Borscht Recipes?

[mgaretz]

This is my recipe for Sweet and Sour Cabbage Borscht, aka Cabbage Soup. It’s my most requested recipe. Even though it’s called “borscht” there are no beets in it. It is based on my mother’s recipe which I’ve modified. I make it in the slow cooker, my mother made it on the stovetop. It can be a side dish or a full one-pot meal.

Sweet and Sour Cabbage Borscht

1 Small to Med head of green cabbage - cored and sliced into 12ths or so.

1 14.5 oz Can Stewed Tomatoes

1 14.5 oz Can Tomato Sauce

1 Cup Beef Broth (or 1 cup water if adding beef)

1 Medium Yellow Onion - halved and then sliced into 8ths or so and split apart

1 tsp sour salt

1 tsp pepper

1 tsp sea salt (use 2 tsp if no beef broth)

2 tbs sugar (Splenda works fine if you don’t want the carbs from the sugar)

1-1.5 lbs lean stew meat (optional)

Mix all the ingredients except the cabbage in the crockpot - then add the cabbage. The cabbage will be sticking up out of the liquid but it will cook down. Cook for 8-10 hours on medium heat - if possible, stir the cabbage about half way through the cooking, otherwise stir when you get home.

If you use beef, this becomes a one-pot meal. There is no need to pre-cook or brown the meat. If you’re making the standard version without beef, use beef broth. If you’re using beef then you don’t need the broth, just use water and up the salt to 2 tsp. If making a vegetarian version, use 1 cup of water instead of the beef broth and 2 tsp of salt instead of one.

I use Better than Bullion brand of beef broth concentrate to make the beef broth.

Sour salt is citric acid crystals. You can get this in the kosher food section of a good market. Look for Rokeach brand in a 5 oz glass jar. Some health food stores carry it in bulk as will a winemaking or homebrew shop.

Can be made up and put in the crockpot the night before. Put the pot in the fridge - take out in the morning and start heating.

You can optionally add in carrots and/or potatoes.

For the beef I usually use cross-rib roast but any cut will come out fork-tender.

I use "fine grind" sea salt, but you can also use table salt (use less) or kosher salt (use more).

[Pille]

If you're looking for a vegetarian borscht, then I can highly recommend this borscht recipe.

It's delicious, trust me

[piazzola]

This is a basic recipe http://recipes.egullet.org/recipes/r1434.html

you can tweak it to suit your own taste buds with or without vinegar either French or apple vinegar.

You can use pork or beef meats or none if you prefer.

It is advisable to stir fry your shredded cabbage and lightly stir fry the beets to bring up the natural sweetness.

Timing is of essence there is no need to overcook ingredients borscht is great if cooked one or two days before serving.