Breaking news...Ukranian Borsht Soup
Red Soup, from the Eastern Bloc
I was in the Ukraine a while back and was served this delicious soup, known as Borsht (also borscht or borshch).
It’s a vegetable soup from Eastern Europe, which is traditionally made with beetroot as a main ingredient (giving it a strong red colour). Other varieties also exist, such as the tomato-based orange borscht and the green (zelioni) version.It made its way into global cuisine by way of Jewish immigrants out of the Polish, Russian, Ukrainian regions.
It’s simple, cost-effective and very tasty.
Ingredients:
- 1 Kilo peeled washed and diced young beetroots
- 2 carrots, peeled and diced
- 3 potatoes, peeled and cubed
- 1 onion, diced and fried
- 1/4 cabbage, sliced
- 1 small can chopped tomatoes (optional)
- A little chicken stock (optional)
- Water (2 litres)
- Salt and pepper
- Sugar to taste
- Sour cream
Directions:
- Cook the peeled beetroots for about 3/4 hour.
- Add potatoes, cabbage, carrots, and cook until the vegetables are soft.
- Add the seasoning, tomatoes and fried onion.
- Cook for a further few minutes.
- Transfer to blender for a smooth soup (personally, I like it smooth) or leave chunky.
Serve with sour cream and crusty bread.
Viv
