Ukrainian borscht (from southwestern Ukraine, Podolsky region)

Ingredients for 10 servings:

• 4 liters of water
• 1 kg pork ribs
• 4 potatoes
• ¼ small white cabbage
• 2 onions
• 1 carrot(s)
• 1 beetroot, fresh
• 2 tbsp oil
• 4 tbsp mascarpone
• ¾ tube(s) tomato paste
• 1 bell pepper(s), red
• 1 can kidney beans
• some salt and pepper
• 1 tsp sugar
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 cup crème fraîche
• a few sprigs of dill
• a few stalks of parsley
• a few garlic cloves
• e.g. black bread, sliced
• n. B. Smoked pork bacon, sliced

Instructions

Working time approx. 1 hour; Cooking/baking time approx. 3 hours; Total time approx. 4 hours

a creamy, hearty stew, traditional Ukrainian cuisine

Cut the pork ribs into pieces and place them in a 6-liter pot with about 4 liters of water. Skim off any gray foam before bringing to a boil. Add a diced onion, grate the beetroot using a julienne grater (or cut into very fine strips), add, and simmer for about 30 minutes. Peel and dice the potatoes, add them, and bring to a boil. Finely grate the white cabbage or cut into spoon-sized strips, add them, and bring to a boil. For the roux, finely dice the onion and grate the carrot. Sauté both in a pan with 2 tablespoons of oil, 2-3 tablespoons of mascarpone, and tomato paste, and simmer for 5 minutes. Season with salt, pepper, and 1 teaspoon of sugar, add to the stew, and bring to a boil. Cut the red bell pepper into strips, add, and bring to a boil. Drain the red kidney beans, add, and bring to a boil. In a bowl, mix 2 tablespoons of mascarpone with a ladle of broth from the pot, add to the stew, and bring to a boil. Season with salt, pepper, and bay leaves. Continue simmering over low heat until the borscht is cooked. The borscht should simmer for about 2.5 to 3 hours. Finally, turn off the heat and only then add the finely chopped fresh dill and parsley. Serve with 1 tablespoon of crème fraîche, dill, and parsley. Tips: For a vegetarian or vegan version, replace the meat with dried mushrooms and omit the mascarpone or crème fraîche. Serve with either a few slices of black bread with green bacon and garlic and fresh onions, or serve with these small, hearty dumplings filled with pea puree, tipped with garlic and dill water. Borscht freezes wonderfully in portions. Note: This is a recipe where borscht gets its red color from tomato paste, not beetroot. In any case, Ukrainian borscht should be creamy enough to allow the spoon to stand upright in the pot; each region and each housewife, of course, has its own recipe.