red borscht

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

garlic

apple

thyme

olive oil

3-4 tbsp white wine, can substitute for water

bay leaves

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

marjoram

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.

This classic Borscht recipe made with beetroot is hearty and delicious. Packed with pork and vegetables like cabbage, potatoes, and carrots, it&#39;s served hot with a dollop of sour cream!

Ukrainian Borscht

pork (see notes)

water (approximately)

white cabbage

carrot

yellow onion

beetroots (cooked

tomatoes

tomato paste

potatoes

salt

pepper

apple cider vinegar (optional)

First you need to cook the broth. For this, add the pork and the bay leaves to a pan with high sides. Fill the pan with water, add the lid, and cook for an hour on medium-low heat from the moment of boiling.

While the broth is cooking, thinly slice the cabbage. Also, wash and grate the carrot. Peel the onion and finely chop it. Then also peel the beetroots (if using raw beetroots) and grate them. Be careful since it can be messy and beetroots can leave stains.

Put the canned tomatoes in a tall glass and puree with an immersion blender until you have a homogeneous thick puree. If you bought tomato puree in the first place, skip this step!

Heat the olive oil in a frying pan and sauté the chopped onion and grated carrot for roughly 5 minutes on medium-high heat stirring regularly so that they don&#39;t burn. Then turn down the heat to low.

Now add the grated beetroots, stir them in and fry everything for another 7 minutes. Remember to keep stirring regularly.

Pour the tomato puree, tomato paste, 1/3 teaspoon of salt and pepper into the pan with the vegetables. Stir, then cover with a lid and simmer for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, peel the potatoes and cut them into cubes or strips.

Once the 1 hour is up, remove the cooked pork and the bay leaves from the broth. Then add the chopped potatoes, vegetables in tomato mixture, and chopped cabbage to the pan with the broth. Cut the pork into cubes and return it to the pan as well.

Simmer for another 15-20 minutes until the potatoes and cabbage are soft. Then add salt and spices to taste. If you want to get a little sourness, you can pour in one tablespoon of apple cider vinegar.

Serve the hot borscht with sour cream, fresh herbs and bread. It also tastes delicious with a slice of fresh onion or garlic.

I made it with beef and it was fabulous I will make it again. I used a beef stock cube too

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