Polish beetroot soup (Borscht)

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Today I want to share a recipe for everyone who wants to prepare a soured beetroot soup without a starter. We'll prepare an aromatic borscht that will charm you not only with its flavour, but also deep, burgundy colour.

 

Distinct sweetness of beetroots goes perfectly with the hint of vinegar that brings some sour notes, while pepper makes the soup lightly spicy. It's a great combination that is fantastic not only during Christmas.

You'll find the list of ingredients, method and approximate nutritional value below.

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List of ingredients (~3 l of soup)

  • 50 g dried mushrooms
  • 1 large parsnip (~150 g)
  • 1/4 large celeriac (~ 200 g)
  • 1 large carrot (~150 g)
  • 2 kg fresh beetroots
  • 1 medium onion (100 g)
  • White part of leek (~70 g)
  • 1 apple (~130 g)
  • 6 allspice berries
  • 3 small bay leaves
  • 6 peppercorns
  • 4 small garlic cloves
  • ~3 l water
  • 3 tbsp red wine vinegar, or more to taste
  • 10 g sugar
  • 1 tbsp marjoram
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Method

  1. Put 50 g dry mushrooms into a small pot and add 500 ml cold water. Set mushrooms aside to soak for at least 30 minutes. The more they soak, the better, so you can even cover them with water a day ahead.
  2. Turn the heat under the pot on to low and bring the liquid to a boil slowly. Cook the mushrooms for around 30 minutes from the point then they started boiling. Keep an eye on them as they cook to make sure they don't boil over. After around 30 minutes, once mushrooms are soft, take pot off heat and drain the mushrooms on a fine sieve, keeping the water in which they cooked. You can use the mushrooms to make a filling for dumplings or croquettes.
  3. Rinse, peel and remove inedible parts from one large carrot, one large parsnip and 200 g celeriac. Grate the vegetables directly into a large pot on a coarse grater. Grate 2 kg peeled beetroots next. I recommend wearing kitchen gloves and an apron!
  4. Scorch one medium onion over a gas hob or toast it in a dry pan.
  5. Put the scorched onion, white part of a leek sliced into 0.5 cm strips and one cubed medium apple into the pot. Add 4 garlic cloves, 3 small bay leaves, 6 allspice berries and 6 peppercorns. Pour mushroom stock in next and add enough water to cover the vegetables. I needed around 3 l of liquid altogether. Stir through the contents of the pot and make sure that all the vegetables are covered. Cover the pot with a lid, turn on heat to low and bring the liquid to a boil.
  6. Cook the soup for 10 minutes from the point at which it starts boiling. It is crucial that you heat up the soup slowly and not overcook the beetroots. That will help ensure the soup keeps its beautiful colour.
  7. About 2 minutes before the end of cooking time add 40 ml red wine vinegar to the soup and stir it in. Vinegar will not only flavour the soup, but also help in keeping the beautiful colour. Turn the heat off after 10 minutes and set the pot aside to cool completely. Put it into a fridge overnight, keeping the vegetables in.
  8. Remove vegetables on the next day by passing the soup through a fine sieve. Put the soup back over very low heat and heat it up slowly, covered, to serving temperature. You should not cook borscht anymore at this point. Once the soup is warm, season it to taste with salt, ground black pepper, 10 g of sugar and, optionally, more vinegar. Rub 1 tbsp of marjoram in your hand and add it to the soup. If you prefer a completely clear borscht, add marjoram the day before and remove it together with vegetables.
  9. Serve the soup together with Polish croquettes, dumplings or your favourite pasties.
  10. Enjoy!

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