Best 5 Veselkas Famous Borscht Recipes

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Are you longing for a hearty and flavorful soup that captivates your taste buds and nourishes your soul? Look no further than the renowned Veselka's Famous Borscht. This Ukrainian culinary masterpiece has gained widespread acclaim for its vibrant crimson hue, tantalizing aroma, and symphony of flavors that dance on the palate. As you embark on a culinary journey to recreate this iconic dish, let us guide you through the intricacies of selecting the finest ingredients, understanding the nuances of preparation, and unlocking the secrets to achieving that perfect balance of sweet, sour, and savory that has made Veselka's Borscht a legendary dish.

Here are our top 5 tried and tested recipes!

BEEF AND BEET BORSCHT



Beef and Beet Borscht image

It was this soup that started my lifelong love of adding sour cream to things. The way the tangy, rich cream melts into the hot, beefy broth is a wonder to behold.

Provided by Chef John

Categories     Soups, Stews and Chili Recipes     Soup Recipes     Vegetable Soup Recipes     Borscht

Time 4h50m

Yield 8

Number Of Ingredients 12

1 (1 inch thick) slice bone-in beef shank
3 quarts water
1 onion, chopped
1 cup chopped carrots
½ cup chopped celery
1 bay leaf
3 cups diced peeled beets
2 cups chopped cabbage
¼ cup white vinegar, or to taste
salt and ground black pepper to taste
1 cup sour cream, for garnish
2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill, for garnish

Steps:

  • Cook beef shank in a large soup pot over high heat until browned, about 3 minutes per side; add water, onion, carrots, celery, and bay leaf to the pot, bring to a simmer and cook until meat is tender and falling off the bone, about 4 hours. Strain broth and discard solids.
  • Combine beef broth, beets, and cabbage in a large soup pot; cook, stirring occasionally, until beets are tender, about 30 minutes. Reduce heat to low; add vinegar, salt, and black pepper.
  • Serve garnished with sour cream and dill.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 137.7 calories, Carbohydrate 12 g, Cholesterol 21.3 mg, Fat 7.8 g, Fiber 3.1 g, Protein 5.9 g, SaturatedFat 4.4 g, Sodium 95.7 mg, Sugar 6.3 g

BORSCH (((AUTHENTIC UKRAINIAN CLASSIC BORSCH)))



Borsch (((Authentic Ukrainian Classic Borsch))) image

Borsch is the most popular soup of Ukrainian cuisine that got its name from the most important ingredient, beets, called in old Slavic, borsch. There are numerous recipes for making borsch, but this recipe is as authentic as they come. My maternal grandmother, Anna Buhal'tsev (Bell) Mersky, came from Smila Gubernyia, which is near Cherkassy and Kyiv in the Ukraine. TRUST ME WHEN I SAY THAT THIS IS AN AUTHENTIC RECIPE BROUGHT TO THE U.S. WITH MY GRANDMOTHER FROM THE UKRAINE! If you wish to e-mail me you can e-mail me at: leonetti00 at aol dot com

Provided by Alan Leonetti

Categories     European

Time 3h5m

Yield 10 serving(s)

Number Of Ingredients 23

1 1/2 lbs red beets (green tops removed)
1 lb lean beef chuck (cut into bite-size pieces)
1/2 lb thick slab bacon (diced) or 1/2 lb pancetta (diced)
1 cup yellow onion (chopped)
1 carrot (peeled & grated)
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 teaspoon celery salt or 1 teaspoon seeds
2 teaspoons dill seeds
1 tablespoon minced garlic
2 bay leaves
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
3 tablespoons tomato paste
2 quarts water or 2 quarts beef broth
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 large potato (peeled & diced)
6 cups green cabbage (shredded)
3 tablespoons fresh flat-leaf parsley (chopped)
sugar
1 cup real sour cream
1/2 cup fresh dill (chopped)
russian black bread

Steps:

