Borshcht #001
6 Servings
Ingredients
| Quantity | Ingredient | |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | tablespoons | Butter |
| ½ | cup | Onions; finely chopped |
| 1½ | pounds | Beets, (about 5 cups) cut into strips |
| ¼ | cup | Red wine vinegar |
| 1 | teaspoon | Sugar |
| 2 | Tomatoes, peeled, seeded and coarsely chopped | |
| 2 | teaspoons | Salt |
| Black pepper; freshly ground | ||
| 2 | quarts | Beef stock |
| ½ | pounds | White cabbage, quartered, |
| Cored; coarsely shredded | ||
| ¼ | pounds | Boiled ham cut into 1-in cubes |
| ¼ | pounds | All-beef frankfurters cut in 1/2-in rounds |
| 1 | pounds | Boiled brisket from the stoc cut into 1-in cubes |
| 4 | Sprig parsley, | |
| Tied together w/1 bay leaf | ||
| ½ | cup | Dill or parsley finely chopped |
| 1 | cup | Sour cream |
Directions
In an 8-quart pot, melt the butter over moderate heat. Add the onions ans, stirring frequently, cook 3 to 5 mins, or until they are soft but not brown. Stir in beets, then add the wine vinegar, sugar, chopped tomatoes, 1 tsp of salt and a few grindings of black pepper.
Pour in ½ cup of the stock, cover the pan and simmer undisturbed for 50 mins. Pour the remaining stock into the pot and add the shredded cabbage. Bring to a boil, then stir in the ham, frankfurters and beef. Submerge the tied parsley and bay leaf in the soup, add another tsp of salt, and simmer, partially covered, for ½ hr.
Transfer to borshch to a large tureen and sprinkle with fresh dill or parsley. Accompany the soup with a bowl of sour cream, to be added to the borshcht at the discretion of each diner.