Best Borsch Recipes

BORSCH (((AUTHENTIC UKRAINIAN CLASSIC BORSCH)))

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Place the diced bacon or panchetta in a Dutch oven or stockpot and cook, stirring, over medium-high heat, until the fat begins to render, about 3 minutes.
• Add the beef and continue to cook, stirring, until the beef is brown on all sides, about 6 minutes.
• Remove both meats from the pan with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels.
• Add the onions and carrot to the fat in the Dutch oven or stockpot and stir to coat.
• Cook until soft, about 4 minutes.
• Add the garlic, oregano, dill seeds and bay leaves and cook, stirring, for 1 minute.
• Add the red wine vinegar and stir to deglaze the pot.
• Return both meats to the pot and add the water, salt and pepper and bring to a boil.
• Reduce the heat and simmer, partially covered, until the beef is tender, about 2 hours.
• Meanwhile, place the beets on a baking sheet and brush with the oil.
• Roast until tender and can be pierced easily with a fork or knife, about 1 hour.
• Remove from the oven and set aside until cool enough to handle.
• When the beets are cool enough to handle, trim the stem and root ends and remove the skins.
• Coarsely grate or chop and set aside.
• When the meat is tender and falling apart, add the beets, potatoes, cabbage, parsley, tomato paste and celery salt or seeds and simmer over low heat for another 30 minutes.
• Season with additional red wine vinegar, salt, freshly ground black pepper and sugar to taste.
• Ladle borsch into bowls and garnish with a dollop of sour cream and a pinch of fresh dill.
• Also, serve with Russian black bread.

BORSCH

Steps:

• To make the stock, put the meat, whole onion, bay leaf and 2 litres of lightly salted cold water in a large saucepan. Cook over a very low heat for 1 hr 30 mins or until the beef shin is soft and falls apart easily - this can take up to 3 hrs. Skim off the scum with a spoon from time to time. Break up any larger pieces of beef into the broth, remove the whole onion and discard.
• Add the potatoes to the borscht, season well with salt and pepper and cook for 10-15 mins until tender. Meanwhile, heat the sunflower oil in a large, deep frying pan. Add the diced onion and carrot, and cook over a medium heat, stirring, until the carrot is soft and is about to start caramelising.
• Add the beetroot and cook for around 5 mins, stirring occasionally. Add the red pepper, if using, and cook for another 2 mins, then add the tomatoes and prunes, stir, then increase the heat and boil to reduce slightly, before adding everything to the borscht.
• Add the shredded cabbage and the kidney beans, and cook for 7-10 mins or until tender. Serve with a dollop of sour cream or crème fraîche, lots of chopped dill and some crusty bread.

DOUKHOBOR WINTER BORSCH

Steps:

• 1. Saute onions in 1/4 pound butter until translucent, add cabbage and saute until soft but not brown. Put carrots in pan and saute until soft. Make sure none of the vegetables get brown.
• 2. In a large stock pot, put in 1/2 of a pound of butter to melt. Once melted, put in canned tomatoes and saute until most of the tomato liquid is gone. Add in the sauteed vegetable mixture and vegetable stock. Add the bay leaves. Add in the raw beet. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer gently until the beet is soft.
• 3. Once the beet is soft, remove from pot and let cool to touch. In the meantime, peel and dice potatoes. Put half of the potatoes in the soup and cook until soft. Bring the other half of the potatoes to a boil in another pot and cook until quite soft. Drain and mash with remaining butter, 1 cup cream, salt and pepper. Add to soup pot
• 4. Peel the beet and coarsely shred, add to soup pot along with the fresh spinach, green bell peppers and remaining cream. Bring to a simmer for 1/2 hour. Add the fresh dill and adjust seasoning to taste. Serve in big bowls with a dollop of sour cream on top for garnish.

FOR HOME CANNING: CABBAGE BORSCH

Steps:

• Wash, peel remove stem ends and cores, and quarter tomatoes. Use a small spoon to scrape out the excess seeds, if desired.
• In 4 to 6 quart kettle or dutch oven combine all ingredients. Bring to a boil, boil uncovered 5 minutes.
• Ladle hot soup into hot jars, leaving 1/2 head space.
• Adjust the lids.
• Process in canner at 10 pounds, 45 minutes for pints or 55 minutes for quarts.
• Makes 8 pints.

