Russian Borscht – Famous Dishes From Around The World

My paternal Zaide hailed from Russia, and my Bubbie made spectacular, melt in your mouth cabbage borscht. My mom’s beet borscht was the perfect combo of sweet and sour with flanken, cooked to perfection.

What makes this version of Russian Borscht so appealing, in today’s health climate, is its pure vegetable goodness — a combination of beets and cabbage in a light broth, the creamy smoothness of yogurt, a spectacular shade of crimson. It’s just wow.

And where did this version of Russian Borscht come from? Many thanks to all those responsible for creating the collaborative, bilingual English and Spanish cookbook, Famous Dishes From Around the World,  went to JC for review. I’d give this gem a five-star review for this Russian Borscht recipe alone.

Russian Borscht

• 8 c vegetable broth or water
• 2 T olive oil
• 1 onion chopped
• 1 leek, white and light green parts, thinly sliced
• 2 celery stalks, thinly sliced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 carrots, thinly sliced
• 1 large potato, peeled and diced
• 4 beets, peeled and diced
• 1/4 head each green and red cabbage, shredded
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 t salt
• 1/2 t pepper
• 2 T red wine vinegar
• 3 T fresh dill
• 1/2 c sour cream or Greek yogurt

In a large pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat and sauté the onion, leek, celery and garlic until softened. Add the broth, bring to a boil; add carrots, potato, cabbage, bay leaf and salt. Simmer for 20 minutes or until the vegetables are softened but still a bit firm. Add vinegar and season to taste with salt and pepper. Garnish with dill and a dollop of sour cream. Serves 6.

Notes:

• I used water, not broth, added 2 teaspoons of Vegeta and omitted the parsnips (which I find overpowering.)
• If you’re in the mood for a smooth soup, Russian Borscht is good puréed too.
• Jittery on waste, I finely chopped the beet greens and stems and turned them into a  delicious salad with baby kale, strawberries, blackberries, blueberries, avocado oil, seasoned rice vinegar and black pepper.

Russian Borscht Print Ready Recipe

Final notes:

• Keep this Russian Borscht recipe in mind for next Christmas or Valentine’s Day. It’s a festive shade of red.
• Ever long to learn another language? You can boost your knowledge of Spanish as you read Famous Dishes From Around the World with side-by-side full page translations.

• Ever wonder about the history of Russian Borscht?
• Here’s a tune called Borscht to put you in the mood for savouring this yummy soup.