Warszawas Winter Borscht Recipes

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.

WINTER BORSCHT

Steps:

• Put the broth, beets and potatoes in a large heavy-bottomed pot and bring it to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer. Cover and cook until the vegetables are just tender, about 20 minutes. Uncover and stir in the cabbage and red wine vinegar. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper (taste for sodium levels in the broth before salting). Simmer for another 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Ladle the soup into serving bowls and serve warm. Enjoy!

CHICKEN AND VEGETABLE BORSCHT

Steps:

• Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat.
• Add garlic and onions and cook until soft, about 10 minutes.
• Add carrots, potatoes, cabbage, tomato paste. bay leaf, and 2 quarts water and stir well.
• Increase heat to medium high and bring to a boil. Turn to medium low and cook partially covered until vegetables are just tender about 15 minutes.
• Add chicken, tomatoes and beans and half the dill. Cook 6-8 minutes. Season to taste. Serve in bowls with rest of dill for garnish.

UKRAINIAN BORSCHT

Steps:

• Cook beets, carrots and onion in the 3 cans beef broth for 20 minutes.
• Add cabbage and butter, and cook uncovered for about 20 minutes.
• Season to taste.
• Stir in lemon juice.
• Now let it sit (but you don't have to), for an hour or so. Reheat or leave at temperature and serve with sour cream.
• This is better the next day!

QUICK BORSCHT

Steps:

• Heat oil in a large pot then add the butter.
• When butter stops sizzling, add the onion, carrots and celery to the pot and sweat them for 3-5 minutes; then add garlic, apple, potatoes and coleslaw mix. Stir to combine and let saute for another 2-5 minutes.
• Add tomato paste and paprika to the vegetables, and cook for a couple minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Add beets, bay leaves, beef broth vegetable stock cube and water. Bring to a boil, then turn the heat down and simmer for 45 minutes to an hour, or until vegetables are tender. Stir in the sugar and lemon juice, and adjust the salt and pepper to taste.

WINTER BORSCHT

Steps:

• Coarsely chop beets, preferably in a food processor. In a medium pot, combine beets, 4 cups water and vinegar; bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, until beets are soft, about 45 minutes. Strain and set juice aside. (Beets can be used for another purpose, like salad.)
• Meanwhile, in a deep pot, combine carrot, celery, onion, stock, bay leaves and allspice; bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, 45 minutes. Strain and discard aromatics and vegetables.
• Combine strained stock and beet juice and simmer 5 minutes. Add sugar, garlic and black pepper. Season to taste with sugar and salt. Serve with dumplings, if desired, and sprinkle with dill.

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.

VEGETARIAN BORSCHT

Steps:

• Soak the dried mushrooms in 1 cup hot water for 15 minutes.
• Drain, reserving the liquid, and squeeze out the excess liquid.
• Strain all the soaking liquid through a fine-mesh sieve.
• Reserve the liquid (there should be 1 cup) and the mushrooms separately.
• In a tall narrow stockpot, heat the oil over medium heat.
• Stir in the fresh mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally, for 4 minutes.
• Stir in the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, for 8 minutes.
• Add the beets, carrots, parsnip, celery root, 8 cups water, and the mushroom soaking liquid.
• bring to a boil.
• Lower the heat and simmer for 5 minutes.
• Stir in the potatoes, cabbage, garlic, and, if using, the beet greens.
• Dissolve the tomato paste in 1/2 cup of the liquid and stir back into soup.
• Return to a boil.
• Lower the heat and simmer for 5 minutes.
• Stir in the reconstituted mushrooms and simmer for 5 minutes, or until all the vegetables are tender.
• Remove from the heat.
• Stir in the dill, sugar, vinegar, salt and pepper.
• Pass bowls of chopped dill and sour cream at the table and enjoy!