Ukrainian Borshch

Warming with an earthy sweetness from the beets, this borshch is wonderfully delicious

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City/Region: Ukraine

Time Period: 1830

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This borshch is wonderful. The earthy sweetness from the beets goes so well with the dollop of smetana, and salo is just plain delicious.

Borshch has been everyday peasant food, on the tables of nobles and kings, the subject of myth and superstition, and has come in many colors (including green, white, pink, red, and black). In the late 19th century, it traveled as far as Persia and the United States, and you can make this 1830 version at home, wherever that may be.

It’s a little more work, but I highly recommend making the beetroot kvass.

“Cabbage, beetroots and some meat are put into the pot. Then you press them with good salo and pour beetroot kvass. After the borshch is boiling, you pour it and then you put some salo with onion again, and while serving, you put some smetana in. If it is fasting time, then put fish and hemp oil with fried onion instead of meat, salo and smetana. ”

— Customs, Beliefs, Cuisine and Drinks of the Little Russians, 1830

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Ingredients:

Beetroot Kvass

• 3-5 beets
• 4 1/4 cups (1 liter) lukewarm water
• 1 tablespoon salt
  Optional:
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• Parsley, a few sprigs
• Dill, a few sprigs
• 1-2 teaspoons coriander seeds
• Small handful parsnip, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, peeled
• 1 slice dark rye bread

Borshch

• 2-3 lbs (around 1 kg) pork ribs with bone
• 1 gallon (3 3/4 liters) water
• 3 cups (700 ml) beetroot kvass
• 1 medium head green or white cabbage
• 2 lbs (1 kg) beets, peeled
• 1/2 lb (225 g) salo*
• 2 onions, diced
• Smetana* for serving

*See notes below.

Instructions:

1. For the beetroot kvass: Scrub the beets well and trim off the stem and the root tip. Cut into large pieces, about 1 ½” to 2”.
2. Put chopped beets into a clean 2-quart (1.8 liter) mason jar then add the water.
3. Add the salt and sugar (if using) and stir.
4. Optional: Wash the parsley and dill and add them to the jar along with the coriander seeds, parsnip, garlic, and dark rye bread.
5. Cover with a kitchen towel or place a lid on the jar (do not tighten it), and let it sit at room temperature for a few days.
6. After a few days, white strings or film may form on the top, which is called kahm yeast and isn’t harmful, but it doesn’t taste good. Skim it off and discard. If mold forms, discard the kvass and start again.
7. After a total of 4 to 5 days, strain the kvass and store in the refrigerator until ready to use.
8. For the borshch: Place the pork ribs in a large pot and cover with the water. Bring to a boil over high heat and skim off any scum that rises to the surface.
9. Reduce heat to medium-low, or to a gentle boil, and cover. Simmer for two hours, checking a few times to skim off any more scum.
10. Remove the ribs from the broth, cut the meat off the bones, and return the bones to the pot. Reserve the meat.
11. Return the broth to a simmer and cook, uncovered, for 1 to 2 hours or until reduced by half.
12. Strain broth into a clean very large pot (this is probably going to be the largest pot you have).
13. Shred the cabbage and cut the beets into strips (you can also shred the beets if you prefer). Cut the reserved pork into bite-sized pieces.
14. Add the cabbage, beets, and pork to the broth and stir, then bring to a low simmer. Cover with the lid and cook on low for 30 minutes.
15. Chop the salo into strips about ½” wide and cook in a pan over medium-high heat until they start to brown. Don’t cook them too long, or they will mostly melt away.
16. After the soup has simmered for 30 minutes, add half of the cooked salo and the beet kvass and stir. Bring back to a simmer.
17. Add the chopped onion to the pan with the remaining half of the salo and its rendered fat and cook for 5 to 7 minutes over medium heat, or until the onion is translucent. Remove the onion and salo from the grease.
18. Add the onion and salo to the borshch and stir. Taste and add salt and pepper if desired. Modern additions at this stage include sugar, vinegar, herbs, and spices. Simmer on low for 15 minutes.
19. Remove from the heat and cover, then leave it in a warm place for 1 hour. An oven that has been heated then turned off will work.
20. Ladle into bowls and serve it forth with a dollop of smetana.

Notes

• Salo is cured fatback that is very popular in Eastern Europe. Substitute with American bacon if you can’t find it, though salo contains little to no meat.
• Smetana is an Eastern European cousin to sour cream, usually with a higher fat content. Substitute with sour cream or creme fraiche.

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