Borsch - General Cooking Principles
Borsch is one of the most popular first courses cooked on the basis of beets and broth. There are also varieties of lean borscht (without meat), borscht with mushrooms, sorrel or beans. Broth for borscht can be cooked on any meat on the bone (beef, pork or chicken). The characteristic red color gives the dish beets, which are immediately added to the dish or pre-fried with carrots and onions. Peppers, tomatoes (or tomato paste), greens and seasonings are often added to the dressing. In addition to the usual salt, pepper, garlic, and lavrushki, you can add special seasonings for borsch, which are sold in any store.
The broth will turn out especially tasty if you add roots to it (parsley or celery). The integral ingredient of the dish is cabbage. Try to diversify the dish with the help of non-traditional spices for borsch: tarragon, basil, marjoram, thyme or angelica. Basically they take the white one, but in some cases it can be replaced with Peking one. Quite tasty and unusual are borscht with zucchini. Mushrooms can be used fresh or dried, which are pre-soaked in water. The main principle of cooking borscht is the gradual laying out of all the ingredients: first put potatoes in the ready broth, then cabbage, and only then - vegetable dressing. Borsch is hot and cold. Cold first course is prepared mostly in spring or summer.
Borsch - preparation of food and dishes
For cooking borscht will need a large pan, a pan for roasting, a cutting board, a knife and a grater. Recently, borsch recipes in a slow cooker have gained wide popularity. Pour some water into the bowl and warm the slow cooker, then rinse the bowl and wipe dry.
All vegetables need to be thoroughly washed, beets and carrots clean. Beets can be grated or cut into strips. In some recipes, onions and carrots are stewed separately from beets. Before laying beets in borscht, it can be put out, cooked separately or baked. To preserve its color and brightness, add a little vinegar. Meat is always washed in running water and cooked in a whole piece, sometimes it is immediately cut into pieces and set to cook. Borscht Recipes:
Recipe 1: Classic Borscht
Classic borscht - one of the most popular first courses. The main components of the dish are meat broth and a standard set of vegetables for borsch: potatoes, cabbage, beets and carrots with onions.
Ingredients Required:
- Ready beef broth - 3 l (or 1 kg of beef per bone to make it);
- 1 large beet (or 2 small);
- 2 large potatoes;
- Onion - 1 pc .;
- Medium carrots - 1 pc .;
- White cabbage - 270-300 g;
- Garlic - 2 teeth;
- 30 ml of tomato paste (or 1 tomato);
- Vegetable oil - 30 ml;
- Salt and pepper to taste;
- Any greens.
Preparation Method:
First, prepare the meat and vegetables: wash the meat under running water and put the broth from it. Beef cooks an average of at least 2.5 hours. Do not forget to remove the skimmer foam. Ready broth should be filtered through cheesecloth into another pan. While the broth is boiling, we will wash all the vegetables (potatoes, beets, carrots and cabbage) and clean them. We cut the potatoes into medium sized bars, grate carrots and beets, finely chop the cabbage. The onion is also chopped. Put onion, then carrot and beet in a frying pan with vegetable oil. Stew vegetables for about 25 minutes. Add in them tomato paste diluted in water, if the beets are not very sweet - add a little sugar. Add potatoes and cabbage to the broth, cook them until soft, 15 minutes before the end of cooking, put vegetable dressing in the pan. At the very end we put the meat and finely chopped garlic cut into pieces in a saucepan. Cook another 3 minutes and turn off the fire. Borsch should brew about 20 minutes, but it tastes best on the next day.
Recipe 2: Green Borscht
Green borscht is almost the same as green soup. Cooked first course on the basis of beef broth. The sorrel which is a part gave the name to food. Broth can stew on beef or chicken, but beef will still be better. Ingredients Required:
- Chicken or beef - 380-400 g;
- Potatoes - 2-3 pcs .;
- Carrots - 1 pc .;
- 1 onion;
- Sorrel - a big bunch;
- Greens and parsley roots;
- Chicken eggs - 2-3 pcs .;
- Butter - 50-55 g;
- Salt and pepper to taste;
- Bay leaf;
- Sour cream for serving.
