My dad rarely asks my mom or I to make a specific food – he’s not picky at all and will eat whatever is placed in front of him. However, every once in a blue moon, he does ask for certain foods that he would like, and just last week, he requested that we have borscht for dinner one night. So therefore, I was determined to make the best darn borscht possible.
Now to be truthfully honest, I really didn’t have a clue as to what borscht was. I knew it was common in Russia and I knew that it was a soup, but that’s about all I knew. After looking it up to learn a little more about it, I thought I’d share with you some things that I learned:
- Borscht is a common soup in Eastern Europe (especially Ukraine, Russia, or Poland) that’s based on vegetables. Each claim that their country invented it, and each country has a slightly different version of how they prepare it.
- There are actually several different varieties of borscht soups! The first is the Ukrainian version that’s probably the most well-known version today. It’s made with broth, red beets, and cabbage and is served hot (usually with sour cream). The second is “Green Borscht” that is made in the spring or summer when there are new plants ready to be eaten. Finally, there is a “Cold Borscht” that is usually served during hot summer months and is served cold.
- Borsht can contain meat or be vegetarian, depending on the occasion. Traditionally, sour cream was added on holidays and Sundays, but now it is an everyday topping almost always served with borscht.
- There are multiple different varieties that can be made with different vegetables, but the most commonly-used ingredients are broth, red beets, cabbage, carrot, mushrooms, beans, onion, garlic, and beet kvass. As the years went on, people started adding potatoes and tomatoes, as well.
Quite frankly, the name “borscht” just does not sound appealing to me. At all. However, after learning what’s in it, it really didn’t sound all that bad to me! Plus, my dad insisted on having it, so I wasn’t going to let him down!
You might be wondering to yourself, why in the world would someone request borscht of all things? Why not lasagna or stir-fry or something of that nature? Well it turns out that the last time my dad was in Poland for business, he ended up going to visit a co-worker who lived in the area, and that co-worker’s wife made them a delicious home-cooked Polish meal. And what was included in that meal? Yep… borscht. My dad ended up really liking it, and ever since then he has been wanting to have it here in the United States.
Since I didn’t really know where to start with making a borscht, I had to do my research and look up some recipes. I spent a day or so going through tons of different recipes, looking for common ingredient trends, and then I took bits and pieces of each recipe and made my own version.
Now let me just tell you… this recipe was a LOT more work that I was expecting it to be. And it was also very messy. When I was blending up the mixture in my blender, I guess I forgot that hot liquids can cause the pressure inside the blender to increase, making it much easier for the top to come off while the mixture is blended. I learned that the hard way, though, and spent an unplanned 10 minutes wiping down the cabinets, floors, and stove, trying to get rid of the bright purple juice that splattered everywhere. It’s a good thing we were scheduled to have new cabinet doors installed the following week, otherwise these ones would’ve been stained for good! I guess the timing couldn’t have been more perfect!
Besides the minor mishap involving the blender exploding everywhere, this recipe was pretty simple to make. Yes it involved a lot of time and work, but it wasn’t anything complicated.
When it came time to eat dinner on the night I had served borscht, I set the table with some soup bowls, and my dad asked what kind of soup we were having. When I told him borscht, his face absolutely lit up and he couldn’t want to try it out! (I also made some Polish kielbasa, some homemade breads, roasted potato, and mashed cauliflower to go with the soup).
After taking a first bite, my dad was hooked. He absolutely loved the flavor and texture of it, even though he said it was nothing like the one he had in Poland. It turns out that the one his co-worker’s wife made for them was actually smooth and creamy and was served from a cup (they drank it). However, my dad didn’t mention this, so I went ahead and made a traditional chunky version. But even though this one wasn’t like the one he had in Poland, my dad still loved this version. In fact, he ate it for lunch and dinner the next day and was sad when the pot was empty.
Since I had never tried borscht before, I really didn’t have anything to compare it to. Yes, I really the flavor and texture of this version, but I have no idea if i’s anything anywhere close to a traditional borscht. I guess I’ll just have to travel back to Eastern Europe one day to find out for myself! But until then, I’ll just stick with this version that I make and pretend it’s an authentic recipe 🙂
Before I leave you with the recipe, I just want to give you one last reminder: if you decide to make this, don’t try to add all the liquid to the blender at one time. Do it in small batches and keep repeating until it’s all done, otherwise you’ll just end up with some cabinets and walls splattered with red/purple juices (like I did!)
- 4 cups cooked and peeled beets, diced (divided)
- 4-5 small yellow potatoes, peeled and diced
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 4 cups low-sodium vegetable or chicken broth
- 1 cup water
- ½ tsp. salt
- ½ tsp. black pepper
- ½ of a medium red cabbage, finely shredded
- 1 cup carrots, peeled and diced small
- 1 TBSP honey
- 3 TBSP red wine vinegar
- Heat 3 TBSP of oil in a large sauce pot over medium heat. Add the potatoes, potatoes, and 3 cups of the beets. Cook for about 10 minutes, stirring often.
- Once potatoes are tender, add the water and chicken/vegetable stock. Mix well.
- Cover mixture with a lid, reduce heat to low, and then simmer for 50-55 minutes, or until vegetables are completely cooked and tender. Turn off the heat.
- Use a ladle to scoop a few ladles of the mixture into a blender. Blend until smooth, creamy, and no lumps remain. Pour mixture into a separate large sauce pot.
- Repeat this over and over again until all of the veggie mixture has been blended. Set this smooth mixture aside for now.
- In the now empty sauce pot, add 2 TBSP oil and heat over medium heat.
- Add the finely-chopped cabbage and cook, stirring occasionally for 5 minutes.
- Add the carrots and remaining 1 cup beet. Cook for 4-5 minutes, stirring often.
- Add the honey and red wine vinegar, stir well, and cook for another 1-2 minutes.
- Pour the pureed mixture from step 5 into the sauce pot and stir well. Cover with a lid and let the mixture cook over low-medium heat for 35-40 minutes.
- When veggies are completely cooked, remove from the heat and let cool to room temperature. Then, place the soup in the fridge to chill for about 2 hours before serving.
- When ready to eat, re-heat the mixture over medium heat until just warmed through.
