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Family recipe: Ukrainian Borsch

Fancy to try something hot, full of nutrients & vitamins? Winter days are cold, what is better than hot, warm & tasty soup? I have just a thing for you, my family recipe: Ukrainian Borsch.

Ukrainian Borsch – well-known name, less known recipe :) Today I bring you my fave family recipe: Ukrainian Borsch. There are a lot of Borsch’s recipes out there, so try mine, then feel free to improvise & improve to your own taste.

There is a joke about Borsch: If unexpected guests turn up on your doorstep… Ask them: “Do you like a good Borsch?” – “Yes, of course!” – “Great than come back tomorrow!” :D

Every family has its own Borsch recipe, passed from generation to generation & each generation brings something own into it. My grandma always cooked it with beef, my aunt prefers pork, my fave is the chicken Borsch. This recipe is a little time-consuming (around 2-3 hours) & I strongly advise to cook it 1 day in advance, before serving to the guests. However, if you are pressed for time, shave off 1 hour by using canned beets, beans & use chicken breasts. For those of you who like a cooking challenge & spoil your taste buds, try my fave family recipe: Ukrainian Borsch. YUMMY

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Cost: £25 / Time: 0.5h (preparation) + 1.5h (cooking) / Serves: 10 / Calories per portion: 300 / Healthy & nutritious: beans – protein, beets – iron, carrots – carotene, cabbage – vitamin K, C, fiber, etc…

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Ready:
6 chicken legs – chicken thighs & drumsticks – with skin & bones
2 medium beetroots, peeled, sliced into bite-sized pieces
3 potatoes, peeled, sliced into medium pieces
3 carrots, sliced into circles
1 parsley, sliced into circles
2 onions, peeled, whole
1/2 head of medium cabbage (red OR white), thinly chopped
200g kidney beans
1 cup of mushrooms
6 cups OR 3 cubes of chicken broth
500ml tomato sauce
3 bay leaves
2 tbsp of sunflower oil
2 tbsp chopped dill
100g smoked Plums
Salt, sweet paprika & black pepper

Extra: Sour cream, garlic, butter, rye bread

Steady:
Knife, chopping board, big pot (5l), spoon, scoop

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Go:
Wash & peel vegetables. Boil water with salt & 6 cups OR 3 cubes of chicken broth. In the meantime wash meat, place into boiling water.

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Wash mushrooms & beans. Deep beans in a warm water. If you are using dry mushrooms deep them in warm water as well.

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Salt Over Gold. Do you remember the story Dear as Salt? In my country, this tale is known as Salt Over Gold. Salt should not be praised only as a flavour enhancer. It plays a very important role in so many biological processes in our bodies & a lack of salt can seriously leave its mark on our health.

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Place whole onions into the pot. Chopp vegetable.

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Cook borsch on the medium fire. Place beans, potatoes, carrots, parsley & half of the chopped beetroot into the soup.

Then fry the rest of the beets with cabbage on the pan, add a bit of oil or some bacon for more flavour. Stir thoroughly.

Meanwhile, stir the soup. Before adding tomato sauce, paprika, black pepper & mushrooms, into the Borsch, remove chicken legs from it. Get rid of the skin & bones, place the rest of the meat back into the soup. Stir thoroughly, add fried beets & cabbage. Cook on the small fire for another 30min. Add some chopped dill into Borsch, use the rest for decoration.

Stir thoroughly, cover it with a lid. All done, don’t forget, borsch is best served the next day!

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Borsch i served hot, with a spoon of sour cream on top. My fave is a good warm bowl of Borsch with a piece of rye bread with butter & garlic. I can assure you, your guests will be more than satisfied!

What’s a typical Ukrainian meal? I heard this question a hundred times… and when I reply – Borsch, a response is – Isn’t that a Russian meal? :D Nooo – Borsch is Ukrainian traditional soup.

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Hope you are inspired & curious to try my family recipe: Ukrainian Borsch! Thank you for your time. Cмачного – Bon appetit! Xxx

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