for another 30 minutes on a...

Cook together for another 30 minutes on a very low heat, making sure the soup doesn’t boil at any point. 

Remove beetroots (if you added any with your...

Remove beetroots (if you added any with your beet zakwas), season with salt and pepper if necessary. If the flavour is too sour, add a little bit of sugar. You can use the remaining beetroot pieces as a garnish (optionally).

Serve warm, on its own or with 'Uszka'...

Serve warm, on its own or with 'Uszka' dumplings.

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Polish Red Borscht (Barszcz Czerwon...

Polish Red Borscht Soup for Christm...

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