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  • Place the diced bacon or panchetta in a Dutch oven or stockpot and cook, stirring, over medium-high heat, until the fat begins to render, about 3 minutes.
  • Add the beef and continue to cook, stirring, until the beef is brown on all sides, about 6 minutes.
  • Remove both meats from the pan with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels.
  • Add the onions and carrot to the fat in the Dutch oven or stockpot and stir to coat.
  • Cook until soft, about 4 minutes.
  • Add the garlic, oregano, dill seeds and bay leaves and cook, stirring, for 1 minute.
  • Add the red wine vinegar and stir to deglaze the pot.
  • Return both meats to the pot and add the water, salt and pepper and bring to a boil.
  • Reduce the heat and simmer, partially covered, until the beef is tender, about 2 hours.
  • Meanwhile, place the beets on a baking sheet and brush with the oil.
  • Roast until tender and can be pierced easily with a fork or knife, about 1 hour.
  • Remove from the oven and set aside until cool enough to handle.
  • When the beets are cool enough to handle, trim the stem and root ends and remove the skins.
  • Coarsely grate or chop and set aside.
  • When the meat is tender and falling apart, add the beets, potatoes, cabbage, parsley, tomato paste and celery salt or seeds and simmer over low heat for another 30 minutes.
  • Season with additional red wine vinegar, salt, freshly ground black pepper and sugar to taste.
  • Ladle borsch into bowls and garnish with a dollop of sour cream and a pinch of fresh dill.
  • Also, serve with Russian black bread.

RUSSIAN BORSCHT



Russian Borscht image

I immigrated to the United States from western Russia in 1998. When I made friends, I found that many people had heard of Borscht, a traditional soup made with fresh beets, but few knew how to cook it. So I prepared this recipe from my grandmother, and everyone seemed to like it.-Svetlana Chriscaden, Falconer, New York

Provided by Taste of Home

Categories     Lunch

Time 2h25m

Yield 8 servings.

Number Of Ingredients 17

8 cups water
1 pound beef shanks
5 whole peppercorns
2 bay leaves
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon dill weed
3 medium uncooked beets, peeled and shredded
2 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
2 teaspoons white vinegar
2 medium potatoes, peeled and cubed
2 medium carrots, sliced
1 cup shredded cabbage
2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
1 medium onion, chopped
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
2 medium tomatoes, chopped
1/2 cup sour cream

Steps:

  • Place the first six ingredients in a large soup kettle or Dutch oven; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 1-1/2 hours or until beef is tender. Meanwhile, in a skillet, saute beets in 1 tablespoon oil for 3 minutes. stir in vinegar; set aside. Remove beef with a slotted spoon; cool. Remove meat from the bones; discard bones. Cut meat into chunks; set aside. strain broth, discarding peppercorns and bay leaves. Skim fat. Add enough water to broth to measure 6 cups; return to kettle. Add potatoes, carrots, cabbage, parsley and beets. Bring to a boil., In a skillet, saute onion in remaining oil for 5-7 minutes or until tender. Sprinkle with flour; stir until blended. Whisk into soup. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 30 minutes or until vegetables are tender. add tomatoes. process soup in small batches in a blender or food processor; pour into a large saucepan. Add beef; heat through. Garnish with sour cream.

Nutrition Facts :

UKRAINIAN BORSCHT BY YEVHEN



Ukrainian Borscht by Yevhen image

This recipe is as close to my late grandma's as I can recall. Although she had no mother to teach her cooking, went to Polish school before WWII, and spent her adolescent years among Polish/Ukrainian girls in Germany as an Ost-arbeiter, she still was the best cook when it came to traditional (Central-) Ukrainian cuisine. So, this borsch is still what I'd call Naddnipryanski Ukrainian due to number of ingredients and various cooking methods involved. I am also used to meatless borsch as we were not so spoiled in the waning days of the evil empire and meat was somewhat of a luxury to us, plus grandma preferred vegetarian borsch because it would stay fresh for much longer, unlike borsch with meat. My cooking was also heavily influenced by my time in NY where I've tried borsch in many a restaurant/diner/friend's home. Thanks to all my friends and places in NY.

Provided by UkeNYC

Categories     Vegetable

Time 1h45m

Yield 12-16 serving(s)

Number Of Ingredients 18

1 gallon water
1 bunch fresh beets or 3 -5 fresh beets
2 -3 medium yellow onions
2 -3 potatoes
3 -4 carrots
1 head cabbage
14 ounces white beans
1 bunch fresh parsley
1 bunch fresh dill
1 (6 ounce) jar tomato paste
1 red bell pepper
6 -10 garlic cloves (the more the merrier)
1 dash salt
6 -8 black peppercorns
2 -3 bay leaves
1 -2 whole dried chili
2 -3 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 -3 tablespoons vinegar

Steps:

