Russian borscht: Classic version

The traditional, classic borsch was a staple soup during my upbringing. Whenever time was of the essence, my grandma would whip up a pot of this beloved red soup. However, as a child, I never truly enjoyed it. I vividly recall those moments, seated in the kitchen with my grandma as she served a steaming bowl of borscht in front of me.
Upon first glance, I'd make a face, hesitant to taste it. My grandma would gently urge, “Eat now,” and reluctantly, I'd take a spoonful. Looking back, those were cherished times, and I now regret my childhood aversion to my grandma's soup, for I've developed a fondness for it as an adult. Sadly, I can no longer savor my grandma's borsch, as the original recipe was forever sealed within her mind, carried with her into eternity.

Ingredients

• 500g beef (shoulder piece)
• 2 medium onions
• 200g white cabbage in thick strips
• 200g beetroot cut into strips or roughly grated
• 100g carrots cut into strips or roughly grated
• 150g potatoes in cubes
• 1 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 The Essig
• 2 finely chopped garlic cloves
• Chopped parsley, dill or chives
• 1 cup sour cream
• Salt, pepper, bay leaf

Preparation

Step 1

First put the meat briefly in boiling salted water, blanch and remove.

step 2

Then add salt, 2 bay leaves and peppercorns again and cook until soft, about 2 - 2.5 hours, remove and cut into cubes or strips.

step 3

After cooking, first add the potatoes to the bouillon (without peppercorns and bay leaves), 10Min. let simmer gently. Then add the blanched cabbage.

Step 4

Briefly sauté the carrots, onions, beetroot and tomato paste in a pan for about 10-15 minutes. You can add a little sugar and vinegar here to taste.

Step 5

Then mix everything together in the pot and simmer for a while. Heat. Let it stand so that the borscht does not start to boil, because then the color and taste will be lost.

Step 6

Season the finished borscht with garlic, salt and pepper and let it simmer gently for a while.

Step 7

Sideboard suggestion: Finish with a tablespoon of sour cream*, chopped dill, parsley or chives before serving.

Tip

It's true with Smetana, but that doesn't exist in Germany. The closest thing is sour cream.

Find me on Nostr

npub1kt92nvl0xra26cz7tmhd3k3v3ltmfj5890kdc3qq9860h84tp76swuf0p0