This is the borscht recipe from my friend Sasha’s Russian family. I modified the recipe somewhat by adding a little brown sugar to intensify the taste and slowly sautéing the vegetables rather than adding them all at once. Reheated borscht is delicious, but the brilliant color will no longer be present.
| Prep Time: | 15 mins |
| Cook Time: | 1 hr |
| Total Time: | 1 hr 15 mins |
| Servings: | 8 |
| Yield: | 8 servings |
Ingredients
- 4 medium red beets with greens
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 large yellow onion, finely chopped
- 3 large cloves garlic, minced
- 2 large carrots, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
- 1 rutabaga, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
- 1 medium parsnip, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
- 2 teaspoons dark brown sugar
- 2 quarts water
- ¼ medium head green cabbage, shredded
- 2 teaspoons salt, or more to taste
- 1 large bay leaf
- 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar, or more to taste
- freshly ground black pepper
- 1 small bunch parsley, stems removed, finely chopped
- ¼ cup sour cream, or to taste
Instructions
- Cut the greens off the beets. Remove stems and discard. Wash and dry leaves, then chop. Set aside.
- Scrub beets and place into a saucepan. Cover with water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and cook, covered, until beets can be easily pierced with a knife, 30 to 40 minutes. Drain and rinse under cold water until cool enough to handle. Peel immediately and grate coarsely. Set aside.
- Heat olive oil in a large wide pot or Dutch oven over low heat. Add onion and slowly cook until soft and translucent, stirring often, 3 to 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook until fragrant without browning, about 1 minute.
- Add carrots, rutabaga, and parsnip and cook over medium heat until vegetables start to soften, 12 to 15 minutes. Sprinkle with brown sugar and continue cooking until vegetables start to brown in some spots, 3 to 5 minutes. Add 2 quarts water, cabbage, salt, and bay leaf; stir well.
- Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer until the vegetables are soft, 10 to 15 minutes. Stir in beet greens in the last 2 minutes. Leave the pot uncovered so beet greens maintain their color.
- Mix in grated beets and remove borscht from the heat immediately to stop the cooking process; this will preserve its bright color. Season with vinegar, salt, and pepper.
- Serve sprinkled with parsley and a dollop of sour cream.
- I used beets and greens from my garden, which I had already cooked and frozen.
- Substitute tarragon vinegar for the white wine vinegar if preferred.
Nutrition Facts
| Calories | 140 kcal |
| Carbohydrate | 19 g |
| Cholesterol | 3 mg |
| Dietary Fiber | 5 g |
| Protein | 3 g |
| Saturated Fat | 2 g |
| Sodium | 658 mg |
| Sugars | 10 g |
| Fat | 7 g |
| Unsaturated Fat | 0 g |