As Russia’s national dish, borscht is the perfect winter comfort food.
This hearty meat and vegetable soup gets its signature colour from roasted beetroot. Borscht is traditionally made with a cheaper cut of meat like beef chuck or shin, meaning it will fill your belly without breaking the bank.
Ingredients
- Three teaspoons extra virgin olive oil or vegetable oil, divided
- 600g section bone-in beef shank with a lot of meat, or 1 pound beef stew meat, excess fat trimmed
- One large onion, chopped (about 1 1/2 cups)
- 8 cups beef broth or beef stock dividend
- Four large beets (about 1 1/2 pounds), peeled and chopped
- Four carrots (1 pound), peeled and chopped
- One large russet potato (6 ounces), peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
- 2 cups thinly sliced cabbage
- 3/4 cup chopped fresh dill, divided
- Three tablespoons of red wine vinegar
- One cup of sour cream
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Method
2. Pour four cups of the beef broth over the beef and onions in the pot. Bring to a boil. Lower the heat to a simmer. Cover and cook until the meat is falling-off-the-bone tender, about 1 hour and 30 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, prep and roast the root vegetables. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Peel and chop the beets, carrots, and potatoes into 1/2-inch pieces. Toss the beets and carrots with a teaspoon or two of olive oil and spread them out in a single layer on a foil-lined roasting pan. Roast in preheated oven for 15 minutes.
4. Toss the potatoes with olive oil and make room for them in the roasting pan, and roast everything for an additional 15 minutes.
5. Once the beef has cooked through until tender, remove from the pot and take the pot off the heat. If you are using a beef shank, remove and discard any bone, connective tissue, and excess fat. Chop the meat into bite-sized pieces.
6. Skim off any excess fat from the liquid in the pot.
7. Return the pot to the stove and add the remaining broth, carrots, beets, and potato. Add the chopped meat to the pot, the sliced cabbage, and a half cup of the fresh dill. Bring to a simmer, and cook for another 15 minutes or so until the cabbage is cooked through.
8. Add the vinegar and season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper. (I use about two teaspoons of salt and one teaspoon of pepper, but the amount you use will depend on how salty your beef broth is to begin with.)
The borscht is best made a day ahead. (The longer the soup sits, the more it will all turn the deep red colour of beets.)
Serve ladled into bowls with a dollop of sour cream and a sprinkling of fresh dill.
This recipe was sourced from https://www.simplyrecipes.com/
MORE RECIPES FROM BRICS DINING: China, scallion pancakes
