Ukranian Borscht
Stunning colors in an authentic richly deep flavored soup!
Ukranian borscht
4 - 5 cups beef stock or broth (for thicker or thinner soup)
2 teaspoons bouillon paste or 2 cubes
1 cup trimmed stew meat or chuck steak, cut into 1-inch cubes, dusted with flour
1 1/2 cups green or red cabbage thinly sliced
1 large onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, finely minced
2 carrots, peeled and cubed
1 red pepper, diced
1 large stalk celery, diced
4 tablespoons olive oil
2 large red beets, peeled and cut into small cubes
2 medium potatoes, peeled and cubed
3-ounce can tomato paste
1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
1/2 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper, or to taste
2 bay leaves
1 tablespoon paprika
1 tablespoon vinegar
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
pinch of sugar
1/4 cup dill or parsley, finely chopped and a few sprigs for garnish
sour cream for topping
serve with toasted pumpernickel or rye bread or croutons (recipe below)
-Preheat a large skillet over medium-high heat and add 2 tablespoons oil. Salt and pepper meat then brown meat cubes in oil until browned and crispy on all sides, stirring frequently. (Brown meat in batches, one layer at a time.) Remove meat from skillet and set aside. Add another tablespoon of oil and add onion, carrots, red pepper and celery then saute for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in minced garlic the last minute of cooking. Set sauteed vegetables aside.
-Bring broth and bouillon with bay leaves to a boil over medium-high heat. Add the cubed meat along with the vinegar and Worcestershire sauce. Cover and simmer over medium-low heat for about 45 minutes, until meat is almost tender.
-Transfer sauteed veggies to the pot along with beets, potatoes, tomato paste, cabbage, sugar, salt and pepper. Cover, bring to a simmer over medium-low heat. Cook for 30 minutes or until meat and vegetables are tender. Remove bay leaves.
-Turn off heat and let sit for about 15 - 20 minutes before serving. Add dill/parsley, stir and adjust seasoning to taste.
-Serve warm with a dollop of sour cream, dill/parsley sprigs and croutons (if used) on top, Add a toasted pumpernickel or rye bread as an accompaniment. Serves 6 - 8.
FOR GARLIC CROUTONS: Cube 3 slices of dry pumpernickel or rye bread into crouton-sized pieces. Melt 3 tablespoons butter in a medium skillet. Add 2 cloves finely minced garlic and cook 1 minute to soften. Add bread cubes to skillet and toss with butter/garlic mixture for 2 - 3 minutes over medium-high heat. Season with salt and black pepper and a pinch of cayenne pepper. Allow to cool before using.
Peel and cube vegetables for soup.
Serve Borscht with toasty bread, garnished with sour cream and dill.
PERSNICKETY NOTES:
**Like many soups and stews, the flavors meld and the borscht tastes better after resting in the refrigerator overnight. If possible, make your borscht the day before serving and then chill for the best flavor.
**If using the bouillon cubes to increase the beefy flavor, be careful with the salt and taste before adding additional salt. Bouillon cubes contain a lot of salt.