ROASTED BEET BORSCHT BORSCH

Steps:

• Heat oven to 400 degrees.
• Scrub the beets and put them on a large piece of aluminum foil; season with salt and pepper, add 3 thyme sprigs, and drizzle with 3 tablespoons olive oil.
• Bake until the beets are tender, about 1 hour.
• Set aside.
• When the beets are cool enough to handle but still warm, slip off their skins, and chop them into large chunks.
• In a large heavy bottomed pot over medium heat, add the remaining 3 tablespoons olive oil.
• Put in the onion, carrots, garlic, and remaining 3 thyme sprigs and cook until softened and just starting to color, about 10 minutes.
• Add the chicken stock and simmer until the vegetables are tender, about 20 minutes.
• Remove the thyme sprigs.
• Put the chopped beets into a blender and add the cooked vegetables and most of the stock.
• Blend until smooth, add more stock if the puree is too thick.
• Add the vinegar and honey; season with salt and pepper.
• Blend again to incorporate flavors.
• Borscht can be served hot or cold.
• To make the garnish, grate the apple on the large holes of a box grater and mix in the dill.
• Serve in bowls, garnished with a big dollop of sour cream and topped with the apple and dill mixture.

RUSSIAN BORSCH - OLD TRADITIONAL RECIPE (BORSCHT)

Steps:

• We will start with the broth. Fill the pot half way with water and put over high heat. Wash the chicken with all the giblets and throw it in the pot. Peel 1 carrot and 1 onion, cut them into 3-4 pieces and throw in a pot along with the bay leaves and peppercorns. Salt. As soon as the water boils, set temperature to med-low so that the broth simmers. In 15 minutes collect all the scum. Some prefer to change the water at this stage (pour out the old water and fill up the pot with clean water, you will get a cleaner broth). I prefer to leave the water and just collect all the scum, as I think that it makes a much tastier broth. The broth will simmer for a total of 1-1.5 hours, during which you will prepare the rest of the ingredients. To read step by step recipe with photos of the whole process, follow this link - http://ruslankuznetsov.livejournal.com/75850.html

CABBAGE BORSCH

Steps:

• Place roast or steak in a big pot.
• Cover meat completely with water.
• Cover with lid and let come to a boil.
• After water is boiling, reduce heat to simmer and cook until meat is tender and shreds easily.
• Remove meat from pot and shred with fork.
• Leave water in pot and add 2 large cans of tomato juice, cabbage, onion, carrots, potatoes and shredded meat.
• Season with salt and pepper, add lemon juice and sugar to taste.
• Cook on low heat 1- 1 1/2 hours-- until all vegetables are cooked-- you may re season with more lemon, sugar or salt and pepper as needed to taste-- Serve with lots of rye bread-- enjoy.

UKRAINIAN CLASSIC BORSCH

Steps:

• FOR THE STOCK: In a large soup pot, bring the meat, bones, and water to a boil over high heat, periodically skimming off the foam as it rises to the top.
• Add the remaining stock ingredients and reduce the heat to low.
• Simmer, partially covered, until the meat is tender, at least 45 minutes.
• When the stock is ready, remove the beef, pork, and marrow bones, and set all but the marrow bones aside.
• Strain the stock through a fine sieve into a clean large pot and discard all the solids.
• Preheat the oven to 375°F.
• Meanwhile, wash and dry the beets and wrap each one separately in aluminum foil.
• Bake the beets until tender, 1 1/4 hours.
• Do this while the stock is cooking.
• FOR THE SOUP: Allow the beets to cool until manageable, then stem and peel them and cut into julienne or fine dice.
• Bring the stock to a boil, add the cabbage and cook for 15 minutes, add the potatoes, onion, carrots, peppers and cook for 20 more minutes, add beets and tomatoes, and tomato paste.
• Season to taste with sugar, pepper, and additional lemon juice and salt.
• Simmer for 15 more minutes.
• Cut the beef into bite-size pieces and scrape all the meat off the bones.
• Add meat to the soup.
• Simmer for 15 more minutes.
• Remove the borsch from the heat and sprinkle with the minced garlic, bacon (if desired), and 3 tablespoons each parsley and dill.
• Let stand at least 15 minutes before serving.
• Serve with sour cream.
• Serves 12 to 14.

