When people are asked to name a Russian recipe, the most common response is borscht. Borsht is one of many hearty soups common to Russian Federation cuisine (shchi, a cabbage-based soup, is probably the second most common). These soups take advantage of the hearty root vegetables and cabbage that grow in the shorter growing seasons of the Russian plains.
Ingredients
For Roasting the Beets
- 4 lbs Beets, scrubbed clean (but not peeled)
For Making the Soup by Broth Soup
- 2 oz Unsalted Butter
- 1 oz Garlic Cloves, minced
- 12 oz Yellow Onion, minced
- 2 Celery Roots (about 1.5 lbs), peeled and grated coarse
- 2 Parsnips (about .75 lbs), peeled and grated coarse
- 1 gallon Veal or Beef Stock
- 1 oz Sugar
- 4 oz Red Wine Vinegar
- 2 Tbsp Salt
- Roasted Beets, peeled and grated coarse
- 1 lb Red Bliss Potatoes, peeled and diced medium
- 1 lb Green Cabbage, shredded fine
- 1.5 lb Boiled Beef Brisket, fully cooked (if not cooked, this can be simmered in the veal or beef stock until very tender, and then the broth can be strained through cheesecloth to remove impurities; at this point, it can be used in the soup)
- ¼ cup Italian Parsley, minced (about 1 bunch)
- Salt, to taste
- 2 cups Sour Cream
How to Make It
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For Roasting the Beets
- Preheat the oven to 325 degree F.
- Scrub the beets clean under cool running water, put them on a sheet pan, and place them in the preheated oven.
- Check the beets for doneness by piercing them with a knife or skewer (the beets will take about 1 hour and 15 minutes at this temperature, if they are the usual 10–12 oz size; smaller beets will take considerably less time, and larger ones will take more. It is always best to start checking them early, so that they do not overcook).
- Once the beets are cooked, remove them from the oven and set them aside to cool.
- Once the beets have cooled enough to handle, peel them with a paring knife and grate them on a coarse grater to be used in the soup. For Making the Soup by Broth Soup
- In a pot large enough to hold all of the ingredients, heat the pot and butter over a medium-low flame until the butter is hot.
- Add the minced garlic and onions to the pot and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions and garlic are tender and translucent (about 5–8 minutes).
- Once the onions and garlic are tender and translucent, add the grated celery root and parsnips; continue to cook over a mediumlow flame for another 4–5 minutes, while stirring.
- Add the veal stock, sugar, red wine vinegar, salt, and grated beets, and bring this mixture to a gentle simmer over a high flame.
- Once a simmer is reached, turn the heat down to a very low flame, cover the pot, and allow the vegetables to simmer gently for at least 1–1.5 hours (the longer, the better).
- If the liquid level has changed much during the gentle simmering process, add more stock or water as needed.
- Add the Red Bliss potatoes, cabbage, and beef brisket, and gently simmer over a low flame; uncover for an additional 40 minutes, and then remove from heat.
- Add the minced parsley and check the seasoning of the soup; add salt, if necessary.
- Serve the borscht with a dollop of sour cream on top.