Each self-respecting hostess will tell you without hesitation how to cook this dish, which in most cases is a kind of thick beet-based soup , and it is this root crop that gives the authentic dish a characteristic red-brown color scheme. In addition, of course, the composition of borscht includes many other ingredients, with varying degrees of confidence varying in different recipes around the world. And of course, we can confidently say that this is a traditional dish of all the Eastern Slavs, the main "first" in South Russian, Ukrainian folk cuisines. Borsch was widely spread among its immediate neighbors: Poles, Lithuanians, Romanians, and Moldavians have similar soups. Even in the northern regions of our vast country, borsch is eaten. So the dish is truly nation-wide and, so to speak, “not aging” - in modern national restaurants it is relentlessly served at the table, as it is in great demand among customers. Well, let's try and we will implement several recipes?
Red borsch
But first, let's talk a little bit about the general classification of this dish. For example, the composition of red (traditional) borsch necessarily includes beets and tomatoes, potatoes, cabbage and carrots, onions and parsley, dill. Thanks to the first two ingredients, this vegetable soup becomes red-brown (beetroot) in its color scheme. In addition, in some regions, bean and apples, and zucchini, sometimes Bulgarian and chili peppers can be included in the composition of borsch. A dish can differ in a wide range of spices - up to twenty types are used. Along with the usual ones - black, red, allspice, garlic, dill, parsley, parsley, thyme and tarragon, basil and marjoram, some others, like zira and barberry, can be used. Sometimes dried fruits can be included in the composition of borsch: for example, prunes are very popular as an additive. And also a lemon. Today, this first dish is usually cooked in meat (certainly with stones) broth, although historically it was the simplest peasant food, and meat in villages was added there only on big holidays. On weekdays, especially in the southern and southeastern regions of the Russian Empire, crushed lard plus garlic and onions.
When serving, the food, as usual, is seasoned with sour cream (with the exception of some varieties, for example, Odessa). It is also served with the freshest, usually black or bran bread. Pampushki with garlic sauce are also popular. And during fasting, borsch is prepared without lard, meat, animal fat. Use only vegetable oil. Prepare red soup with mushrooms and fish.
"Friendship of Peoples"
This beetroot soup has its ancient history in Ukraine, where it is also called borsch. At Christmas festivals, mushroom was cooked with “ears” - small dumplings or dumplings from egg dough. And in the composition of Ukrainian borsch, pork fat (often crushed with garlic and salt) is introduced as an obligatory ingredient. But there are, as already mentioned, Lithuanian and Polish, Russian and Moldavian options. They are cooked differently in individual regions, and even with variations: meat, mushroom and lean, in the summer there is a cold pot, beetroot soup ... The main thing that unites the recipe is wherever the borsch is cooked, it is considered to be your favorite culinary dish. And the ability to really cook a dish in different places was previously considered almost the main virtue of the hostess, not inferior in importance, for example, to beauty. And borsch in the Slavic tradition was considered a powerful aphrodisiac!
Refrigerator
It is mainly prepared in late spring or summer, less often in autumn. The basis is pickled (or boiled) beets, sometimes kefir (or other sour-milk products) is added. Other ingredients are introduced raw - dill, green onion, parsley, garlic. At the end of cooking, sour cream is introduced, sometimes steep eggs. They eat the dish chilled, and instead of bread, sometimes they use boiled potatoes. Accordingly, the composition of the products of the “cold” borsch will be significantly different from the ingredients, for example, red.
Green
This, in fact, is sorrel soup, but it is also called borsch and ranked among national dishes of eastern Europe. This product is not a kind of classic borsch, as it has a completely different recipe, and also the color is green. It appears from adding sorrel at once with other green components.
Some cooking tips
- To make the dish thick, we cook together with other ingredients one large potato. When everything is ready, we take it out, knead it well and return it back to the pan.
- From cooking, the color of beets is muffled. To make the dish juicy and bright, about a quarter of a small beet, chopped (or grated) for soup, put in a bowl, pour boiling water and leave for about twenty to half an hour (while the rest is cooked). And when we remove the pan from the fire, squeeze the broth and pour into the total mass.
- To improve the taste and aromatic properties, we take a piece of decent bacon (salted, but not boiled) and grind it with garlic, and add the resulting consistency to the pot in the final with the dish. You’ll just lick your fingers!
- It is not recommended to serve borsch immediately after cooking! Be sure to let the dish brew (usually this process takes about an hour). By the way, the so-called daily (or yesterday) borsch, according to the unanimous opinion of experts from culinary, is much tastier than just made. Therefore, it is worth listening to folk wisdom!
Classics of the genre
Although, as mentioned above, every home cook has his own recipe for this dish, maybe you will be interested to know what composition of classic borsch products is and how it is cooked according to most cookbooks? So, cook!
What do we take
What is a part of borsch? For the broth, we need beef or veal (preferably on the bone) - from a pound to a large pan, lavrushka, one large onion (only peel, but do not cut it). For the so-called roasting or dressing, take a couple of medium beet root vegetables, a couple of carrots, a couple of onions, a little vegetable oil, a little bit of citric acid (or lemon juice), tomato paste. And also it is necessary: about five potatoes, 300-400 grams of fresh white cabbage. And for serving: greens, sour cream (a spoon in each of the plates).
