How to cook borsch

Video: Borscht/Borsch/My Family Recipe! The best one you ever tried!

Content

Ingredients
Fried borsch
Transparent borsch
Steps
Method 1 of 2: Fried borsch
Method 2 of 2: Clear borsch
Tips
Warnings
What do you need
Fried borsch
Transparent borsch

Borsch is a traditional dish of Russian and Ukrainian cuisine. It is also prepared in Lithuania, Poland and other countries. The main ingredient in borscht is beets. In this article, you will find two recipes for borscht - fried borscht and transparent borscht. In some recipes, borscht is recommended to be served with sour cream or to add “ears” (small dumplings with onions and mushrooms) to it. Borscht has a sweet and sour taste. Each housewife has her own secrets for preparing this delicious dish, but almost every recipe contains beets.

Ingredients

Fried borsch

4 large, peeled and chopped white onions
2 medium potatoes, peeled and chopped
4 peeled and grated carrots
2 large tomatoes, peeled and chopped
1/2 coarsely chopped head of cabbage
3 medium beets, peeled and grated
4 large garlic cloves, peeled
Parsley and / or dill (to taste)
1 tablespoon (15 ml) vinegar or lemon juice
4-5 tablespoons (approximately 60 ml) cooking oil
1 tablespoon (15 g) salt (to taste)
1-2 tablespoons (15-30 g) sugar (to taste)
Sour cream (optional)

Transparent borsch

4 large or 6 small beetroots, peeled and halved
500 g veal or beef bones
1 medium carrot, peeled and chopped
1 medium parsnip, chopped and peeled
1 large white onion, halved
1 leek stalk, washed, peeled, and halved (white and green parts)
¼ peeled celery root (or 1 long celery stalk)
3-4 porcini or champignons
8 whole garlic cloves, peeled (plus 2 additional garlic cloves, optional)
1 bay leaf
1 large pinch of dried marjoram, more seasoning if desired
6 peppercorns (for spicy borscht)
About 12 cups (2.8 liters) water (depending on pot size)
Juice of 1 lemon
Salt and freshly ground pepper
½ cup (125 g) sour cream or Greek yogurt (optional)

Steps

Method 1 of 2: Fried borsch

1 Prepare your vegetables. Wash and peel vegetables. Cut onions, potatoes and tomatoes into small pieces. Rub the beets and carrots into 1-inch strips. Then chop the cabbage.
2 Sauté the onions in oil over medium heat. Pour 4-5 tablespoons (50-60 ml) olive oil into a deep skillet, then add the onion. Fry the onions over medium heat until golden brown. Stir regularly.
3 Add the carrots and cook for another 2-3 minutes. Stir the vegetables with a spatula from time to time so they don't burn.
4 Add tomatoes, beets and vinegar / lemon to the pan. Cook for 5-10 minutes over low heat. First, add the tomatoes and beets to the skillet. Then immediately pour vinegar or lemon juice over the beets to preserve their color and flavor. Mix everything thoroughly, then cover the pan with a lid and cook for 5-10 minutes over low heat.
- You can also use canned, diced tomatoes. Do not forget to drain the liquid, however.
5 Pour water into a large saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Pour enough water into the pot so that it is 1/2 or 2/3 the capacity of the pot. Bring water to a boil over medium heat. You will be able to add water after adding the ingredients from the pan. Better pour less and then add if necessary.
6 Place potatoes and cabbage in a saucepan. First place the potatoes and cook for 3-4 minutes. Then add the cabbage and cook for another 2 minutes.
7 Add the fried vegetables along with the garlic, parsley and dill. Place the contents of the pan - and the vegetables and the liquid - in the pot with the potatoes and cabbage. Thanks to this, the borscht will acquire an extraordinary aroma.
8 Add salt and sugar. The amount of sugar and salt depends on your taste. Borscht should have a pleasant sweet and sour taste. If you don't like the sweet borscht, you can put in less sugar.
9 Wait for the water to boil, then remove the borscht from the heat, cover and leave for 2 hours. Make sure that the lid of the borscht pot is tightly closed. This will keep the cooking process going. The longer it takes to cook the borscht, the better its taste will be. You can chill ready-made borscht by placing it in the refrigerator and reheat it the next day. It will become even tastier.
10 Serve the borscht. If you want borscht to have a rich taste, add a teaspoon of sour cream.

