Vegetarian Borscht
Russian beetroot soup with cabbage, carrots and potatoes, deep ruby-red and faintly sweet from the long-cooked beetroot. The sour finish - vinegar in the soup, sour cream and fresh dill on top - is what makes it borscht and not just a beetroot stew.
Overview
Onion, carrot and beetroot sauté together; the colour bleeds out; cabbage and potatoes join in stock. Tomato paste deepens; bay and dill infuse; vinegar and a touch of sugar balance at the end. Sour cream and dill go on at the table.
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons sunflower oil
- 1 onion (large, chopped)
- 2 carrots (medium, grated)
- 3 beetroots (medium, around 400 g; peeled and grated)
- 4 garlic cloves (crushed)
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 ½ litres vegetable stock
- 3 potatoes (medium, peeled and cubed)
- ½ small white cabbage (around 400 g; shredded)
- 2 bay leaves
- 5 black peppercorns
- 2 tablespoons cider vinegar (or white wine vinegar)
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 ½ teaspoons salt (or to taste)
- Black pepper
To serve
- 4 tablespoons soured cream
- A small bunch of dill (chopped)
- Crusty rye bread
Method
Stage 1 - Sauté
- Heat the oil in a large heavy pan over medium heat.
- Cook the onion 5 minutes; add the carrot and beetroot; cook 8-10 minutes more, stirring, until the colour darkens and everything softens.
- Stir in the garlic and tomato paste; cook 2 minutes.
Stage 2 - Stock
- Pour in the stock; add the potatoes, bay leaves and peppercorns.
- Bring to the boil; reduce to a steady simmer.
- Cook 15 minutes.
Stage 3 - Cabbage
- Add the cabbage; cook 15-20 minutes more until everything is tender and the broth is deep red-purple.
Stage 4 - Balance
- Stir in the vinegar, sugar and salt.
- Taste; adjust vinegar (sour), sugar (sweet) and salt to balance - should be all three with the beetroot earthiness behind.
- Discard the bay leaves and peppercorns if you can find them.
Stage 5 - Serve
- Ladle into bowls.
- Top each with a generous spoonful of soured cream and a shower of dill.
- Serve with dark rye bread.
Notes
- Grate the beetroot: Diced beetroot gives a chunky stew with isolated bits of red. Grated bleeds throughout - that deep ruby colour is what defines borscht.
- Vinegar is essential: Without acid the soup tastes flat and sweet. Adjust to taste; some prefer it sharper.
- Soured cream at the table: Stir it in just before eating; the swirl of pink-and-white in the dark broth is part of the dish.
Storage
- Keeps 5 days refrigerated; flavour deepens.
- Freezes 3 months.
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