How to make Borscht

Looking for a great recipe for beets? Try making borscht - it's delicious!

Fall has arrived. Leaves are falling, I see geese flying high in the sky, and I have a lot of beets in my garden. It is also the case that large bags of beets can usually be bought at the grocery store for a great price this time of year - so it is beet season - and what better way to use them than in a healthy and delicious pot of borscht! This highly versatile (and economical) dish is popular in Eastern Europe and Northern Asia, and there are many many versions. Here’s how I make it:

The beautiful deep color, and the unique flavor of the stewed beets, make borscht a fantastic meal on cold days. [source: photo by: Liz West ]

Ingredients:

Directions:

1. Cut up meat and sear/brown it in a large pot. If you are working with a soup bone - put in a pot to simmer for an hour, then de-bone and cut up the meat. Any meat will do really. The more intense the flavor, the better in my opinion - I’ve used beef, pork, goat, lamb, deer, rabbit, and even sausages. They all add unique character to the dish. Use what you have. Use what’s on sale.

2. Peel and grate beets. Grated beets give the borscht a deeper color than diced beets. I have no idea why.

3. Finely slice the onions and cabbage (sometimes I leave the cabbage out).

4. Dice the potatoes and carrots (sometimes I leave these out).

5. Put everything in the pot and add about 8 cups of water - or even more if everything isn’t covered. You can use stock instead of water - or some combination of water and stock. Either way it will still be very flavorful. If you are making it without meat, then adding stock will have much more impact on the flavor.

   

   The smell of borscht simmering fills the house and makes everyone hungry.

6. Bring to a boil for a good ten minutes, stirring occasionally, then simmer for an hour.

7. Serve with fresh dill and sour cream (not essential but very nice to add). Some nice home made bread with butter is also nice to have on the side.

Why this works:

Borscht is a nice break from other soups and stews with its beets, garlic, sour cream and dill garnish. Nothing really tastes like beets. They have an unique flavor profile and good sugar content - so the soup is sweet but also rich in flavor. Also, I always have a healthy feeling when I eat borscht - and that makes sense with all those vegetables and the antioxidant properties of the beets themselves. Finally, there is that gorgeous color. Despite the fact that it’s just a soup - with that color, and the sour cream and the dill, and some fresh bread - it’s a beautiful meal that I happily serve to guests. As mentioned above, there are many variants. I often leave out the cabbage and potatoes and add more beets because I want it “super-beety”, and I also substitute other greens sometimes in place of the cabbage depending on what’s on hand in the garden. Play around with this recipe and let me know what you think!

FREE SHIPPING FROM VESEYS SEEDS

Use my coupon code “GAVS24” to get free shipping from Veseys Seeds. At least one pack of seeds must be included in the order. Free shipping is not applicable on surcharges on larger items. Promo code is valid until November 30, 2024.

Here’s how I make it:

Here’s what to do if it isn’t purple-enough: