Ukrainian Borscht
Photo: Borshch at English Wikibooks, Public domain
Ukrainian borscht is a beet-based vegetable soup built on a meat broth, with roots going back to early Kyiv Rus. This version cooks the beets and beans in the broth, sweats the onion, carrot and pepper separately, then finishes with a pounded paste of garlic, dill, pork fat and yoghurt. Resting the pot off the heat for half an hour lets everything settle. Serve it hot in winter, or cold in summer.
Instructions
Drain the soaked beans and set them aside. Put the meat in a large pot with 3 cups of cold water and bring it slowly to a boil, skimming off the scum as it rises.
Add half of the onion and 2 of the carrots. Turn the heat down to a simmer, partially cover the pot, and cook for about 1 hour.
Add the beets and the drained beans and bring the pot back to a boil. Lower the heat, cover, and simmer until the beans are tender.
In a separate pan, warm the vegetable oil and cook the remaining onion, the remaining carrot and the green pepper over low heat until the onion turns yellow. Scrape this into the soup and simmer for a few minutes.
Add the tomatoes, potatoes and the herbs and spices, then simmer until the potatoes are tender. Stir in the cabbage and simmer until it is as soft as you like it.
While the cabbage cooks, chop the garlic, dill and pork fat or bacon together in a food processor. Whisk in the yoghurt at the end.
When the cabbage is ready, stir in the tomato paste and the garlic, dill and fat mixture. Bring the pot back to a simmer, cover it, and turn off the heat.
Let the soup stand for at least 30 minutes so the flavors can blend. Ladle into bowls and top each with a spoonful of sour cream.
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