There is a dish called Borscht, which has been known for hundreds of years. Some argue about where its roots come from. This is why today this soup is kind of a symbol of the peace I wish for. Peace between two countries that should call themselves brothers instead of being at war. Because all people on this earth are connected as we are made of the same clay. We should be able to love what connects us instead of hating it.
Borscht is a soup, which is typically prepared in Ukraine, Russia, Poland, Moldova, Romania and other countries. Each country has its own recipe. My favorite one is most popular in Ukraine.
This soup is delicious, warm and filling. Traditional ingredients are beetroot and cabbage, onions, carrots, tomatoes. It is usually prepared with broth, made of meat and bones. I like to make a vegetarian Borscht with vegetable broth. This time it was more than tastier than ever, cause I used beetroot from our own garden.
Hint: Do NOT throw out the green part of the beetroots (leaves and stems). They are really delicious and nutritious. You can add them raw in salads, in soups and in all kinds of veggie dishes.
My boyfriend and I are currently pretty sick and we really needed a dish like that. At lunch I served two portions of vegetarian Borscht with warm spelt bread on the side, we both wished for peace and the clatter of spoons echoed in the silence. I felt somehow small, like a grain of sand in the sea. Humble, grounded. But nonetheless – hopeful.
Vegetarian Borscht - Soup with beetroots
Ingredients
- 1,5-2 L Vegetable broth
- 1/2 Cabbage, about 300 g
- 100 g Pickled cabbage, optional (Sauerkraut)
- 250 g Potatoes
- 2 Beetroot bulbs, medium sized
- 2 Carrots
- 2 Onions
- 1/2 Leek
- Celery, a few slices, optional
- 1 tbsp. Tomato paste
- 100 ml Tomato puree or 2 fresh Tomatoes, grated
- 4-5 bay leaves
- Salt, pepper, some lovage
- Fresh Parsley
- Yoghurt
For garnish:
Directions
- Make vegetable broth in advance by boiling vegetables or use a store-bought. I can recommend using a homemade veggie broth, because it tastes better.
- Cut the cabbage into quarters. Remove the thick core, then slice the quarters across their width thinly. Make sure the slices are however not too long.
- Place the shredded cabbage in a bowl. Crush it through your hands repeatedly to break up the leaves a little bit.
- Dice the celery.
- Once the broth is boiling, add the cabbage, celery and a few bay leaves and leave them cook on medium to low heat.
- Peel and dice the potatoes.
- Chop the onion finely and cut the leek into rounds.
- Peel and grate the beetroot and the carrots.
- In a frying pan, sauté the onions until they are slightly transparent.
- Add the beetroot, carrots and leeks and fry for a further 15-20 minutes over a medium heat until the vegetables are soft.
- Add about 1 tbsp tomato paste, stir well and after about 1-2 minutes add the tomato puree as well. Simmer on low heat for a few minutes.
- Add the vegetables from the pan to the boiling stock, as well as the diced potatoes.
- Let the veggies simmer for about 20 minutes, until the potatoes are thoroughly cooked. Then turn off the heat and simmer for another 15 minutes.
- Stir in a handful of fresh parsley.
- Serve with a spoonful of yoghurt.
If you liked this recipe and if you are a fan of soups, you might also like this carrot and sweet potato cream soup.
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