UKRAINIAN BORSCHT (Beet Soup)

Now before you turn your nose up----just give it a try! It's a wonderful Ukrainian recipe that my mother used to make.   
 I love the flavor of the tartness and also the creaminess that the sour cream adds.

Ingredients:

Instead of beef or pork, I just use beef and chicken broth
(3 - 32 oz. beef or chicken broth)
Beets, a bunch (usually 3 to 4),  peeled, pared and cut into chunks
Don't forget the chopped green leaves, too
1 large onion, chopped
10 baby carrots, chopped
2 tbsp. minced garlic in jar
Optional-  I use 1 zucchini, chopped celery, 1 small can of mushrooms)

Sour cream
Salt
Black ground coarse pepper

The pictures that I have here are of the meatless version.

IF YOU USE BEEF----
In a 6 to 8 quart stock pot, place the beef and add enough oil to coat the pan. Begin to brown the meat and continue to add a little water at a time so the meat doesn't burn or stick. This do for about 30 minutes and keep a close eye on it. Now add the water to this along with the about two teaspoons of salt and bring to a boil. Then turn down the heat to medium and cover and let simmer for another 30 minutes.

Add all the vegetables, stir and cover again and let cook for AT LEAST an hour. At this time, add the amount of black pepper you like and taste and see if more salt is needed.    Taste it and see if more salt or pepper  (sometime I use Garlic salt instead). is needed or desired. Cover, and let simmer for one more hour so all the flavors can come together.

 

REMEMBER…the key to soup making  is cooking slow and long.
Now the finishing touches before serving. Take the sour cream and add slowly to the soup, stirring and mixing it up so there are no clumps. Let it melt into the broth.   You can wait and just add the sour cream to each bowl individually. 

I guarantee you've never tasted anything quite like this. Serve with warm French bread or some crusty or chewy bread and butter. Mom would've had dark rye with caraway seeds with it.