Vegetarian Ukrainian Borscht

Ukrainian Borscht is a traditional soup for Ukrainian people. It’s very delicious, easy to cook and practically every household cooks this dish at least once-twice a month.

On the other hand every region, village and even household has their own recipe of borscht.  Many families have their recipes being passed from mothers to daughters for centuries. And mainly every cook will have his/ her own taste of Borscht that no one else can repeat. Taste of Borsch is like handwriting is very hard to copy.

Borscht existed at the times when the Kyiv Rus was baptized by Prince Volodymyr in 988 AD. It was a famous dish of all feasts.

So for the vegetarian Ukrainian Borscht you will need

1 cup of beans; (8 oz.)

2-3 carrots;

2 white onions;

1 red bell pepper;

3-4 potatoes;

½ cup of sour cream;

1 can of pureed tomatoes;

½ can of green beans;

2 beats (small-medium size);

½ cup of finely chopped dill;

½ cup of finely chopped parsley;

Pre-soak beans in hot water (for 30-40 minutes) until soft.

Meanwhile take an 8 quart saucepan. Put it on a maximum heat with water half full.

Peel carrots, potatoes, onions beats. Wash the vegetables.

 Finely chop: 2 onions and 1 bell pepper. 1/3 of the chopped onions set aside. As soon as the water started to boil add beans, salt (according to your taste) and bay leaves 2-3 big ones. Let it boil for about 10-15 minutes. Add chopped onion (two thirds and bell pepper). Continue boiling (on medium heat).

Meanwhile, grate the carrots, set ½ aside. . Grate the beats and add the grated beats and the other half of carrots into the saucepan. Let all the vegetables boil for another 20 minutes.  Cut potatoes in medium sized pieces and add to the saucepan, let everything boil for another 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, finely chop the herbs: dill and parsley.

In 20 minutes add to the cooking soup pureed or chopped tomatoes (you can take fresh ones if you have, but still the canned ones should be added in a proportion 50/50).

Decrease the heat to minimum and let the soup stay for another 10 minutes. While the soup is sitting take a frying pan and fry: the chopped onions and grated carrots, when the onions become golden and the ½ cup of sour cream. Make the heat minimum at this point and let your onions and carrots sit in this sauce; carefully stir it from time to time. When you see the sour-cream-onion-carrot sauce is becoming golden-brown (light golden brown, this may take 5-10 min) pour it into you almost ready borscht.  Stir the soup carefully and add some water if needed, and check for salt freshly ground pepper add according to your taste. Now the final steps add the canned green beans and herbs and let the soup sit for another 10 minutes.

Your Vegetarian Ukrainian Borscht is ready to serve. At many regions Ukrainian Borscht is served with special bread covered with garlic. The bread is called pampushka.

I will give you the recipe of the bread and will show how it should look soon.

Also, sometimes garlic (fresh garlic) is chopped right into the plate.

Sometimes a spoon of sour cream is added into the plate. As you wish!

Hope you will enjoy this magnificent Ukrainian dish and… give me you feedbacks!  [twitter-follow screen_name='helenscooking']

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