Borsch – traditional stew with chicken legs and beef shank

Ingredients for 25 servings:

• 1 kg beef leg slice(s)
• 500 g chicken thighs, optional
• 500 g beetroot, fresh
• 500 g carrot(s)
• 300 g potatoes
• 3 onions
• 1 kg white cabbage
• 1 large bell pepper(s), red
• 1 stalk(s) leek
• 2 lemons
• 4 tbsp vinegar
• 3 tbsp tomato paste
• 3 tbsp honey
• bay leaves
• allspice berries
• salt and pepper
• dill
• 1 cup sour cream
• 5 liters of water

Instructions

Working time approx. 1 hour 30 minutes; Cooking/baking time approx. 1 hour 20 minutes; Total time approx. 2 hours 50 minutes

Peel and coarsely grate the beetroot, peel and coarsely grate the carrots, peel and coarsely grate the potatoes, peel and dice the onions, and dice the cabbage. Finely slice the cabbage, coarsely grate the bell peppers, and squeeze the lemons. Place the leg pieces, chicken thighs, 5 liters of warm water, bay leaves, allspice, salt, and roughly chopped leeks in a pot and simmer for 1 hour. Then strain and reserve the liquid. Cut the meat into bite-sized pieces and return it to the broth. Add the cabbage and potatoes and cook for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, briefly fry the carrots, onions, and bell peppers in a pan. Add the tomato paste and spices and fry briefly. After 10 minutes, add the contents of the pan and the beetroot to the pot and simmer for another 5 minutes. Season with vinegar, lemon, honey, and dill, and serve with sour cream. This amount of ingredients filled a 10-liter pot. Borsch is often cooked in large batches because it freezes well. And the more often it’s reheated, the better it tastes.