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Get Me Some Beets

by: Olly Writer

Have you ever tasted Russian food? Sure, you have!

Borsch

No? You have not? Well, I think both of you should try to make something Russian in your kitchen. Russian food is very tasty and unusual. So, your family or your guests will be surprised.

The most well known Russian soup, of course, is borsch. It's rather easy to prepare, but it takes more time than everyday cooking. If you have extra time and all the ingredients, give it a try. By the way, do you know why this soup is called "borsch"? It got its name from the most important ingredient, which is beet. In old Slavic, "borsch" is the word for beet.

The complexity of the soup, that creates a flavour that bursts from the spoon, means your shopping list may be a little longer than usual. You'll need:

  • 230 g (½ pound) beef
  • 455 g (1 pound) pork with bones
  • 2 medium-sized beets, peeled and julienned
  • 3 litres (2/3 gallon) water
  • Salt to taste
  • 3 or 4 potatoes, cubed
  • 1 carrot
  • 28 g (1 oz) parsley
  • 2 onions
  • 280 g (about 10 ounces) cabbage, cut thin
  • 55 g (2 ounces) tomato paste
  • 4 tablespoons oil
  • 3 tablespoons flour
  • 1 tablespoon sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon 6% vinegar
  • Sour cream to garnish

    • Step 1: Make some bouillon. Sure, you can use canned or powdered bouillon. But it will be not real Russian borsch! So, even don't ask me how much canned or powdered bouillon you will need! Cook beef and pork with bones for about two hours. Don't forget about salt! At the same time, slowly boil the beets in another pot. While they're cooking, julienne carrot, chop parsley and onion.

    Step 2: Watch TV for about an hour while the meat and beets are simmering. And if someone asks you why you are not cooking dinner, say " Can't you see I'm cooking Russian soup!" But don't forget to go back to the cooking in an hour.

    Beet

    Step 3: Brown onion. After that, add the carrot and tomato paste to it and stew for 10 minutes. Next add the flour to the thickening mix.

    Step 4: Put cubed potatoes in broth. (What will you do with bones? Oh, just give them to your dog.) Cook for 10 minutes then add the cabbage. Bring broth to a boil, then add beet, plus carrot, onion, flour and cook for 15 minutes. Finally, add sugar and vinegar.

    Serve with meat and sour cream and enjoy.

    Olly Writer is a freelance journalist based in Tashkent where she specializes in feature stories.