Grandmas Winter Borscht Recipes

GRANDMA'S BORSCHT (POLISH BEET SOUP)

Steps:

• caramelize the onion in some olive oil.
• Add the potatoes and fry for about 2 minutes, careful not to let the onions and potatoes stick to the bottom of the pan. Use a bit more oil if necessary.
• Add the vegetable stock and carrots. If you use fresh green beans, add them at this point. Bring to a boil. Cook for 5 to 10 minutes until potatoes and carrots are tender.
• Add the beets, green beans, bay leaf, and dill. Simmer for a couple of hours. Serve with sour cream if desired.

WINTER BORSCHT

Steps:

• In a medium saucepan, cover the beef with 6 cups water. Stir in the onion and quartered carrot. Bring to a boil. Skim off any foam and fat that rises to the surface. Lower the heat, and simmer gently for 1 hour 30 minutes. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve, and measure the liquid; there should be about 4 1/2 cups. Reserve the liquid and the meat.
• Return the beef and strained liquid to the pan. Bring to a boil. Add the beets, and return to a boil. Lower the heat, and simmer for 20 minutes, or until the tip of a knife easily pierces the beets. Remove the beets, and allow to cool slightly. Peel them, and grate coarsely. Return the grated beets to the soup.
• Dissolve the tomato paste in 1/2 cup of the soup, and stir back into the pot. Stir in the garlic, grated carrot, cabbage, tomatoes, bay leaf, vinegar and sugar. Bring to a boil. Lower the heat, and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 1 hour 30 minutes.
• Remove the meat, and discard the bones. Slice the meat 1/2-inch thick, and stir into the soup, along with the cubed potatoes, salt, pepper and the 1/3 cup dill. Return to a boil for 2 minutes.
• If desired, place a half potato in the bottom of each large bowl. Ladle in the soup. Top with a dollop of sour cream and a sprinkling of dill.

GRANDMA'S BORSCHT (BEET SOUP)

Steps:

• 1. Peel and cut your beets into thin shoe strings. Add onion, bay leaf, pork neck bones, parsley, salt, celery stalk and beets into a stock pot with water. Simmer until beets are tender.
• 2. Remove Stalk of Celery and bay leaf. Add cider vinegar a tablespoon at a time to the soup. VERY IMPORTANT! BE A TASTER! You need to taste the liquid for the tartness that you prefer, so be sure to only add a Tbsp at a time.
• 3. In a bowl mix the sour cream, flour and egg. Beat together. Add a little of the hot soup to this mixture (about 1 cup) adding it little at a time and beat well each time. You do not want to curdle the mix.
• 4. Turn heat down under the soup low enough as to no longer be boil at all. Add the cream mix in the bowl to the pot of soup VERY SLOWLY. BE CAREFUL that it DOES NOT boil and that you do not add it too quickly or else the mixture from the bowl will curdle.
• 5. Serve hot garnished with a fresh sprig of curled parsley on top. ENJOY!

WARSZAWA'S WINTER BORSCHT

Steps:

• Cook beets in water over medium-low heat until soft, about 45 minutes.
• Drain, reserving liquid in soup pot.
• Peel and grate beets and add to reserved liquid.
• Saute onion in butter over medium heat until softened, 5 minutes; add sausage and green onions and saute until sausage is heated through; add sausage mixture to beet soup mixture, add salt and white pepper to taste.
• Boil soup about 5 minutes; add lemon juice, beans, sugar, parsley and dill, reserving some parsley and dill for garnish.
• Return soup to a boil, taste and adjust seasoning. If making a vegetarian borscht, saute the veggie sausage separately and add the sausage pieces here.
• Remove from heat and stir in sour cream; do not let boil.
• Ladel borscht into serving bowls and garnish eash with egg, remaining dill and parsley.

GRANDMA'S WINTER BORSCHT

Steps:

• Put meat and bones in large dutch oven. Add cold water to cover at least 2 inches above contents. Bring to a boil and skim. Add onion and salt and pepper. Boil for at least one hour and then add tomatoes. Boil until meat is tender and falling off the bones. Remove meat from pot (leave bones). Boil down by a quarter. Add beets and cabbage, simmer until tender. 1 hour before serving add juice of 1 lemon and 1 tbs. sugar. Cook and then add more lemon and sugar to achieve a sweet-sour taste. When right, add meat and simmer for an hour.