Christmas Eve red borscht
Perfected over the years. Traditional, intense, and full of flavor. This is what Christmas Eve borscht, made with real, homemade beetroot sourdough, should be like. Here's a tried-and-true Christmas recipe.
- traditional recipe for Christmas Eve borscht - cooked with homemade sourdough - perfect for drinking and for dumplings
Preparation time: 2 hours Number of servings: about 1500 ml of borscht In 100 g: Energy value 12 kcal Carbohydrates 3 g - Of which sugars 3 g Protein 0 g Fat 0 g Diet: gluten-free, low-sugar, low-calorie, low-fat, vegan, vegetarian.
- beetroot 1 kg
- water or vegetable broth 1.5 liters
- carrot 1 medium
- parsley root 1 small
- a piece of leek - about 10 cm
- see beetroot sourdough one glass
- water from soaked mushrooms* half a cup
- allspice and black pepper 5 grains or more each
- 1 bay leaf
- sugar 1 flat teaspoon
- a pinch or more of salt
Christmas Eve borscht
My glass holds 250 ml. The vegetables were weighed before any peeling or preparation. I always provide the weight of the vegetables I use. However, you don't have to follow the gram guidelines. The weights are provided to help you understand the approximate amount needed to prepare a given dish.
To cook Christmas Eve borscht, I recommend using a pot with a capacity of at least 3 liters. The given amount of ingredients will yield approximately 1500 ml of Christmas Eve red borscht.
* Start with dried mushrooms. You can prepare them the day before. Simply pour a cup of water over 20 grams of dried mushrooms and let them soak overnight. I usually cook the mushrooms for about 5 minutes along with the soaking water. These mushrooms can also be added to borscht or used in other holiday recipes, such as pierogi with cabbage and mushrooms.
Wash, peel, and slice the beets and carrots. Chop the parsley and leek into several pieces and add them to the soup as well. Add the allspice, peppercorns, and bay leaf.
Pour 1.5 liters of water or homemade, light vegetable broth into a pot. Cover and simmer for about 1.5 hours from the moment it starts to boil.
After this time, strain all the soup ingredients (they won't be needed anymore). Strain the borscht through a sieve. Add a cup of beetroot starter to the broth. Pour in the mushroom broth, a teaspoon of sugar, and a generous pinch of salt. From this point on, stop cooking the borscht. You can just warm it slightly before serving. Beetroot starter is not necessary when making Christmas Eve borscht. You can make the borscht from the ingredients listed above, omitting the starter. In that case, season it lightly with more salt and pepper at the end. The borscht without starter is more delicate. The starter gives the soup a more intense color. Christmas Eve borscht with starter not only has a deeper flavor, but is also spicier. I recommend testing the borscht before adding the starter to ensure it doesn't become too spicy from the garlic.
Christmas Eve red borscht can be poured into cups and enjoyed on its own with a meal. It can also be served with dumplings, pierogi, or croquettes.
Enjoy your meal.
