Ukrainian Borscht (barszcz ukraiński)

I dropped in on my parents recently, around lunchtime.   They’re both great cooks, so I wasn’t surprised to be asked to join them for a bowl of borscht rather than a ham sandwich.

The Ukrainian version my mom found on Allrecipes was my favorite in my somewhat limited borscht experience.  I have tried Polish barszcz in Poznan and made my own.

The Polish version is a brothy-soup, with a strong, tart flavor and is served with a croquette on the side.  In comparison, this Ukrainina verion is a hearty, stew-like soup and milder in flavor.

It has a wonderful flavor and texture, is a source of many healthy vegetables, but does involve a bit of chopping.

Adapted from: Allrecipes

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For a vegetarian option, omit the sausage.  For a vegan recipe, skip the sausage and the sour cream or substitute a vegan sour cream

Smacznego!

Lois

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Ukrainian Borscht (barszcz ukraiński)

• Author: polishhousewife
• Prep Time: 60 min
• Cook Time: 60 min
• Total Time: 2 hours
• Yield: 8 - 10 servings 1x
• Category: Soup
• Method: Stovetop
• Cuisine: Ukrainian

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Description

A hearty beet soup

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Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

• 16 ounces bulk pork sausage (I made my own hot breakfast sausage)
• 3/4 cup red lentils
• 1 3/4 cup water, divided
• 3 medium beets, peeled and shredded
• 3 carrots, peeled and shredded
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 6 ounces tomato paste
• 1/2 head cabbage, cored and finely shredded
• 8 ounces diced tomatoes
• 3 cloves garlic
• salt and pepper to taste
• sour cream, for garnish
• parsley, for garnish

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Instructions

1. Brown the sausage over medium-high heat, breaking into small pieces, drain and set aside
2. Soak lentils in 1 cup of water, while cooking sausage and shredding vegetables (about an hour)
3. Drain lentils, reserving water, process lentils with a few spoons full of the water in a blender or food processor.  It should resemble a slightly watery hummus
4. Add 8 cups of water to a large Dutch oven, add the sausage and bring to a boil
5. Add beets, and simmer 15 minutes
6. Add carrots and blended lentils, cook for 15 minutes
7. Add cabbage and tomatoes, continuing to simmer
8. Heat oil and onion in a frying pan, cook until the onion is tender
9. Add garlic to onion and cook 1 minute; add tomato paste and 3/4 cup water
10. Stir over heat until tomato paste and water are blended, transfer to soup pot
11. Simmer 5 minutes, season to taste with salt and pepper
12. Ladle into bowls and garnish with sour cream and diced parsley

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Notes

For a vegetarian option, omit the sausage.  For a vegan recipe, skip the sausage and the sour cream or substitute a vegan sour cream

Keywords: borscht beet soup poland ukraine sausage