Russian Beetroot Borscht

attosa
Diamond Post Medal for All Time! 1,246 Posts

Beetroot Borscht in bowl Borscht is a hearty soup that comes in many variations, usually from the Eastern European part of the world. My mother travelled to Russia when she was in college and learned how to make this beetroot-filled Borscht whilst there. She's made it for us during the colder months all our lives and we absolutely love it. Comfort food at its finest!

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 3 hours

Total Time: 3 hours 20 minutes

Ingredients:

2 Tbsp oil
2 Tbsp butter
1 lb stew meat
1 large onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, crushed
1/2 head cabbage, chopped
1 large raw beet, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1/4 cup steel cut oats
3-4 whole tomatoes
1 tsp paprika
1 Tbsp tomato paste
water
salt and pepper to taste
3 potatoes, peeled and halved
sour cream or yogurt for serving

Steps:

Heat oil and butter to a large pot over medium heat. Add stew meat, onions, and garlic. Cook, stirring frequently, for about 5 minutes.

Stir in cabbage, beets, and red bell pepper. Stir and cook for a few minutes.

adding cabbage, beets & bell pepper to pot

Add steel cut oats, tomatoes, paprika, and tomato paste.

adding tomatoes, oats & tomato paste to pan

Add enough water to cover everything and bring to a boil. Lower to a simmer, cover, and cook for about 2 hours. Stir occasionally so nothing sticks to the bottom.

Add salt and pepper to taste, then add the halved potatoes. Cover and cook over a simmer for about 45 minutes, until potatoes are tender.

Serve immediately in bowls. Top with sour cream or yogurt. Keep cooled leftovers in containers in the fridge or freeze. I find the leftovers taste better and better over the days to come.

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chef in my dreams

October 23, 20190 found this helpful

Oats in Borsch? Someone must have been fooling your Mother if they told her this was borsch.

attosa
Diamond Post Medal for All Time! 1,246 Posts

October 24, 20190 found this helpful

There are plenty of Borschts that use oats, traditionally fermented oats. Maybe this is why you're a chef in your dreams? :) Good luck and happy eating!

chef in my dreams

October 24, 20191 found this helpful

Soups made with a grain slurry, most frequently made with rye, are called Zurek after the slurry, or Bialy Barscz(White Borsch) because they have a whitish appearance and the tangy sourness of beetroot's culinary predecessor, hogweed(borschinok). I may be a "chef in my dreams", but I am a food historian IRL.

attosa
Diamond Post Medal for All Time! 1,246 Posts

October 24, 20193 found this helpful

That's wonderful info. This is what my mother learned in Russia, and it's now in our recipe book for me to share :) I see similar types and I don't think recipes have rules, just evolution.