Borscht – a family recipe

Ingredients for 8 servings:

• 500 g soup meat
• 2 ½ liters of water
• 3 m.-large beetroot, or 1 pack of cooked beetroot (500 g)
• 250 g pointed cabbage or white cabbage
• 4 m.-sized potatoes, mainly waxy
• 1 m.-sized onion(s)
• 2 m.-sized carrot(s)
• 1 bell pepper(s), red
• 2 tomatoes
• 1 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 tbsp herb vinegar or white wine vinegar
• Sugar
• salt and pepper
• Coriander powder
• bay leaves
• Oil for frying

Instructions

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

a Russian stew, just like my mother cooked it

In a pot with a capacity of at least 4 liters, pour 2.5-3 liters of water over the meat. Bring to a boil on the stovetop, skim off any foam, add salt, and simmer over low heat for about 90 minutes, until the meat is tender. Meanwhile, cook the beetroot in a small pot. Meanwhile, peel and dice the onion. Peel and coarsely grate the carrots. Deseed and strip the peppers. Quarter the tomatoes, remove the stems, and slice the tomatoes into strips. Peel and dice the potatoes. Finely strip the cabbage. I recommend pointed cabbage, as it is easier to slice and cooks faster. Drain the water from the cooked beetroot and let it cool. Remove the meat from the broth and set aside. Strain the broth through a fine sieve to remove any residue and clean the pot if necessary. Then pour the stock back into the pot and, if necessary, top up to 2 L with boiling water and bring back to the boil. Add the potatoes and simmer for about 5 minutes. Then add the cabbage and cook for about 20 minutes. Add the bay leaves. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a non-stick pan and fry the diced onions until translucent. Add the carrots and fry for another 3 minutes. Add the strips of bell pepper, then the tomatoes, and fry for another 5 minutes. Finally, mix in the tomato paste and let it roast. Peel the beetroot and cut into fine strips. Cut the cooled meat into bite-sized pieces. Add the beetroot, meat, and vegetables to the soup in the pot, season again with spices, sugar, and vinegar, and let it simmer for another 20 minutes with the heat off.