For me, green borsch is a symbol of spring. Therefore, as soon as the first spring herbs begin to appear on the market, I immediately recall that it was time to treat my household and remember the recipe for green borsch with sorrel and nettle. After all, it not only has excellent taste, it is also very useful because of the abundance of various greens in its composition.
The classic recipe for green borsch with sorrel is as follows: take a four- liter pan, half a kilogram of meat (best of beef) and cook the broth. Finely chop the onion (2 heads) and carrots (1-2 pieces) or rub on a coarse grater, passively a little in vegetable oil. Then we take out the meat from the broth, add chopped potatoes (5-6 pieces) and fried carrots with onions, and cook everything until the potatoes are finally cooked. Sorrel (about 500 g) is thoroughly washed, cut into strips and added to the borsch, after which we cook for another 10 minutes. Together with the sorrel, we put in the broth the cooked meat, which must first be cut into small pieces. Beat chicken eggs (2-3 pieces) and pour into a borscht in a thin stream (while stirring it surely) and leave to boil for another 5 minutes. A minute before turning off, add salt, pepper and chopped greens (parsley, dill, green onion). And on the table we serve borsch with chopped boiled eggs and, certainly, with sour cream.
It can already be seen from the recipe that the preparation of green borscht is fundamentally different from the preparation of the traditional version with beets, tomatoes and cabbage. Green borsch, in spite of its “borsch” name by cooking technology, is rather akin to soups. Green borscht is loved in different countries, and, of course, it is prepared differently everywhere.
About how to cook green borsch, I started asking my grandmother, while still quite small, I really liked his taste. And the look of this dish immediately stimulates the appetite thanks to the sorrel, which gives it a greenish color, and chopped (or cut into halves) boiled eggs, which make it bright and attractive. Therefore, I can confidently say that the recipe for green borsch with sorrel in our family passes from generation to generation, but each brings something of its own to it. For example, my grandmother cooked such borscht almost according to the classic recipe, but she never added beaten eggs during the cooking process. Mom introduced a new rule - to add not only sorrel to green borsch, but also nettle, from which this dish acquired a more pronounced taste, and also became even more useful. In turn, I very often cook green borscht not on beef, but on pork or chicken stock - it still turns out to be always delicious. Traditionally, the first green borscht of the year in our family is prepared when the very first leaves on the nettle (which is quite a lot on our site) appear. It is interesting that they have not even injected yet, although this period does not last very long.
My recipe for green borsch with sorrel and nettle is not too different from the classic version given at the very beginning, only I don’t add beaten eggs either, I use what is at hand (not just beef) as meat, and I add with sorrel chopped nettle into the broth. If she has already managed to become burning, then first scald her with boiling water or just work with gloves so as not to burn her hands.
For those who do not like meat broths and dishes prepared on their basis, there is a great option - lean green borsch, cooked without meat. Also, this dish is suitable for the hottest weather, as it can be eaten cold. Although, of course, I liked this option for an amateur - I cooked it several times and realized that my household still preferred borsch with meat. But I liked the taste of lean green borscht, and most importantly, it cooks very quickly - no need to wait until the broth is cooked. But in any case, with or without meat, green borscht is a very special taste and aroma, so it is definitely worth cooking. Bon Appetit everyone!