Borscht-The Ultimate Eastern European Comfort Dish with a spin.
I grew up eating Eastern European dishes, and this epic soup is one of my favorite!
The combination of beets, sour cabbage and potatoes along with other aromatic additions, such as dill, makes this dish so hearty and homey! I could easily have this as the main course; no other sides needed. Perhaps, only some delicious bread to soak up the delicious broth.
Let started with what is Borscht?
Borscht is a sour soup common in Eastern Europe and Northern Asia. It is part of the Ukrainian origin, made with beetroots as one of the main ingredients, which gives the dish its distinctive red color. You will find other vegetables such as cabbage, potatoes, carrots, onion and garlic, and possibly beef and beans. To finish this epic soup you would always garnish with sour cream and dill. Those are a few of the staplers that make it so unique.
In my family we like to make it with sour cabbage – it gives the dish amazing flavor, saltines and I sourness. I don’t like to add vinegar, because the sour cabbage gives that oomph to the dish. You know me, I like to put a spin on the dishes. Also, I like to serve it with Bulgarian yogurt instead a sour cream; believe me you will take me later. It so much better with Bulgarian yogurt. Trust me.
Beef and beans are optional.
How to make the Borscht?
Anyone can do it, as it is very simple. A borsch, I enjoy the most, is one with a lot of vegetables, a thin broth, and a lot of fresh garlic, dill and a dollop of yogurt.
You don’t need to travel to Ukraine or Russia to have this hearty, delicious and epic soup. Here is my version of this ultimate comfort soup from my kitchen to yours.
TIPS FOR SUCCESS
- Use gloves while peeling and shredding the beets
- Use a potato pillar for peeling the beets
- Use a box shredder or food processor for handling the beets.
You Need:
| Carrots | 3 medium size | ||||||||||
| Beets | 4 large | ||||||||||
| Sour Cabagge | 5 cups | ||||||||||
| Potatoes | 4 large | ||||||||||
| Onion | 1 medium size | ||||||||||
| Vegetable or Chicken broth | 10 cups | ||||||||||
| Braining from the Sour Cabbage | 4-5 cups | ||||||||||
| Bay leaves | 2 | ||||||||||
| Garlic Cloves | 3-4 large | ||||||||||
| Salt | 1/2 tsp. | ||||||||||
| Vegetable oil | 2- 3 tbsp. | ||||||||||
| Fresh Dill | 5 tbsp. | ||||||||||
| Black Pepper | 1 tbsp. | ||||||||||
| Yogurt/Sour Cream | for serving | ||||||||||
| Vinegar-Optional | 1 tsp. |
Instructions:
It’s best to have all of the ingredients prepped and ready to go which makes this soup super easy to make. Start by peeling, grating, chopping, slicing and dicing all of the vegetables for the borscht.
Use a large pot over medium/high heat, and add 2 Tbsp. vegetable oil. Add the chopped carrots and onion and sauté for 3-4 minutes. Add grated beets, and sauté for10 minutes stirring occasionally until beets are softened. Then, add the cabbage, potatoes, the broth and the braining from the sour cabbage. Turn down the heat. Add salt, garlic, pepper, have of the dill and bay leave. Cover, and let it simmer for 30-35 minutes.
Occasionally stir the soup, and check if all vegetables are soft. Once all the vegies are soften take them out of the stove and add the fresh dill.
Serve hot with a dollop of yogurt or sour cream and your favorite bread.
Enjoy!
Equipment you may find useful!