UKRAINIAN MEATLESS BORSCH (BORSCHT)

Steps:

• Pour hot water over the mushrooms, drain, and wash.
• Cover with lukewarm water and soak for 30 minutes or longer.
• The period of soaking will depend on the variety of mushrooms used.
• The boletus variety (white hryby) requires little or no soaking.
• Cook the mushrooms in the same water in which they were soaked until they are tender.
• Cook the onion in the oil until slightly wilted.
• Add the beets, parsley, peppercorns, and water.
• Cover and cook until the beets are barely done.
• Add the carrot, potato, and celery, and continue cooking for about 15 minutes.
• At this stage put in the cabbage, and cook until it is tender but not overcooked.
• The cabbage should retain some crispness.
• Add the remaining ingredients.
• Use the beet kvas or lemon juice with discretion.
• The borsch should be mildly tart but not sour.
• Season to taste.
• Finally add the cooked, chopped, or whole mushrooms along with the mushroom stock.
• Bring to a boil.
• Serve.
• BEET KVAS Wash and pare 10 to 12 medium beets, then cut into eighths.
• Put into a stone crock or any earthenware container and cover with boiled water, cooled to lukewarm.
• To hasten fermentation, place a slice of sour rye bread among the beets.
• Cover and keep at room temperature for a few days.
• When the liquid is sour, pour it off the beets into the sealers; cover, and keep in the refrigerator.
• The kvas is added to borsch in the final stage of cooking.
• Pour a small quantity of kvas into the borsch and bring to a boil.
• Overboiling fades the color of kvas.

KALEENKA BORSHCH (BORSCH/BORSCHT)

Steps:

• In a large skillet, brown the onions, beets, carrots, and potato separately in oil, stirring occasionally, about 10 to 12 minutes.
• In a large pot, bring water to boil.
• When water is boiling, add the cabbage, green pepper, and celery; the vegetables will cool the water, so bring it back to boil.
• Then add the browned vegetables from the skillet, salt, and pepper; simmer until the vegetables are soft but not mushy, about 20 minutes, then add the tomato juice.
• Serve hot, topped with a generous dollop of sour cream and a sprinkle of dill.
• If you put the borshch in a crockpot and bring along the garnish, it goes over well at potlucks, too!

UKRAINIAN SPARERIB BORSCH

Steps:

• Cut up the spareribs; cover with 1 1/2 to 2 quarts water.
• Add salt and spices.
• Cook on low heat until meat is tender and falls off bone.
• Lift out meat and strain stock.
• Pre-boil the shredded cabbage in stock until softened.
• Add all vegetables to the soup stock and cook until tender.
• Add sugar, tomato juice and vinegar.
• Just before serving add cream.
• Wheatland Bounty.

UKRAINIAN BORSCH WITH PYRIZHKY (PYROHY) (PIROSHKI)

Steps:

• Day before: In 8-quart kettle, place beef, marrowbone, 1 Tablespoon salt and 2 quarts water. Bring to boiling; reduce heat; simmer, covered, 1 hour. Add tomatoes, quartered onion, celery, parsley, black peppers and bay leaves; simmer, covered, 2 hours.
• Remove from heat. Lift out beef. Discard marrowbone. Strain soup in colander. (There should be 9 or 10 cups.) Return soup and beef to kettle. Add cabbage, carrot, chopped onion, 2 Tablespoons fresh dill, the vinegar, sugar and 1 1/2 teaspoons salt; bring to boiling.
• Reduce heat; simmer, covered, 30 minutes, or until beef and vegetables are tender. Refrigerate overnight. Next day, skim off fat. Remove beef; cut into 1-inch cubes; coarsely chop 1 1/4 cups of the meat for the pyrizhky; return rest to soup along with beets. Makes 3 1/2 quarts.
• FOR THE PYRIZHKY: Remove patty shells from package; let stand at room temperature 30 minutes to soften.
• Meanwhile, in hot butter in small skillet, sauté onion 2 minutes. Add 3 Tablespoons sour cream, the 1 1/4 cup chopped beef, dill, salt, pepper; mix well; reserve and cool.
• Preheat oven to 425°F On lightly floured pastry cloth, roll EACH patty shell to make oblong 8 by 5 inches; cut in HALF crosswise. Spread a rounded tablespoon of filling on half of EACH piece. Fold other half over filling; crimp edges to seal; cut slits in top.
• Place on cookie sheet lined with heavy brown paper or parchment paper. Brush with egg yolk beaten with 1 Tablespoon water. Bake 15 minutes, or until puffed and golden. Makes 12.
• Meanwhile, heat soup gently to boiling. Serve with sour cream, dill and the warm pyrizhky.

