Ingredients:
3–4 tbsp Sunflower oil
6 medium potatoes
1 medium cabbage
2 large beets
3 large onions
3 large carrots
2 green peppers
4 garlic cloves
3 bay leaves
Parsley
Dill
Cilantro
Black pepper
Beef, pork, chicken, or turkey with bones
30 oz kidney beans
24 oz pasta sauce
10 oz tomato paste
15 oz refried pinto beans
Preparation time: 2–10 hours
Cooking time: 2 hours
Broth preparation:
1. Put your meat with the bones in a pot of water covering it or in a slow cooker. If using a pot, boil for 2 hours. If using a slow cooker, put it overnight on low heat for 10 or more hours. The juices from the bone will be the broth.
2. Filter out sediment and bone. This step is optional. Some people prefer to leave everything in the soup to enhance flavor.
Vegetable base preparation:
1. Peel potatoes. Let them sit water.
2. Peel & grate beets, chop onions, peel and shred carrots. Sautée with sunflower oil 5–7 minutes on medium heat.
3. Add pasta sauce and tomato paste. Let sit on medium low heat for 5 minutes while stirring.
Building the soup:
1. Chop potatoes. Boil until soft in the broth. Water may be added. The pot should be half full.
2. Shred cabbage and chop green peppers. Add to boiling potatoes. Let water come to a boil. Boil cabbage for 10 minutes. Quick and dirty tip: you can buy pre-made coleslaw mix and pre-cut carrots to save time.
3. Add sautéed beet/onion mixture.
4. Add beans.
5. Add meat if it has been taken out of the broth. Let boil for a bit.
6. Turn off heat and take off burner. Add garlic and spices. Salt to taste.
7. Let cool for about ten minutes. Serve with either sour cream or mayonnaise. This is dollopped into each individual bowl. Eat with rye bread and raw garlic separately or rubbed on toasted bread. Russian mustard* may also be rubbed on the bread.
* Закусон тёщина горчица
Aunt's mustard
With love from Ukraine
P.S. True borscht recipes are rarely written down. They are passed from family to family and changed based on preferences and what's available. Someone else might have a completely different take on borscht. For example, Russians prefer much more beets to cabbage. Their borscht is redder and less dense. And it is unlikely you'll find anyone else using refried pinto beans in their borscht. Raisa Tarasenko came up with that idea when she was missing some ingredients and it became a staple in the Tarasenko borscht unique from any other family's. This is about using what's available and experimenting with your own palate! Enjoy and have fun.
