Borscht Postnij

Ingredients for 8 servings:

• 150 g beans, white
• 50 g porcini mushrooms, dried or other wild mushrooms
• 500 g beetroot
• 1 root(s) parsley
• 250 g carrot(s)
• 1 stalk(s) leek, large
• 1 large onion(s)
• 300 g potatoes
• 2 cloves garlic
• 200 g celery
• 1 bell pepper(s)
• 1 small bell pepper(s), hot
• 1 apple, sour
• 500 g tomatoes, peeled from the can
• 600 g white cabbage
• oil
• 3 liters of broth

Instructions

Working time approx. 1 hour; Total time approx. 1 hour

Lenten borscht without meat

“Lenten borscht”, Russia/Ukraine, was prepared without meat during Lent. Soak the beans and mushrooms in the broth and cook until almost tender. Heat sunflower oil in a large pan (1 finger high). First, add the finely chopped onions and chopped garlic cloves to the oil and fry briefly until translucent. Then add the cleaned and julienne-cut vegetables in the order in which they were cooked (important!!!): 1. beetroot 2. parsley root 3. celery 4. carrots 5. leek and sauté until almost tender. Carefully turn and stir the vegetables several times. Remove the steamed vegetables from the pan with a slotted spoon and carefully add them, one by one, to the gently simmering soup. (Note: Don’t experiment with the beetroot. For example, add acid or other nonsense. Only use really fresh beetroot and, like the other vegetables, finely chop and sauté them. Please, no vinegar!!!!!.) Brown the peeled and quartered potatoes all over (almost cooked through) in the remaining vegetable oil and add them to the stock. Deglaze the rest of the roast with stock and add to the soup. Cut the bell pepper (peeled) into strips and add them too. Wash the white cabbage, cut it finely (important) into strips and add it to the simmering vegetables on top. Quarter the unpeeled apple, remove the core (do not fry it) and add it. Depending on the season and age, the white cabbage is sometimes cooked after 10 minutes (ideally). Unfortunately, it can also take much longer. The cooking time of the remaining vegetables is determined by this, and unfortunately, also extended. This ultimately determines the cooking result, the taste, and the quality of the borscht. Wash the fresh tomatoes, blanch them, quarter them, pass them through a sieve, and (important! Only when the white cabbage is cooked) add them to the borscht (you can also use pureed canned tomatoes if necessary). Stir everything gently and, if necessary, dilute with boiling water or broth and season with salt and pepper. Done! Grandma said: The borscht is perfect when the vegetables are firm to the bite and you can clearly see the pattern of the plate through the broth! Serve with sour cream – if desired! Tastes best reheated (the next day). Note: The borscht can, of course, also be made with meat. This means you use meat broth instead of pure vegetable broth. (e.g., beef broth). If desired, the finely chopped meat is then added to the borscht. Recipe: Count Chernishev/Gluchow family, Zaporozhye/Sevastopol. Traditional family recipe, Russia/Ukraine, before 1900.