You say borscht I say barszcz - beetroot soup & a taste of home

Barszcz (beetroot soup) - cooking at De Tout Coeur Limousin

From borscht to barszcz and everything in between beetroot soup is popular all over Eastern Europe. In Poland, it's barszcz and what i've always called it. Traditionally made as part of Polish Christmas Eve celebrations (Wigilia) & served with little pasta uszka (ears) filled with wild mushrooms. A Festive tradition I carry on to this day.

To me barszcz is a taste of home - Polish comfort food. Sweet, sour and flavoured with dill. It packs a punch and is a great festive starter or as a nourishing lunch to keep the Winter blues away. 

This is my quick and easy beetroot soup recipe - on the table in about 40 minutes. With all the flavours I remember from my Babcia's slow cooked version but ready in a fraction of the time. 

Preparation time: 10 minutes

Cooking time: 30-40 minutes

Ingredients:

1kg beetroot (peeled & roughly chopped)

1.5 litres good chicken/veg stock

1 onion (roughly chopped) 

1 clove garlic

3-4 bay leaves

2 tbs sugar

4 tbs red wine/cider vinegar

2-3 allspice berries

Salt & pepper

To garnish:

1 small bunch fresh dill (finely chopped)

Creme fraiche/sour cream 

Method: 

1. Add all the ingredients (apart from the garnish) to a large saucepan and bring to the boil
2. Reduce the heat & simmer for about 30 minutes until the beetroot is tender
3. Take off the heat, remove the bay leaves & allspice berries then blend (with an electric handheld blender or food processor) then check for seasoning. You might want to add more sugar/vinegar too depending on personal preference.
4. Finish by garnishing with the chopped dill and a swirl of creme fraiche.
5. I like to serve this with some rye bread & a shot of frozen Polish vodka (for authenticity reasons!) 

Smacznego! 

My barszcz recipe is also featured on:  

Cooking with Herbs hosted by Lavender and Lovage

 

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