POLISH-IRISH BORSCH ZUREK SOUP

Steps:

• Peel and cube potatoes in medium to smaller size cubes; boil until they are about halfway done (check by slicing knife through a cube...should be hard to do). Drain.
• Fill pot with fresh water (about 6 cups); add chopped carrots (chop them to the size you like them in your soups) and chopped leek. Drop in the bay leaf. Bring to a light boil, then lower to a simmer.
• Chop sausages into bites you are comfortable with. Be careful when chopping the bangers because they are so tender. Slice them carefully. Add sausages to pot. Simmer for about 10 minutes.
• While soup is simmering, boil your eggs in a separate pot. Boil them to your liking... soft or hard tastes well with the soup! After your eggs are done, just put them to the side to cool.
• In a bowl, empty out the soup mix packets. I use two to give a mild - to - robust borsch flavor. Use 3 packets if you want a robust, out-of-this-world borsch flavor! To the bowl, add 3 ladles of your hot soup, and 1 cup of milk. Whisk together the hot soup and the mix until it is all combined and creamy. Pour mixture into soup pot. Simmer for about 10 more minutes. Chop parsley and sprinkle it on top of soup. Turn off heat and let soup rest on burner.
• At this time, peel eggs and chop them up into your soup bowls. Add horseradish (however much you like; I love lots!). Pour hot soup into the bowls and serve immediately. This is very good with bread and butter on the side. Enjoy!

BORSCH

Steps:

• Scrub well beets (DO NOT PEEL THEM) Put in large pot with 8 cups water.
• Bring to boil and then reduce to simmer and cook until tender.
• (SAVE COOKING BEET WATER). When tender take slotted spoon and put beets immediately into cold water.
• Slip skins off with your hands.
• If you have a cuisinart, chop beets into tiny pieces.
• If no cuisinart, then you will have to chop the beets up by hand.
• Put chopped beets into pot, add fresh dill, chopped, 1 can Campbell's Tomato Zest soup (undiluted) and 6 cups of the cooking beet water.
• If you want a thinner borscht use a little more of the beet water.
• Stir well.
• Serve with 1 tbsp. sour cream per individual serving.
• Add salt to your own taste. I don't use any salt. ENJOY!

UKRAINIAN STANDARD BORSCH

Steps:

• Cover the meat with the cold water.
• Add the salt, and bring slowly to the boiling point, then skim.
• Cover and simmer for 1 1/2 hours.
• Add the onion and beets; cook 10 to 15 minutes or until the beets are almost done. If young beets are used, cook them together with the other vegetables.
• Add the carrot, potato, celery, and string beans; continue cooking for about 10 minutes.
• When cooked white beans are used, they should be added after the cabbage is cooked to retain their white color.
• Finally put in the cabbage and cook until it is tender. Do not overcook.
• Stir in the tomatoes or tomato juice and the crushed garlic, if it is used.
• Blend the flour with 3 tablespoons of cold water, spoon into it some soup liquid, and then stir into the borsch. If a thickened borsch is not desired, omit the flour.
• Add a small quantity of the beet kvas or lemon juice or any other mild acid commonly used in borsch, taking care not to use too much. A good borsch should be pleasantly tart but not sour.
• Season to taste with salt and pepper, and bring to the boiling point.
• Flavor it with the chopped dill.
• When ready to serve, add some thick sour cream or rich sweet cream. The amount of cream will depend on personal taste. It may also be served without cream. Some prefer to put the cream into each serving. This is the custom in central Ukraine.
• When the borsch is to be reheated the next day, do not add any cream.
• It tastes better when the cream is added just before serving.
• Traditional Ukrainian Cookery.

RUSSIAN BORSH/BORSCH

Steps:

• Cook meat for 2 hours in *water* or until meat is very tender -reserve liquid (*add water if needed along the way)
• Get meat out of pot and shred-set aside.
• Sauté onion, carrots in small skillet-set aside with meat.
• Boil beets in meat broth/water until soft.
• Take beets out and shred.
• Cut up raw potatoes and raw cabbage.
• Put all-(the sautéed mixture--beets, meat, raw ingredients)--together in broth/water.
• Boil until potatoes are done (about 30 minutes).
• Add spices according to taste.
• SERVE WITH SOUR CREAM!

VEGETARIAN BORSCH SOUP

Steps:

• Place cabbage and water into a large soup pot. Bring to a boil and cook for 5 - 7 minutes.
• Add diced potatoes and cook another ten minutes or until potatoes are tender.
• Sauté onion, garlic, carrots, beets and red pepper in oil for 2 - 3 minutes, then add 3 tablespoons water, ketchup, dill, parsley and beans.
• Simmer for five minutes, then add to the cabbage and potatoes. Add bay leaf and salt to taste.