Borsch Recipe - The way it was taught to me by a woman in a nearby city
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| Sitting down with Oksana to taste our first attempt in making Borsch. Yum! |
Part One
1 onion diced
2 carrots shredded
3-4 beets shredded
1/2 large sweet pepper diced
3-4T. oil (sunflower preferred)
Fry above ingredients in large pan in sunflower oil on medium heat - about 20-30 minutes keeping each item separate in the pan. You can blend all ingredients together in the pan during the last 5-10 minutes. Stir occasionally to avoid burning. Once all vegetables are cooked, remove from heat and set aside. Do not wash pan yet! (see part three)
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| After all ingredients can be blended together |
Part Two
2 c. shredded cabbage
6 potatoes (this is an avg. amt.) cubed for soup
lg. pot of boiling water or water and chicken broth (half and half)
1-3T. salt (adjust to your liking)
3-5 bay leaf
pepper
While you are frying ingredients from part one you can prepare potatoes and cabbage. Once these two vegetables are peeled, cubed and shredded as instructed, add to pot of boiling water or water/broth. Keep to a constant low boil.
(at this point your pot should have boiling liquid, shredded cabbage, potatoes, salt, pepper and bay leaf)
Part Three
1/3 c. tomato paste
1/2 c. tomato juice (optional)
1 jar beans, drained (any light colored bean)
Using the same pan from Part One add the above three ingredients together and heat through for about 5 minutes. Then remove from heat.
Part Four
additional ingredients needed:
2T. each of fresh dill & sorrel chopped (opt. but will change flavor if you do not use)
- add to pot after removing from heat
sour cream and hard crust bread
- dollop of sour cream on soup and bread on the side
When to combine all ingredients
from Part One, Two and Three
Once your potatoes are fork tender but not too soft, add ingredients from Part One into the soup pot. You should be able to do this while you are heating tomato paste, tomato juice and beans. Then add these last three ingredients. Allow your soup to simmer for five more minutes then shut off stove. Add sorrel and dill, stir. Cover with lid. Allow flavors to blend for at least 15 minutes.
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NOTE: If borsch boils too long it will turn orange instead of a beautiful red. If you want a red color, set aside 1 cup from Part One's ingredients and add at the end when you add dill and sorrel.
ADJUSTMENTS: The only adjustment made is that Oksana used hard beans, pork in her broth and pork fat for frying. But she said these were optional. Dill addition is mine.
I was really blessed to have Oksana come to our house and teach this to me.
Not only is it her family recipe, but everyone who tastes it, loves it.