  • Fill a large stock pot with 3-4 liters (a gallon) of water, add salt, peppercorns, bay leaf, chili pepper and bring to boil.
  • Meanwhile, wash your veggies, drain and rinse beans, peel and grate carrots, chop potatoes, onions, garlic, and bell pepper. Chop onions finely, grate carrots on coarse grater, crush and chop garlic cloves.
  • Wash the beets (separate and discard the leafy part) and add them whole and unpeeled to boiling water. While they boil on low heat, sauté in a heavy skillet with vegetable oil on medium heat chopped onion and grated carrots, until onion are golden. Add chopped garlic cloves and finely chopped red bell pepper, let them release flavor and add whole jar of tomato paste to the skillet. Stir well, and mix to blend the tomato paste in completely. Allow to sauté a few more minutes, stirring often. Remove from heat and set aside.
  • At this time your beats should be cooked already (depending on their size - usually 15-20 mins of cooking for medium sized ones), so remove them from boiling water and set aside to cool off. Add the rinsed white beans to boiling water and lower the heat.
  • Now you chop potatoes and shred the cabbage as fine as you can. Wash parsley and dill, chop and set aside. Add potatoes and onions/carrots/garlic/bell pepper mix to boiling water, stir well and continue to cook on low heat. Beets by now should be cool enough to handle, peel gently and grate them on coarse grater. Add to borsch along with 2 tablespoons of vinegar (helps to retain that beautiful beet color and gives a slight acidic kick). Immediately add your shredded cabbage, cover and simmer for about 10-15 minutes. Add chopped parsley and dill, and more chopped garlic if you wish, and simmer covered for additional 3 minutes.
  • Turn off the heat, and it's done. Let it sit covered for an hour or so to allow all the flavors to blend. Serve hot with a dollop of sour cream and a few pinches of chopped parsley and dill.
  • Drop a shot of ice-cold pepper vodka and enjoy your borsch in good health!

Nutrition Facts : Calories 138.3, Fat 2.7, SaturatedFat 0.4, Sodium 169.3, Carbohydrate 25.2, Fiber 6.1, Sugar 6.6, Protein 5.5

MRS. KOSTYRA'S BORSCHT



Mrs. Kostyra's Borscht image

Provided by Martha Stewart

Categories     Food & Cooking     Soups, Stews & Stocks     Soup Recipes

Yield Makes about 8 cups

Number Of Ingredients 13

4 medium beets, scrubbed well
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
4 dried mushrooms (morels and porcini; about 1/2 ounce)
1/2 cup hot water
Homemade Vegetable Stock
1/3 cup coarsely chopped celery leaves
2 tablespoons coarsely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
1 teaspoon sugar
Freshly squeezed lemon juice or citric acid, to taste
1/2 cup sour cream
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1/4 cup coarsely chopped dill

Steps:

  • Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place beets on a piece of parchment paper -- lined aluminum foil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Fold up edges of foil and parchment to enclose beets. Place on a small baking sheet, and bake until tender when pierced with the tip of a knife, about 1 hour. Let stand until cool enough to handle. Peel, and coarsely grate; set aside.
  • Soak mushrooms in hot water for 30 minutes. Drain through a fine-mesh sieve, reserving liquid. Coarsely chop mushrooms; set aside.
  • In a medium stockpot, combine stock, beets, mushrooms, mushroom liquid, celery leaves, parsley, garlic, sugar, a large pinch of salt, and a large pinch of pepper. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and cook for 20 minutes.
  • Add lemon juice or citric acid. Taste, and adjust for seasoning. In a small bowl, combine sour cream and flour, stirring until no lumps remain. Whisk in a ladleful of soup, then whisk the sour-cream mixture into the soup. Cook until slightly thickened, about 2 minutes. Stir in dill just before serving.

Tips:

  • Use fresh, high-quality ingredients. This will make a big difference in the flavor of your borscht.
  • Don't be afraid to experiment with different vegetables. You can add almost any type of vegetable to borscht, so feel free to get creative.
  • Don't overcook the vegetables. They should be tender but still have a little bit of a bite to them.
  • Use a good quality beef broth. This will add a lot of flavor to your borscht.
  • Season your borscht to taste. You can add salt, pepper, garlic, and other spices to taste.
  • Serve your borscht with a dollop of sour cream and some fresh dill. This will add a delicious finishing touch to your soup.

Conclusion:

Borscht is a delicious and hearty soup that is perfect for a cold winter day. It is also a very versatile soup, so you can easily customize it to your own taste. With its vibrant red color and delicious flavor, borscht is sure to be a hit with your family and friends.

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