Those with relatives from eastern Europe may be more familiar with borscht than other nationalities since it is very popular in the Ukraine and Russia. It is a beet soup that can be made in quite a few different ways depending on the region. The recipe that I want to share with you is one that my other great-grandmother used to make whenever she had fresh beets.
This Ukrainian borscht is one that is meant to be served hot and is quite a hearty and delicious red soup on the order of a vegetable soup with some pork or beef along with plenty of onions, cabbage and/or sauerkraut, carrots, potatoes, tomatoes, garlic, and about six medium beets. It has a nice balance of sweet to tart where you can add some brown sugar, some lemon juice or vinegar, salt, pepper, and some fresh dill or dried powdered dill weed. You finish this wonderful soup off with a dollop of sour cream in each bowl.
What is great about this soup is that you can throw in more cabbage or even eliminate the sauerkraut if you want a sweeter type of soup. You may have to adjust the brown sugar and salt to your taste. I do remember that my great-grandmother used to use a whole cabbage at times, depending on what she had on hand as well as the combo of sauerkraut and cabbage. Either of these ways that she prepared it was always good to me.
My other grandmother used to make a cold version that was thicker without all the vegetables. She used to blend her cooked beets and then refrigerate this soup, which was almost like a borscht pudding than a soup. Frankly, none of the family would eat it except for her and one cousin. I never asked for the recipe so I can’t tell you what exactly was in it.
Any fan of soup should give my great-grandmother’s recipe a try because it is sensational and different from the taste of typical meat vegetable soups. I hope when you get a chance that you’ll be tempted to try it at your home as well. You also should try my meatless sauerkraut soup, which is also fabulous and satisfying.
Ukrainian Borscht Soup
11-12 cups of water
a pound of beef or pork
6 medium fresh beets, cut into strips
2 tablespoons of brown sugar
1 can sauerkraut (27-oz.)
2 cups of diced tomatoes
5 large potatoes, peeled and diced
4 medium onions, diced
4 cloves of garlic, diced finely
3 teaspoons of salt
2 large carrots, peeled and sliced into pieces
3 cups of cabbage, thinly sliced or shredded
1/4 teaspoon of black pepper
3 tablespoons of olive oil
2 teaspoons of lemon juice or vinegar
1/4 fresh cup of fresh dill or 4 teaspoons of dried powdered dill weed
sour cream
Place 11 to 12 cups of water in a stockpot then add your rinsed pork or beef on the stove to cook.
In the meantime, you should peel, grate, chop, slice and dice all the vegetables for borscht.
On another burner, add the olive oil to a pot or skillet along with the diced onions and cook until golden brown.
Skim the meat scum after the soup starts cooking before adding the other vegetables along with browned onions as well as the drained, rinsed sauerkraut, salt, pepper.
Cook this covered for about an hour or until the vegetables are tender.
Before nearly ready for serving, stir in the sugar, lemon juice or vinegar and the dill to the cooked soup and keep on low heat for about twenty more minutes.
When ready to serve, you’ll want to add a dollop of sour cream to each bowl for extra tasty goodness.
ENJOY!
- 11-12 cups of water
- a pound of beef or pork
- 6 medium fresh beets cut into strips
- 2 tablespoons of brown sugar
- 1 can sauerkraut 27-oz.
- 2 cups of diced tomatoes
- 5 large potatoes peeled and diced
- 4 medium onions diced
- 4 cloves of garlic diced finely
- 3 teaspoons of salt
- 2 large carrots peeled and sliced into pieces
- 3 cups of cabbage thinly sliced or shredded
- 1/4 teaspoon of black pepper
- 3 tablespoons of olive oil
- 2 teaspoons of lemon juice or vinegar
- 1/4 fresh cup of fresh dill or 4 teaspoons of dried powdered dill weed
- sour cream
-
Place 11 to 12 cups of water in a stockpot then add your rinsed pork or beef on the stove to cook.
-
In the meantime, you should peel, grate, chop, slice and dice all the vegetables for borscht.
-
On another burner, add the olive oil to a pot or skillet along with the diced onions and cook until golden brown.
-
Skim the meat scum after the soup starts cooking before adding the other vegetables along with browned onions as well as the drained, rinsed sauerkraut, salt, pepper.
-
Cook this covered for about an hour or until the vegetables are tender.
-
Before nearly ready for serving, stir in the sugar, lemon juice or vinegar and the dill to the cooked soup and keep on low heat for about twenty more minutes.
-
When ready to serve, you’ll want to add a dollop of sour cream to each bowl for extra tasty goodness.
-
ENJOY!
