Best Borscht Burgers Recipes

MOM'S BORSCHT

Mom's Borscht image

This is a recipe my mother acquired from a friend long, long ago. Over the years, she altered the recipe, combining elements from various ethnic styles of borscht. I love this soup in the winter, as it's so hearty and comforting and simple to make. We always eat this as a meal, so 10-12 servings may be an underestimate. It makes a LOT! Also freezes well.

Provided by Lazarus

Categories Clear Soup

Time 1h30m

Yield 10-12 serving(s)

Number Of Ingredients 10

Ingredients

1 1/2 lbs lean ground beef
3 cups chopped onions
1 1/2 cups shredded carrots
6 cups shredded beets
3 cups shredded cabbage
1 (28 ounce) can diced tomatoes (I often use a hand mixer on a can of whole tomatoes)
9 cups beef broth
5 tablespoons white vinegar (add or subtract to taste)
salt and pepper, to taste
1 tablespoon fresh dill (or 1 tsp dried)

Steps:

Brown ground beef in a medium frying pan or dutch oven. When beef is half-browned, add onions and cook until remainder of beef is browned.
Add remaining ingredients to dutch oven, then add beef/onion mixture.
Bring to a boil, then simmer for 30-60 minutes, until vegetables are tender.

VESELKA'S FAMOUS BORSCHT

Veselka's Famous Borscht image

In this recipe, beets are cooked in two separate batches: One batch is used to make "beet water," a kind of rich beet stock, and the other is cooked and grated.

Provided by Tom Birchard

Categories Beet Summer Fall Appetizer Dinner Celery Cabbage Potato Pork Wheat/Gluten-Free

Yield 8 first course, or 4-6 main course servings

Number Of Ingredients 13

Ingredients

3 pounds (10 to 12) small beets, scrubbed thoroughly but not peeled
9 tablespoons white vinegar
One 2-pound boneless pork butt, halved
8 cups beef, chicken, or vegetable stock
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon whole allspice berries
1 tablespoon whole black peppercorns
3 large carrots, peeled and sliced
3 large celery stalks, sliced
1 small head of green cabbage (about ¾ to 1 pound), shredded (about 4 cups)
2 medium Idaho potatoes, peeled and cut into ½-inch dice
One 15-ounce can lima beans, drained and rinsed
Salt

Steps:

To make the "beet water," roughly chop 2 pounds of the beets (select the smaller ones), preferably in a food processor fitted with the metal blade. Place the chopped beets in a large stockpot. Add 10 cups of water and 1 tablespoon vinegar.
Place the stockpot over high heat and bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low, and simmer for 2 hours. (If it seems like the liquid is evaporating too quickly, you may need to cover the pot partially with an offset lid.) The beets should be extremely soft and the liquid bright red.
Strain the liquid, pressing the cooked beets against the side of the strainer to extract as much liquid as possible. Discard the pulp or reserve. Set aside the beet water. You should have just about 4 cups.
Meanwhile, place the remaining 1 pound of whole beets in a separate large stockpot. Add water to cover and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, and simmer until the beets are tender-firm, about 40 minutes. When the beets are cooked, add 1 tablespoon white vinegar and set them aside to cool.
When the whole cooked beets are cool enough to handle, peel them; the skins should slip off easily. Grate the peeled beets on the largest holes of a box grater or in a food processor fitted with the grating blade.
To make the broth, place the pork butt in a large stockpot and add the beef stock. If necessary, add a little more stock or water to cover. Add the bay leaf, allspice berries, and peppercorns. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to low, and simmer until the meat is tender and beginning to fall apart, about 2 hours. Set the pork aside to cool. When the pork is cool enough to handle, remove it from the pot and cut the meat into ½-inch cubes. Strain the broth and discard the bay leaf, allspice berries, and peppercorns. Reserve the cubed meat and 4 cups of the broth.
To cook the vegetables, place the carrots and celery in a large stockpot and pour the reserved meat broth over them. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer until the carrots and celery are just tender, about 8 minutes. Add the cabbage and potatoes and continue to cook until the potatoes and carrots are easily pierced with a pairing knife but keep their shape, 15 to 20 additional minutes. Add the lima beans and cook for 5 additional minutes, just to meld the flavors. Gradually add the remaining 7 tablespoons white vinegar, tasting between additions and stopping when the flavor is to your liking. Remove the soup from the heat and set aside.
To compose the soup, in a large soup pot combine the "beet water" and meat broth with the vegetables. Add the cubed pork and the grated beets. Stir to combine and bring to a simmer over low heat. Season to taste with salt and serve immediately.