We just cook
- We take a large "borsch" pan, put the washed meat in it and pour 2/3 of the water. We put on the fire and cook the broth. We monitor carefully and remove the foam before boiling. By the way, the broth is tastier if you use meat on the bone.
- When the water boils, cover with a lid and cook on low heat for about an hour and a half.
- During this time, we will cook and prepare all the other ingredients. Wash and clean beets, carrots, onions. We rub the root crops coarsely, and cut the onion into cubes or strips - as you like.
- Pour vegetable oil into the pan, turn on a small fire. First, fry the carrots and onions (about five minutes), and then add beets to them (it is recommended to sprinkle with citric acid, as an option, sprinkle with lemon juice - due to this, the color of the dish will become really saturated red).
- Stew vegetables for another five minutes. After that, add a few large spoons of tomato paste (you can make it yourself from fresh tomatoes, but this is another story). Mix everything thoroughly and leave on the stove for another five minutes.
The "assembly point" of borsch
When our broth is boiled, take the meat out of the liquid. While it cools, we introduce cabbage peeled, washed and chopped into the pan (you can use a special device for shredding, and if it is not at hand, then an ordinary sharp and wide knife will do). After a few minutes, add chopped potatoes (in a dice or straws - you decide). While all this is cooked, we separate the meat from the bones and cut it into cubes. Return the ingredient back to the pan. In the final, salt to taste and add dressing. Mix thoroughly (by the way, borsch is considered successful if the spoon for stirring is “worth” in it). Add finely chopped greens, cover the pan with a lid, turn off the heat. The dish is ready. But he still needs to stand for at least half an hour, and preferably an hour. Although you can eat immediately after cooking, if you can’t wait, but the next day it will be clearly tastier when it is infused. As you can see, the composition and preparation of borsch is not as complicated as it seems. Do not be afraid to cook, showing your own imagination. After all, this dish has many options. Perhaps you come up with your own?
The art of serving
This dish is traditionally peasant. Lard with donuts was served only on holidays. We assume that we have a "holy", and serve small buns to the table, anointing them with garlic juice. They must certainly be fresh, with the heat of the heat. We put borsch from the pan in plates in portions, and a spoonful of sour cream and a pinch of fresh herbs rely on each portion, it tastes better. It would be nice to have a glass of good home-brew or vodka for appetite. Isn’t it that drooling already?
Little Russian option
The composition of Ukrainian borsch, in principle, as well as its preparation, is not much different from the classic version. According to the ingredients: be sure to add a piece of "old" bacon, bell pepper. And instead of beef (or veal), Ukrainians often use pork ribs. As a result, the broth is very rich and fat. But the dish itself does not seem so “heavy” - the fat effects quite confidently neutralize a large number of vegetables. In preparation, “Ukrainian ingredients” practically do not differ from the composition of Russian borsch, but they also have their own nuances. A small piece of fat “with a sweetheart” will need to be crushed in a mortar (or in a cup, if you don’t have such an authentic object in the kitchen) with garlic and salt - you can add hot peppers. And then add the resulting mass to a pan with borsch. We do this in the finale itself, before turning off the stove. It turns out a very specific taste and rich "borsch" spirit.
Vegetarian
In previous recipes, we examined the composition of borsch with meat. But there are also so-called empty versions of this dish. The methods of their preparation (in the sense of roasting root vegetables and onions in vegetable oil, introducing cabbage and potatoes) are practically no different from the above recipe. The main difference: the lack of meat in the broth. Moreover, it can be prepared from mushrooms, or just a set of vegetables, dried fruits and spices can be used. Here, the composition of borsch and its caloric value is determined solely by plant ingredients. Often used and beans (various varieties, sometimes other legumes) as an indispensable source of protein. As a result: the dish, with all its low calorie content and the absence of animal products, turns out to be quite satisfying (and also beneficial for the body). Especially these cooking options are relevant for those who fast according to their religious beliefs or adhere to a certain kind of diet, or for someone who is limited in the use of animal protein for health reasons. As you can see, borsch is always an appropriate and even desired dish - you just need to choose the appropriate version of the recipe for personal use. And there it’s the little thing: it remains only to cook!
Calorie counter and composition of borscht per 1 serving
It is necessary to know such data first of all when a person is watching his figure, observing one of the popular diets aimed at reducing the daily intake of nutrients. But I want some borscht! Therefore, we calculate approximately. The average serving is approximately 250 grams. According to nutritionists and according to the calorie counter, such a quantity of a delicious product (again, meaning the classic version) contains about 80 kcal, 330 kJ. The serving contains about 3.5 grams of protein, more than 8 grams of carbohydrates, 4 grams of fat, more than 7 milligrams of cholesterol, about two grams of fiber, there are important trace elements. Here is a chemistry with biology.
Well, in general, enjoy your meal! And do not forget that every housewife (or home cook) should try to cook this delicious and fragrant authentic dish at least once in a lifetime. And there already, you see, borsch in its various variations can take its confident place in your family menu. Because how well, where without borsch in the post-Soviet space?