Ukraine’s Borscht soup

Borscht is a sour soup common in Eastern Europe and Northern Asia. Chunks of tender beets swim in brilliant red broth for a soup that’s beloved in Ukraine and across Eastern Europe. Often topped with a rich dollop of sour cream, borscht is anything but basic beet soup. It gets a tangy kick from kvass, a lacto-fermented beet juice that’s another regional specialty.

Several ethnic groups claim borscht, in its various local guises, as their own national dish consumed as part of ritual meals within Eastern Orthodox, Greek Catholic, Roman Catholic, and Jewish religious traditions.

Here is an easy recipes for preparing this delicious soup.

Ingredients for Borscht soup

Original recipe yields 10 servings

·         1 (16 ounce) package pork sausage

·         3 medium beets, peeled and shredded

·         3 carrots, peeled and shredded

·         3 medium baking potatoes, peeled and cubed

·         1 tablespoon vegetable oil

·         1 medium onion, chopped

·         1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste

·         ¾ cup water

·         ½ medium head cabbage, cored and shredded

·         1 (8 ounce) can diced tomatoes, drained

·         3 cloves garlic, minced

·         Salt and pepper to taste

·         1 teaspoon white sugar, or to taste

·         ½ cup sour cream, for topping

·         Tablespoon chopped fresh parsley for garnish

Cooking Directions

·         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.

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