Preparation Method:
My meat and set stew a whole piece. We also add parsley root, bay leaf, peppercorns and some salt to the broth. Peeled carrots cut into circles and also lay out in broth. Onion finely shred and send to the pan. How the meat is cooked (the chicken is cooked much faster than the beef), take out the roots and bay leaves. Meat is also pulled out, separated from the bones and while set aside. Cut potatoes into sticks and put in boiling broth. Sorrel and parsley chopped. After the potatoes are cooked, add sorrel and sliced meat. After 5 minutes add the parsley and chopped boiled eggs. A minute before the end of cooking put a piece of butter. Borsch should be brewed for about 15 minutes. Serve a dish with sour cream and fresh bread.
Recipe 3: Red Borscht
Many people like borsch exactly saturated red color. And to achieve this, you need not to regret beets. This recipe also uses lean beef and other vegetables and spices.
Ingredients Required:
- A pound of beef on a bone;
- 320 g of beets;
- Potatoes - 3-4 small pieces;
- 1 onion;
- 1 carrot;
- 2 tbsp. l tomato paste;
- Fresh cabbage - 220 g;
- 4 liters of water;
- 6 peppercorns;
- Ground pepper;
- Salt;
- Garlic - 1 clove;
- Bay leaf;
- Vegetable oil;
- 1 tbsp. l Sahara;
- Vinegar (6%) - 30 ml;
- Fresh greens.
Preparation Method:
Cook meat broth from half a kilo of meat and 4 liters of water with laurel, pepper and salt. Grate grated carrots and beets, finely chop the onion, cut the potatoes into cubes. We take out the cooked meat, remove it from the bone and cut it into portions. Put meat and potato in broth. Onions with carrots we ferment in vegetable oil. Then put the beets in the pan and add a little vinegar, simmer all together under a closed lid. Then add sugar, a little salt and tomato paste. Stew vegetables another 5-6 minutes. We put the dressing in the pan with borsch, then add the chopped cabbage. Cook the soup on a slow fire for another 17-20 minutes. At the end add chopped garlic and leave the dish to infuse. Served with chopped greens and sour cream.
Recipe 4: Borsch in a slow cooker
With the advent of multicookers, many dishes began to be prepared using this device. First courses are no exception. Try to cook a hearty, rich soup in a slow cooker and treat them to your family and guests.
Ingredients Required:
- Pork on the bone - 320 g;
- 1 onion;
- 2 tomatoes;
- Carrots - 1 pc .;
- 1 Bulgarian pepper;
- 4 potatoes;
- Fresh cabbage - 230 g;
- 2 cloves of garlic;
- 1 beet;
- Tomato paste - 45 ml;
- Vegetable oil (can be olive);
- Lemon juice;
- Spices (pepper, bay leaf and any taste).
Preparation Method:
My meat and cut into small pieces. We set the “baking” mode and cook the meat for about 20 minutes. Carrots and beets clean and three on a coarse grater. Scald tomatoes, peel and cut into small slices. Spread carrots with onions to the meat and cook another 15 minutes. Pepper cut into cubes and lay in a slow cooker. After 15 minutes, put the tomatoes and tomato paste, cook another 15 minutes. Then add beets, seasonings and chopped garlic. After 12-14 minutes, put the sliced potatoes and shredded cabbage. Fill everything with water to the maximum mark, salt it and set the “extinguishing” mode for 60 minutes.
Recipe 5: Ukrainian Borsch
Try to cook real Ukrainian borscht for this recipe and you will not regret! For cooking it is better to take pork ribs and sweet sugar beets.
Ingredients Required:
- Meat - 650-700 g;
- Potatoes - 180 g;
- Beets - 1 medium;
- Onions - 2 heads;
- 2 carrots;
- Tomato paste - 30 ml;
- 2-3 tomatoes;
- 1 Bulgarian pepper;
- Fresh cabbage - by eye;
- Tooth of garlic;
- A piece of bacon;
- Greens;
- Salt.
Preparation Method:
Cook meat broth. As soon as the meat is soft, lay the sliced potatoes. At this time, clean the beets with carrots and rub them on the grater. Onion finely shred. Fry the vegetables in the following order: first lay out the beets, then add the onions, and then the carrots. With tomatoes, remove the skin (for this immerse them in boiling water) and cut the flesh into cubes. Put tomato paste and tomatoes in a frying pan with vegetables. Add some water and diced pepper. Stew all vegetables for 13-17 minutes. While dressing is preparing, thinly chop cabbage. We check the potato: if it has become soft, we put roasting in the borsch. After boiling add cabbage and any chopped greens. If cabbage winter varieties, put it before roasting. After 5-6 minutes, throw a small piece of bacon and chopped garlic. Turn off the fire in a minute.
