Borsch Making Day

Today, Kelsie and I had a lot of fun learning to make borsch the traditional Ukrainian way! Borsch - a soup made primarily from beets and vegetables - is a Ukrainian staple. And every woman in Ukraine has her own version of making it. Today, we learned from Vira, a sweet friend of Kelsie's who comes once a week to help with housework. As Vira explained each step along the way, we scribbled her recipe and instructions down to have a preserved copy of this delicious dish! The recipe is as follows...

For a large pot of soup, the ingredients needed are:
2 large beets
1 large carrot (peeled and grated)
1 onion (chopped)
1/2 head of cabbage (chopped in strips)
5 med.-large potatoes (peeled and cubed)
3 gloves of garlic (finely grated)
1/2 red or orange bell pepper (chopped or sliced)
celery (optional - we didn't have it on hand, but as much as you want could be used)
1 small can of red kidney beans (optional)
1 Tbls. tomato paste
oil
vinegar
salt
pepper
sugar
favorite seasonings (parsley, ground red pepper, herbs, chicken boullion, etc).

Begin by washing the beets. Then, place in boiling water unpeeled with 1 Tbls. salt and 2 Tbls. vinegar. Let simmer for 1 hour. When beets are finished, peel and slice into thin strips or grate.

Vira peeling beets.

Sliced beets ready to go

Meanwhile, boil the potatoes in a large soup pot half-filled with water. When potatoes are boiling rapidly, add 1 Tbls. of salt. Boil until tender. While they are boiling, prepare other veggies.

The product of Kelsie's and my labor!

Cover the bottom of a skillet with a generous amount of oil. Sautee carrots, onions, bell pepper, and celery stirring occasionally. The total sautee time is about 10 minutes on med. heat.

About half-way through the sautee process, add 2 spoonfuls of the potato water for additional moisture. Also, add tomato paste to the skillet mixture and stir.

Cooking together is lots of fun!

When potatoes are soft, add skillet contents to the pot of potatoes. Place sliced beets in a bowl and mix with a heaping spoonful of vinegar to preserve the red color. Set aside. Add sliced cabbage and any desired seasonings to the soup pot. Make sure to include 2 Tbls. sugar. Once cabbage has been added, boil only a few minutes. (At this point, more water can be added to the pot if a more liquidy consistency is desired.)

Add the beets, garlic, and beans as the last ingredients. Bring to a boil uncovered and then turn off immediately (again to preserve the beautiful red color). Serve hot with a dollup of sour cream if desired!

Ta-Da! It's done!

Kelsie samples the final product.

And the verdict is...

Delicious!!!