Borscht is one of the most satisfying and nutritious first courses. Most often, borscht is prepared in meat, bone or meat-and-bone broth, which gives a rich taste. Use beef, pork, or poultry, and add ham, sausages, and other meats as additional ingredients.
Ukrainian borsch
Try the classic beef borscht. It is cooked in bone and meat broth, and boiled meat is served along with borscht.
You will need:
- 500 g of beef brisket;
- 3 liters of water;
- 0.25 medium head of cabbage;
- 1 large beet;
- 25 g lard;
- 1 carrot;
- 2 tomatoes;
- 25 g butter;
- 4 potatoes;
- parsley root;
- 2 onions;
- 2 teaspoons of sugar;
- 1 tbsp. a spoonful of 3% vinegar;
- 3 bay leaves;
- a few peas of black pepper;
- 5 cloves of garlic;
- a few sprigs of parsley.
Rinse the brisket, put in a saucepan and cover with cold water. Bring it to a boil, remove the foam, reduce heat and cook the broth for 2-2.5 hours. Remove and set aside the meat, strain the broth and return to the saucepan.
Peel the vegetables. Cut the beets into cubes and simmer together with vinegar in melted bacon. Scald the tomatoes with boiling water, remove the skin, chop the pulp and add to the beets. Add sugar and cook together until the beets are tender.
Cut the parsley root and carrots into strips, chop the onion. Fry vegetables in hot butter. Cut the potatoes and cabbage into cubes and place in the broth. Cook for 15 minutes, then add the stewed beets and sautéed carrots and onions. Cook for another 10 minutes. Put bay leaf and peppercorns in borscht. Add salt. Grind the bacon with chopped garlic, chop the parsley. Season the borsch with herbs and garlic bacon, stir and serve with fresh sour cream.
Chernihiv borsch
Apples give this borsch a piquant acidity and a special taste. Use aromatic fruits of late varieties - for example, Antonovka.
You will need:
- 500 g pork belly;
- 0.25 heads of cabbage;
- 1 beet;
- 2 sour apples;
- 4 tomatoes;
- 0.5 cups boiled beans;
- 1 onion;
- 1 small zucchini;
- 1 carrot;
- 1 parsley root;
- a few peas of black pepper;
- 4 cloves of garlic;
- salt;
- 2 tbsp. tablespoons of butter.
Rinse the pork belly and place in a saucepan with 3 liters of water. Bring water to a boil, reduce heat and cook broth for 2.5 hours. Then strain it. Cut the meat off the bone.
Cut the beets into thin cubes, chop the onions, carrots and parsley root. Cut the courgette and apples into cubes. Sauté the beets in hot butter, fry the carrots, onions and parsley root in a separate skillet. Pour boiling water over the tomatoes, remove the skin, chop the pulp.
Put the stewed beets in the broth, cook for 10 minutes, then add the carrots and onions and cook for another 10 minutes. Put the apples, zucchini and tomatoes in the borscht, cook for another 10 minutes, and then add the spices. Darken the borscht for another 5 minutes, and then put the meat in it and season with sour cream.