Recipe 6: Lean borscht
Lean borscht is no less tasty than borscht in meat broth. Just choose the best and freshest vegetables for cooking.
Ingredients Required:
- Water - 2.5 liters;
- Beets - 1 pc .;
- Carrots - 1 small;
- Potatoes - 4 pcs .;
- Cabbage - 190-200 g;
- Clove of garlic;
- Fresh greens;
- Vegetable oil;
- Pepper;
- Salt;
- Onion;
- Bulgarian pepper;
- 3-4 tomatoes or tomato paste.
Preparation Method:
We wash the potatoes from dirt, peel off the peel and cut into small pieces. Remove the upper leaves from cabbage, wash the rest and finely chop. Beets and carrots clean and cut into thin strips. Clean and shred onions. From the pepper, remove the seeds and cut it into strips. Tomatoes cut into cubes, after removing the skin. Put the beets, carrots and onions in the pan, fry a little, then add the tomatoes and a glass of water. Simmer all together for 10-12 minutes. Put potatoes into boiling salted water, after 12 minutes cabbage. After a few minutes, add roasting and cook borsch for another 15-18 minutes. At the very end, add chopped greens and garlic. The dish should be steeped under a closed lid for 20 minutes.
Recipe 7: Borsch with beans
The beans make the dish even more satisfying and tastier, and the abundance of greens adds freshness and flavor.
Ingredients Required:
- A piece of beef on the bone;
- Beet - 2 small;
- Several small potatoes;
- 1 pc. carrots and onions;
- Half a cut of cabbage;
- 1 tomato;
- A little bit of bacon;
- White beans;
- Clove of garlic;
- 15 ml of vegetable oil and tomato paste;
- Salt;
- Vinegar - 5 ml;
- Sugar - 1 tsp;
- Ground black pepper;
- Cilantro, dill and parsley.
Preparation Method:
Beans are better to put soaked the night before. Steam after that, it will be an hour and a half. Periodically, you need to try it, so as not to digest. We cook broth from meat, as the meat is cooked - we take it out and separate it from the bone. Clean the beets and rub them on a coarse grater, then fold them into a small saucepan, pour in a little broth, add vinegar with sugar and simmer over low heat for about 35-40 minutes. Fried onions and grated carrots are fried in melted lard. We pour the tomato with boiling water, remove the skin, and cut the flesh into small pieces. Fry the tomato with chopped garlic and a small amount of tomato paste. As soon as the beets are cooked, lay out the onions with carrots and tomato. All mix, remove the pan from the heat and insist 10 minutes. Cut potatoes into bars in boiling broth, then put chopped cabbage. As soon as the potatoes are soft - add steamed vegetables, cooked beans, seasonings and sliced meat. Cook soup 5-7 minutes, try. If necessary, add salt and pepper. Serve with chopped herbs and sour cream.
Recipe 8: Borsch with beets
Very simple recipe for borscht, which even an aspiring hostess can handle Preparing such a first course is quite fast, as chicken meat is used here.
Ingredients Required:
- Potato - 5 small pieces;
- Chicken - 400 g;
- According to 1 small beet, carrot and onion;
- White cabbage - 360-380 g;
- Greens;
- Tomato paste;
- Pepper;
- Salt.
Preparation Method:
Wash chicken in cool water and cook chicken broth from it. While he is preparing, you can make a vegetable dressing. Beet and carrot rubbed on a coarse grater, chop the onion. Fry the vegetables in vegetable oil, but not all at once, but adding them alternately: first beets, then carrots, and at the end the onions. fry them for 4-5 minutes. We take a glass and dilute tomato paste in a small amount of water, add a little salt and pepper, you can take half a teaspoon of sugar. Pour the mixture into the pan and simmer the vegetables with the lid closed for 15-17 minutes. Remove the finished meat, separate from the bones and disassemble into pieces. In boiling broth, we throw the diced potatoes, after 15 minutes, the chopped cabbage. After another 10 minutes, run a gas station in the pan and cook it all together for another 8-10 minutes. One minute before the end of cooking add chicken. Ready soup must be infused for 15 minutes. Serve with sour cream or mayonnaise and greens.
Recipe 9: Borsch with donuts
Borsch with donuts - a real feast for the stomach! Indulge your loved ones with this tasty and satisfying dish.
