A Russian beet borscht soup recipe, made extra hearty with sausage and a swirl of sour cream but also especially earthy and delicious as a vegetarian borscht.
Winter is the perfect time of year for large kettles of hearty soups and stews. Bubbling on the stove, they fill a home with an earthy, smoky aroma that seems to proclaim, “There may be snow and cold outside but we’re warm in here.”
The country of Finland is known for snow and cold. I was fortunate to call this northern land home while an exchange student and hold its people – and its food – close to my heart.
This borscht recipe comes from Karelia, a small piece of land along the Baltic Sea ceded by Finland during World War II to what was then the Soviet Union and is now the most western part of Russia. The recipe is adapted from the classic of Finnish-American cooking, “The Finnish Cookbook” by Beatrice Ojakangas.
Some borscht recipes call for cooking the beets and other ingredients, then blending until smooth in a blender or food processor. In contrast, this recipe calls for cooking but not processing the beets so the end product has considerable texture.
If you don’t have access to or time for fresh beets, canned beets are a more-than-acceptable alternative. And if you’re watching calories, omit even the small ration of sausage and the sour cream. You won’t leave the table unsatisfied.
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KARELIAN BORSCHT,
a RUSSIAN BEET BORSCHT RECIPE
Total preparation time: 2 hours, 45 minutes
6 generous 1-cup servings
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 4 medium beets, peeled, grated (about 4 cups)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 4 tablespoons flour
- 2 tablespoons vinegar
- 1 small red cabbage, shredded (about 3 cups)
- 2 carrots, peeled, grated (about 1 cup)
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 clove garlic
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 8 cups meat broth
- 1/4 pound spicy sausage (such as andouille), optional
- 4 tablespoons sour cream, optional
Heat butter in four-quart kettle. Add beets. Cook until soft and almost brown. Add salt, flour and vinegar. Add cabbage, carrots, bay leaf, garlic, sugar and broth. Simmer at least 2 hours. Add water if too much liquid evaporates.
Close to serving time, cook sausage in boiling water until fully cooked. Drain and slice. Place soup in bowls and top with sausage and sour cream.
VEGETARIAN BORSCHT Most times, I use vegetable broth, skip the spicy sausage and just enjoy the earthy beet soup in a vegetarian version. It's still hearty and the beet flavor really shines through!
More Recipes for Hearty Soups
by Beatrice Ojakangas. I still turn to it, often, and the recipes transport me back to a home in my heart. It's why you'll find so many Finnish recipes in Kitchen Parade's recipe collection.
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from A Veggie Venture, my food blog
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Good to know that Soup's On until Feb 28th - I might be able to make it after my trip!
2/16/2007