Borscht

Where I grew up (Hong Kong), borscht is a completely different soup, more like tomato than beetroot. 

Living in Russia, you experience their traditional cuisine quite differently than in any other place in the world. Where I grew up (Hong Kong), borscht is a completely different soup, more like tomato than beetroot. And without smetana (Russian sour cream), a soup can’t really be considered borscht. In this recipe, I did not use potatoes, because I did not want to have them in the soup. 

Serves 6

Ingredients

• 200 g pork shoulder or chunk beef, cut in thin strips
• 2 cups beetroot, shredded
• 1 cup carrot, shredded
• 1 cup white cabbage, shredded
• 1 small yellow onion, shredded
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 cloves of garlic, crushed
• 1 x 400 g can crushed tomato + 2 cans full of water
• 1 vegetable stock cube
• Freshly grated nutmeg
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1 tbsp butter
• Smetana and rye bread for serving

Recipe Preparation

Heat butter in a heavy duty pot on medium-high heat. Add bay leaf, onion, and garlic and fry until fragrant, about 2 minutes. 
 
Add beetroot, carrot, and cabbage and sauté until vegetables are soft. 
 
Add meat and sauté until browned. 
 
Finally, add crushed tomato, 2 cans of water, stock cube, nutmeg, salt, and pepper and stir to combine. Bring to a boil, then turn heat down and simmer for another 45 minutes. Taste and season before serving.
 
Top with smetana or sour cream just before serving or serve cream on the side together with fresh dark rye bread.