Ingredients Required:
- Beef on the bone;
- Onion (for broth);
- Parsley root;
- 3 small beetroot;
- Potatoes - 4 pcs .;
- Half a squash of fresh cabbage;
- Bulgarian pepper - 1 pc .;
- Tomatoes - 6 pcs .;
- Bulbs for refueling - 2 pcs .;
- Condiments (pepper, laurel and salt);
For donuts:
- Milk - 150 ml;
- Water - 100 ml;
- Yeast - 30 g;
- Salt;
- 1 tbsp. l Sahara;
- 450-500 g of wheat flour;
- Rye flour - 1 tbsp. l .;
- Vegetable oil;
- Garlic
Preparation Method:
Meat set stew. After boiling water is poured and pour the meat on the new. Put the parsley root and peeled onion in the pan. Bring to a boil, make the fire minimal and cook until meat is ready. Periodically remove skimmer foam from the surface. While the meat is boiling, make the dough for the donuts. Mix the milk with water and heat it up a little, add sugar and yeast. After 5 minutes, add rye flour and a spoonful of wheat. All thoroughly mixed. Now add a little salt, a spoonful of vegetable oil and pour flour in small portions. Knead the dough with your hands, cover with a clean towel and remove in a warm place. Ready meat we take out with onions and roots. In boiling broth lay out the peeled potatoes, diced. Fry beets, carrots and peppers in vegetable oil. Peeled and grated tomatoes are added to the roast. Cabbage thin shred and add to the soup. A few minutes later we start the passaged vegetables into the broth. Clean the onions and lightly fry in vegetable oil, then add to the pan with borscht. After the onion we put bay leaf, a little pepper and salt. After boiling, reduce the heat and add chopped garlic and chopped greens. After 10 minutes, turn off the fire and insist our soup. Now we proceed to the preparation of the donuts: we make small balls from the dough and wait 10 minutes until they reach it. We spread them on a greased form, grease the pampushkas themselves and put them in the oven for 12-15 minutes. We mix on 15 ml of oil and water, we add the garlic passed through a press. Finished pampushki pour over cooked sauce. Enjoy a delicious borsch with ruddy pampushkas!
Recipe 10: Borsch with sorrel
Very healthy and satisfying first course. For cooking, you can take any meat, you need a standard set of vegetables and fresh sorrel. Ingredients Required:
- Meat on the bone;
- Sorrel - bunch;
- Potatoes - 6-7 pcs .;
- For 2 pieces carrots and onions;
- Some tomato paste;
- Any greens;
- A spoonful of flour;
- Salt;
- Pepper;
- 2 eggs;
- Bay leaf.
Preparation Method:
Cook, as usual, beef broth. As soon as he is ready, throw 2 peeled potatoes into it. On sunflower oil, pass the onion and carrot, cut into small cubes, add grated tomatoes (or tomato paste) and a spoonful of flour at the end. All thoroughly mix and simmer another 5 minutes. Fry a little pepper and salt. Cooked potatoes pull out, finge and add again to the broth (so the soup will be more nourishing). The rest of the potatoes cut into cubes and throw in the soup. After 15 minutes, add the roast and bay leaf. At the end of cooking add chopped greens. Cook eggs hard-boiled, chop with a knife and add to the soup. After cooking, the dish should sweat, after 20 minutes the borsch can be served.
Recipe 11: Cold soup
This first dish is also called “Beetroot”. This soup is great for a hot summer day, when you want something substantial.
Ingredients Required:
- A pound of beets;
- Carrots - 130-150 g;
- A bunch of green onions;
- 4 cucumbers;
- 2 eggs;
- 45 ml of vinegar;
- Sugar - 1 tbsp. l .;
- 2 tsp. salts;
- Greens;
- Sour cream - 120 g.
Preparation Method:
Beets washed, cleaned and cut into strips. Take the pan, pour 1.5 liters of water and 15 ml of vinegar. We spread there beets and set to simmer on low heat (boil for 40-45 minutes). Strain the finished beets, pour the broth into a jar and set in a warm place for 8 hours. Boil peeled carrots until cooked and cut into strips. Cucumbers cut into strips. Green onions finely cut. Fold into the pan carrots, beets, cucumbers and onions. Add a little salt, sugar and 2 tbsp. l vinegar. Pour the beet broth into the vegetables and mix everything thoroughly. Boiled eggs finely chopped, chopped greens. Serving dish with sour cream, boiled eggs and greens.
