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
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…
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
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.
Wash mushrooms & beans. Deep beans in a warm water. If you are using dry mushrooms deep them in warm water as well.
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.
Place whole onions into the pot. Chopp vegetable.
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!
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.
Hope you are inspired & curious to try my family recipe: Ukrainian Borsch! Thank you for your time. Cмачного – Bon appetit! Xxx