I’ve only recently started making borscht, and was just wondering what variations may be found here. Mine is beetroot (duh), beef, bacon, potato, pumpkin, cabbage, onion, garlic, vegetable seasoning, and water. Served with a dollop of sour cream. With a serve of crunchy bread, to mop up the last drops… (drooling)
Mmm…I’ve never had pumpkin or bacon in my borscht, though…interesting.
I do a simple Polish clear-style borscht (barszcz czerwony czysty), in addition to a more hearty Ukrainian style borscht (chunks of meat, beets, potatoes, and cabbage.) The Polish style is a clear broth made by souring/pickling beets with several cloves of garlic in a crock or jar over about five days. You then take the pickling liquid and mix it with a homemade beef or vegetable broth that’s made with additional beets (which can be grated into the soup or strained out as a completely clean broth.) Flavor with additional garlic and pepper, maybe some marjoram and/or some reconstituted dried mushrooms (porcini). Serve with beef croquettes or uszka, a Polish kind of tortellini.
Should look like this. It’s a nice, sweet-and-sour soup with a pleasant garlic-and-pepper kick (at least the way our family makes it.)
I’ve made meat borscht and vegetarian borscht, and I prefer the latter. IMO, meat raises the pH level and turns the soup a paler colour, and I don’t care that much for pink meat. For a quick-fix borscht, I’ve grated the ingredients in a food processor (about fifty-fifty raw beets and cabbage, carrots about half and onions about a quarter of the total amount). Garlic to taste, everything gently sauteed until softened. Add good strong vegetable stock and a bit of soy sauce, and white vinegar and sugar to reach desired level of sourness. If I have to touch up the colour I add a last beet at the end, grated almost to mush.
Has to be served with finely chopped kosher pickles, fresh parsley and sour cream.
I know a to die for borscht that is just beets, canned or home-cooked, V8 juice, lemon juice, and dill. Mix in blender. Chill.
Serve with sour cream. Mmmmmmmmmmm.
My recipe is beef stock/beef, beets, carrots, potatoes, cabbage, onions, and assorted seasonings. Serve hot, with sour cream and green onions or chives. It’s really rich and hearty.
I made borscht with my Belarusian friend, who got the recipe from her grandmother. How I vaguely remember it:
Brown beef, then add water/beets/potatoes to that pot with the drippings and cook. Can’t remember if the beef was removed.
In a separate pan saute onions, cabbage, and carrots, then add tomato sauce (can’t remember what types of canned tomatoes). Then add that to the other pot. Season appropriately. Serve with sour cream.