Recipe 12: Borsch with Chicken
Chicken borscht is a great alternative to the more bold pork or beef entrees. Try to make this tasty healthy dish and enjoy it, without fear for the figure.
Ingredients Required:
- Chicken fillet - 380-400 g;
- 5 pcs. potatoes;
- Beets - 1 pc .;
- 2 carrots;
- 1 onion;
- Half a head of cabbage;
- Sunflower oil;
- Tomato paste;
- Greens;
- Pepper and salt.
Preparation Method:
Chicken washed and cut into small pieces. Put the meat in boiling salted water. Cut potatoes into cubes and throw them into the pan 10-13 minutes after the meat. We make roasting and grated beets and carrots, a little later add chopped onions. Dilute tomato paste with water, if desired, add a little mustard. Pour the mixture in a pan with vegetables. Simmer all together for 12 minutes. Cabbage wash and chop. To the finished meat and potatoes lay out the cabbage and dressing. Dish salt, pepper and add finely chopped greens. Cook another 20-25 minutes and turn off the fire. Insist borscht 25 minutes.
Recipe 13: Borscht without meat
This incredibly delicious borschik - a real find for a vegetarian and just a man, weight-lifting. Instead of the usual white cabbage used Peking.
Ingredients Required:
- Potatoes - 240 g;
- Carrots - 140 g;
- Onions - 1 head;
- Beets - 240 g;
- Peking cabbage - 160 g;
- Tomato paste - 15 ml;
- Salt;
- A teaspoon of sugar;
- 2 peppercorns;
- Garlic - 2 teeth;
- Greens;
- 2 bay leaves;
- You can add special seasonings for borscht.
Preparation Method:
Clean potatoes, cut and dip in boiling water. Cooking roasted grated carrots, chopped beets and chopped onion. Stew vegetables with a little water, tomato paste, sugar, pepper and bay leaf. Add roasting immediately after the potatoes are soft. Add all the spices and seasonings. Cabbage thin shred and add to the soup after roasting. Cook all together for another 20 minutes, try the cabbage to be soft. If not enough salt or pepper - add. After the dish is infused, serve with sour cream and chopped greens.
Recipe 14: Borsch with mushrooms
Borsch from mushrooms turns out very tasty and fragrant. The dish with dried mushrooms is especially appetizing, but you can use fresh champignons.
Ingredients Required:
- 320 g of white cabbage;
- 3 potatoes;
- 2 medium beets;
- 2 onions;
- 1 medium carrot;
- Fresh champignons - 230 g;
- 1 Bulgarian pepper;
- Half a teaspoon of sugar;
- Salt;
- Vegetable oil;
- Tomato paste - 20-30 ml;
- 10-15 ml of vinegar (9%).
Preparation Method:
Cook beets in uniform until ready (about 1 hour), cool, clean and rub on a coarse grater. onion cut into cubes, peeled carrots, three not large grater. peel potatoes and cut them into cubes, wash my mushrooms and cut them into small pieces. Remove seeds from pepper and cut into strips. Cabbage finely shred. Pour 2.5 liters of water into a saucepan and set it on fire. Put potatoes in boiling water and cook for 15 minutes. Next, put the cabbage and chopped peppers. Fry onions and carrots in vegetable oil, after 7 minutes we lay out the mushrooms. Stew mushrooms with vegetables for 7-8 minutes. Add tomato paste and simmer another 2-3 minutes. Add beets and roasts to borsch. Then add vinegar and sugar, pepper and salt the dish to taste. Cook borsch for 10-15 minutes and leave to infuse. Serve with greens or chopped green onions.
Borsch - secrets and useful tips from the best chefs
Like any other dish, borscht has its own secrets and peculiarities in cooking. Improve your culinary skills and do not cease to amaze loved ones with new delicious dishes. Perhaps the following tips will help to make a real culinary masterpiece out of ordinary borsch:
- the most delicious borscht is obtained on strong meat broth. If time allows, it is better to cook the meat as long as possible;
- so that the beets retain a bright color, sprinkle it with lemon juice or boil it in water with vinegar;
- the first thing added to the broth is potatoes; - cabbage lay, as soon as the potato will be moderately soft, but not overcooked;
- it is better to add roasting 10-15 minutes before the end of cooking.
