The story of borshch

[could be a painting by Vermeer, I say]

It's just a bowl of beetroot and cabbage in meat stock. But it was the common denominator of the Soviet kitchen. So what happened to the dish after the collapse of the Union?





Recipe:

Borscht
Serves 4-6

Borscht - beetroot soup - is one of those recipes of which everyone has their own version. Do add the red wine vinegar and brown sugar though, without them it's just a bit bland. Red wine also adds richness, and I've also experimented with adding shot of vodka at the end. This is one of those soup recipes that often tastes even better the next day.

4 large beetroots
½ red cabbage
2 carrots
1 stick celery
Bay leaves
2 red onions
2 cloves garlic
1 teaspoon caraway seeds
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1.2 litres of stock
Olive oil
2 teaspoons of brown sugar
Sour cream to serve
Chives

Fry the onion, garlic and celery in olive oil for a few minutes, until soft. Add some caraway seeds and a bay leaf or two.

Grate the beetroot and carrot and shred the cabbage finely (your knuckles will thank you for using a food processor at this point). Add the beetroot mixture and stock to a large sauce pan, with the red wine vinegar. Simmer for around half an hour. Add the brown sugar to counterbalance the red wine vinegar (you may want to add more than the 2 teaspoons)

Some people liquidise it at this point to a thick consistency, but I think it's nicer served as it is, with a big dollop of sour cream, fresh chives and a few more caraway seeds sprinkled on top.