CLASSIC BORSCHT
Ingredients:
1lb beef, cut into small cubes (Any kind of meat will work, I used stew meat here)
2 teaspoons salt, divided
2 medium carrots
2 medium beets
2 medium potatoes
2 celery ribs
7oz cabbage (about ¼ of medium cabbage)
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 garlic cloves, pressed
4 tablespoons tomato paste
1 bay leaf
¼ cup parsley, chopped
Sour cream and bread for serving
Directions:
1. In a large pot, add the beef, 1 teaspoon of salt and 10cups of cold water. Bring it to a boil over medium high heat, skimming off the scum for clearer stock. Then reduce heat to medium and simmer for about 45 minutes.
2. Grate the carrots and 1 beet on a large grater, and julienne the other beet. I like the different treatments of beets for texture and color.
3. Cube the potatoes and celery into small pieces. Thinly slice the cabbage.
4. Once the stock has been cooking for about 30 minutes, add potatoes and bay leaf.
5. Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium low heat. Add grated carrots along with pressed garlic. Sauté the carrots until nice and fragrant. Add beets and cook for 2 minutes, stirring. Then stir in the tomato paste and cook for another 8 minutes, stirring frequently.
6. Add sliced cabbage and celery into the stock and cook for 5 minutes. Stir in the sautéed vegetables and cook until heated through, about another 5 minutes. Stir in parsley and serve immediately with sour cream and bread.
QUICK BORSCHT
INGREDIENT
2 cups shredded peeled beets
1cup shredded carrot
1cup chopped onion
3 (14 ounce) cans beef broth
2 cups coarsely chopped cabbage
1 tablespoon butter
salt and pepper, to taste
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
sour cream, for doppling
DIRECTIONS
Cook beets, carrots and onion in the 3 cans beef broth for 20 minutes.
Add cabbage and butter, and cook uncovered for about 20 minutes.