Russian Borscht – My Own Twist on a Classic Recipe

What can be better than a bowl of hot soup on a cold winter day? Especially the kind of soup that can boost your immune system with many different vitamins. Today I’m making my daughter’s favorite soup – Borsht. She is only 14 months old and she is already a big lover of this red goodness.  Borscht is a popular sour soup in several Eastern European cuisines and is a very common food in Russia. In fact, this is the first soup that I learned to cook at age 12. My favorite version is Borscht with chicken!

Ingredients for Borscht with Chicken:

• 5-7 chicken drumsticks
• Enough cold water to cover chicken by about 1 inch
• 2 medium onions
• 1 head of garlic + 3 garlic cloves
• 1 large or 2 medium beets
• 2-3  medium carrots
• 3-4 medium potatoes
• ½ head of medium cabbage
• 2-3 tomatoes
• 2-3 celery sticks
• 2 teaspoons tomato paste
• 3 bay leaves
• 1 Tablespoon salt + more to taste
• ½ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• ½ teaspoon Italian seasoning
• 4 Tablespoons olive oil + more, if needed
• Sour cream and fresh sprigs of parsley or dill for garnish

Step 1

In a large pot place water, chicken, 1 onion (cut in half), head of garlic (cut in half), celery sticks (cut in half), 2 bay leaves, 1 Tablespoon of salt and bring to a boil, remove the foam crud as soon as it boils. Lower the heat, partially cover the pot and cook at a low boil 40-45 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through.

Step 2

Grate beets and carrots using the large grater holes (I like to use a hand grater but a food processor will do the work just fine). Finely chopped onion, 3 cloves of garlic and tomatoes.

Peel and slice potatoes into bite-size pieces and chop the cabbage.

Step 3

By this time chicken must be ready. Take chicken out of the pot and let cool. Strain all the liquid and return the clean broth to the pot, add sliced potatoes and cabbage, and let simmer on low. When the chicken is cool to the touch, remove the chicken meat from the bone and cut into bite-size pieces.

Step 4

Heat a large skillet with 4 Tablespoons of olive oil, cook onion for 3 minutes, then add garlic and cook another minute.

Step 5

Add grated beets, carrots and cook another 5-7 minutes or until softened, adding more olive oil if it seems too dry. Stirring occasionally. Add tomatoes and cook for 2 more minutes.

Step 6

Make a hole in the middle of the softened vegetables and add 2 teaspoons of tomato paste with ½ cup of chicken broth (just take it from the pot). Mix thoroughly and add ½ teaspoon freshly ground pepper,  ½ teaspoon Italian seasoning and salt to taste.

Add chicken and cook for another 2 minutes.

Step 7

Add all the vegetables and chicken to the pot of soup, add 1 bay leave and let cook for 5 minutes. Remove the pot from the heat and let rest covered for 20-30 minutes for the flavor to melt.

Step 8

Serve hot with fresh sprigs of parsley or dill and a scoop of sour cream.

Enjoy!

Note:

Borscht is one of the amazing soups that gets better the next day. I like to cook it in the evening time, so all my family can enjoy a delicious lunch or dinner the next day.

Russian Borscht

2016-12-13 23:15:04

Borscht is a popular sour soup in several Eastern European cuisines and is a very common food in Russia.

Write a review

Save Recipe

Print

Ingredients

1. 5-7 chicken drumsticks
2. Enough cold water to cover chicken by about 1 inch
3. 2 medium onions
4. 1 head of garlic + 3 garlic cloves
5. 1 large or 2 medium beets
6. 2-3 medium carrots
7. 3-4 medium potatoes
8. ½ head of medium cabbage
9. 2-3 tomatoes
10. 2-3 celery stick
11. 2 teaspoons tomato paste
12. 3 bay leaves
13. 1 tablespoon salt + more to taste
14. ½ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
15. ½ teaspoon Italian seasoning
16. 4 tablespoons olive oil + more, if needed
17. Sour cream and fresh sprigs of parsley or dill for garnish

Instructions

1. In a large pot place water, chicken, 1 onion (cut in half), head of garlic (cut in half), celery sticks (cut in half), 2 bay leaves, 1 tablespoon of salt and bring it to a boil, remove the foam crud as soon as it boil. Lower the heat, partially cover a pot and cook at a low boil 40-45 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through.
2. Grate beets and carrots using the large grater holes (I like to use a hand grater but a food processor will do the work just fine). Finely chopped onion, 3 cloves of garlic and tomatoes. Peel and slice potatoes into bite-size pieces and chop the cabbage.
3. By this time chicken should be ready. Take chicken out of the pot and let cool. Strain all the liquid and return the clean broth to the pot, add diced potatoes and cabbage, and let simmer on low. When the chicken is cool to the touch, remove the chicken meat from the bone and cut into bite-size pieces.
4. Heat a large skillet with 4 tablespoons of olive oil, cook onion for 3 minutes, then add garlic and cook another minute.
5. Add grated beets, carrots and cook another 5-7 minutes or until softened, adding more olive oil if it seems too dry. Stirring occasionally. Add tomatoes and cook for 2 more minutes.
6. Make a hole in the middle of the softened vegetables and add 2 teaspoons of tomato paste with ½ cup of chicken broth (just take it from the pot). Mix thoroughly and add ½ teaspoon freshly ground pepper, ½ teaspoon Italian seasoning and salt to taste. Add chicken and cook for another 2 minutes.
7. Add all the vegetables and chicken to the pot of soup, add 1 bay leave and let cook for 5 minutes. Remove the pot from the heat and let rest covered for 20-30 minutes for the flavor to develop.
8. Serve hot with fresh sprigs of parsley or dill and a scoop of sour cream.
9. Enjoy!

Notes

1. Borscht is one of the amazing soups that gets better the next day. I like to cook it in the evening time, so all my family can enjoy a delicious lunch or dinner the next day.

https://howtofeedapickyeater.com/

If you like this recipe, please leave a comment below.

Thanks!