Method 2 of 2: Clear borsch

1 Pour 12 cups (2.8 L) water into a large saucepan. If your pot is smaller, add as much water as will fit. However, remember that in this case you will need to use less seasoning.
2 Prepare your vegetables. Despite the fact that you are preparing clear borscht, it should still taste good. Since you will be removing vegetables from the borscht at the end of cooking, it is best to cut them into large pieces. Use the tips below:
- Peel 4 large (or 6 small) beet roots and then cut them in half.
- Take 1 medium carrot and peel it.You can boil the carrots whole or cut them in half if they are too long.
- Take 1 medium parsnip. Core and peel the root vegetable.
- Peel 1 large onion, then cut it in half.
- Take 1 leek stalk and remove the leaves. Cut it in half.
- Peel the celery root and cut it into quarters. Take one part for borscht, use the remaining onion for another recipe.
- Peel 8 cloves of garlic. Don't grind them up.
3 Add vegetables, meat bones, herbs, and spices to a saucepan, then bring water to a simmer over medium heat. Place beets, meat bones, carrots, parsnips, onions, leeks, celery root, mushrooms, garlic, bay leaves, and marjoram in a saucepan. There must be enough water in the pot so that all the ingredients are completely covered with it. If there is not enough room in the pot for enough water, remove some of the ingredients.
- Start with 8 cloves of garlic. You can always add more if needed.
- If you want to cook a spicy dish, add some peppercorns.
- Do not add salt, pepper, lemon juice, or sour cream / yogurt.
4 Remove the foam and cook the borscht over low heat for about 2 hours. You can move on to the next step when the meat is loosened from the bone and the vegetables are tender.
5 Strain the borscht using another saucepan. Place a colander on top of an empty saucepan and pour the borscht into it. Using a spoon or spatula, squeeze the meat and vegetables, pressing them to the bottom of the colander to increase the amount of liquid.
- At this stage, you can get the meat and vegetables from the borscht and use them to prepare another dish.
- Don't worry if dried marjoram is left in the borscht.
6 Give the borsch a taste. If the borscht seems tasteless, bring it to a boil and simmer over medium heat for 30 minutes, or until the taste improves. If the borscht taste is too pronounced, add more water.
7 Add lemon juice, salt and pepper. Evaluate the taste of the dish. The ideal borscht should taste sweet and sour. In addition, the taste of garlic should be felt. At this point, you can add more seasonings such as salt, pepper, lemon juice, or dried marjoram. You can also add a few more cloves of garlic. Cook the borscht for another 1-2 minutes. Make sure that the dish does not boil as it will lose its color.
- Peel the garlic cloves, then press down on them with the flat side of the knife. Add to borscht. Be sure to remove the garlic from the dish before serving.
8 Serve the borscht in small bowls. If you want your borscht to have a richer flavor, add a teaspoon of sour cream or yogurt.

Tips

You can find many borscht recipes, they will all be different from each other. Find your perfect recipe and delight your family!
Add various ingredients to borscht, such as bell peppers, fruits, spices. Experiment!
In Poland, as well as in Russia and Ukraine, there are many recipes for borscht. At Christmas in Poland, borscht is usually served with ears.
For a richer meal, add sour cream or Greek yogurt.
If the borsch is too sweet, add some vinegar or lemon juice.
Borscht can be stored for several days in the refrigerator. Its taste will become more intense.
Borsch is an old Slavic dish. There is a wide variety of borscht recipes. In some recipes, even beans are added to borscht!

Warnings

Do not put too much salt and sugar in the borscht, otherwise the taste will turn out to be bitter.
Make sure that the borsch does not burn. Otherwise, it will lose its rich color.