Recipe: Borscht – traditional Eastern and Central European soup

Borscht soup

Borscht is a soup of Ukrainian origin that is popular in many Eastern and Central European cuisines, including those of Poland, Russia, Ukraine and Belarus. In most of these countries, it is made with beetroot as the main ingredient. I have eaten Borscht as a clear soup, a thick purée and, during my last trip to Poland recently, with potato dumplings. Here is my Mediterranean version with very little cooking time to retain that lovely colour. 

Ingredients:

  • 3 peeled beetroots, chopped
  • 100 g shredded cabbage
  • ½ peeled onion, chopped
  • 2 peeled and cooked potatoes
  • 1 garlic clove, grated
  • 1 carrot chopped
  • 1 tsp ground coriander
  • ½ tsp nutmeg
  • Salt and pepper for seasoning
  • 125 ml yoghurt, or more as desired
  • Flat leaf parsley, chopped, for garnish
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 organic all natural stock cube

Instructions: 

  1. Place all the first 7 ingredients in a large pot and immerse with water. Use a hand blender to make it into a purée, pulse the blender until the mixture is consistent. Add water to make it into the thickness of your choice. 
  2. Cook on high heat until it comes to a boil. When it boils, add the olive oil, mix and turn down the heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Season to taste and serve immediately with plain yoghurt and freshly chopped parsley.
  3. It tastes so fresh because the vegetables are barely cooked, the colour is vibrant and taste and texture are great. Try it because it is perfect for this time of the year.

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