Ukrainian Meatless Borsch Borscht Recipes

VEGETARIAN BORSCHT

Steps:

• Combine beets and vinegar in a small frying pan over low heat. Cook, while stirring, until soft, about 15 minutes.
• Heat oil in a large frying pan over low heat while beets are cooking. Add onion and stir for 2 minutes. Add carrots and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft, about 10 minutes. Set aside.
• In the meantime, bring water to a simmer in a large saucepan. Add cabbage and lentils. Cook for 10 minutes. Add potatoes and cook for 10 minutes more. Stir in cooked beets and onion-carrot mixture. Season with salt and pepper. Add tomato paste and simmer until all vegetables are tender, about 10 minutes more. Serve with sour cream and dill.

UKRAINIAN RED BORSCHT SOUP

Steps:

• Crumble the sausage (if using) into a skillet over medium-high heat. Cook and stir until no longer pink. Remove from the heat and set aside.
• Fill a large pot halfway with water(about 2 quarts), and bring to a boil. Add the sausage, and cover the pot. Return to a boil. Add the beets, and cook until they have lost their color. Add the carrots and potatoes, and cook until tender, about 15 minutes. Add the cabbage, and the can of diced tomatoes.
• Heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, and cook until tender. Stir in the tomato paste and water until well blended. Transfer to the pot. Add the raw garlic to the soup, cover and turn off the heat. Let stand for 5 minutes. Taste, and season with salt, pepper and sugar.
• Ladle into serving bowls, and garnish with sour cream, if desired, and fresh parsley.

UKRAINIAN MEATLESS BORSCH (BORSCHT)

Steps:

• Pour hot water over the mushrooms, drain, and wash.
• Cover with lukewarm water and soak for 30 minutes or longer.
• The period of soaking will depend on the variety of mushrooms used.
• The boletus variety (white hryby) requires little or no soaking.
• Cook the mushrooms in the same water in which they were soaked until they are tender.
• Cook the onion in the oil until slightly wilted.
• Add the beets, parsley, peppercorns, and water.
• Cover and cook until the beets are barely done.
• Add the carrot, potato, and celery, and continue cooking for about 15 minutes.
• At this stage put in the cabbage, and cook until it is tender but not overcooked.
• The cabbage should retain some crispness.
• Add the remaining ingredients.
• Use the beet kvas or lemon juice with discretion.
• The borsch should be mildly tart but not sour.
• Season to taste.
• Finally add the cooked, chopped, or whole mushrooms along with the mushroom stock.
• Bring to a boil.
• Serve.
• BEET KVAS Wash and pare 10 to 12 medium beets, then cut into eighths.
• Put into a stone crock or any earthenware container and cover with boiled water, cooled to lukewarm.
• To hasten fermentation, place a slice of sour rye bread among the beets.
• Cover and keep at room temperature for a few days.
• When the liquid is sour, pour it off the beets into the sealers; cover, and keep in the refrigerator.
• The kvas is added to borsch in the final stage of cooking.
• Pour a small quantity of kvas into the borsch and bring to a boil.
• Overboiling fades the color of kvas.

UKRAINIAN BORSCHT (VEGETARIAN)

Steps:

• Gather all ingredients. Wash and peel the vegetables. Take the outer leaves off the cabbage.
• Pour water or broth into the big pot, add "better than bullion", paprika, coriander and bay leaf. Bring to boil and simmer on low.
• Dice onion and place in a separate bowl. Shred carrots, cut bell peppers into matchsticks and set aside. Using a large knife, cut the cabbage into thin shreds. Place the shredded cabbage in the big bowl, add few pinches of salt and massage it few times with your hands to soften it up. Shred the beet using a large side of the grater box. Peel and cube potatoes. Transfer them to separate bowls. Chop garli, parsley and dill.
• Make the mirepoix: heat the oil in a large frying pan (medium heat). Add onions and cook until translucent. Add carrots and bell peppers and continue cooking for another 2 minutes stirring occasionally. Add shredded beet, tomato paste, lemon juice, sugar, water. Stir the mirepoix, cover and cook on low heat for 10 minutes.
• Add potatoes and cabbage to the boiling broth. Cook on low for about 10 minutes or until potatoes are almost done. Add prepared mirepoix to the soup, mix, cover and let simmer on low ( do not bringto heavy boil) for another 5-10 minutes until potatoes and cabbage are soft.
• Add freshly chopped dill and garlic to the pot.
• Taste the soup. Add more salt, pepper, lemon juice or sugar if needed. Turn off the heat and let stand covered for 10-15 minutes before serving.
• Serve hot with a big dollop of sour cream!