Moscow borscht with fresh cabbage
8 servings
60 minutes
Moscow borscht with fresh cabbage is a fragrant dish of Russian cuisine that combines the richness of beef broth with the natural sweetness of beets and the freshness of cabbage. Its history goes back to traditional Slavic recipes where each ingredient plays its role in creating a harmony of flavors. The bright red color from beet juice makes the borscht not only appetizing but also aesthetically pleasing. The taste is rich with a slight acidity from tomatoes, sweetness from vegetables, and tenderness from beef. Potatoes add heartiness while greens provide freshness. It is served with sour cream for creamy softness and adjika for spiciness. This borscht warms the soul and is pleasant to eat in cold weather; after steeping, it becomes even tastier, revealing all shades of its rich flavor.
1
I hope you already have the broth ready. Ideally, with pieces of meat or chicken (otherwise, it will be a very light version made with water). At the very least, add the cube I dislike.
- Meat broth: 2 l
2
We take 3 medium-sized beets, clean them, and grate them (I always use a food processor with different attachments. I regret the money spent on manicure :-)). So, we grate the beet on a fine grater. We put it in a pot, add 1 teaspoon of sugar and 500 ml of water. Bring to a boil and immediately remove from heat. Carefully drain the resulting beet juice into another container and set aside.
- Beet: 3 pieces
3
To the beet pulp, add 2 thinly (or finely) chopped onions, a couple of tablespoons of butter, and fat from the broth. Simmer on low heat. Grate a couple of carrots and add them to the vegetables. Next, add either blended tomatoes (I add them with the skin — it gets blended, but you can blanch them and remove the skin). About 3 large ones, 6 small ones. You can replace tomatoes with tomato paste, but it will taste different. Let it simmer until semi-soft, without overcooking.
- Onion: 2 pieces
- Butter: 50 g
- Carrot: 3 pieces
- Tomatoes: 3 pieces
4
Meanwhile, in the boiling broth, we add 3 potatoes, peeled and cut into sticks or cubes, and let the broth with potatoes boil (by the way, my husband can't stand potatoes in borscht — he thinks only peasants put them in for heartiness. Well, my kids just try to fish out 'one more potato' for themselves. So good luck figuring that out! :-))
- Potato: 3 pieces
5
My combine shreds cabbage (1/3 head) as thin as possible. When the potatoes boil, we add the cabbage. Bring to a boil.
- Cabbage: 300 g
6
Now we transfer the sautéed vegetables (beetroot, carrot, onion) to the main pot with cabbage and bring it to a boil, then reduce the heat and keep it for a few more minutes (I check the softness/hardness of the potatoes and cabbage. I don't like overcooked vegetables. But they should be softer than al dente.)
- Beet: 3 pieces
- Carrot: 3 pieces
- Onion: 2 pieces
7
When the vegetables are ready (to your taste), add beet juice and your favorite greens, as soon as it boils, turn off the heat immediately and let the borscht steep for 15-20 minutes before serving.
- Green: 50 g
8
We serve the greens, sour cream, and adjika (my Philip's favorite) separately.
- Sour cream 20%: 50 g
- Adjika: 30 g
9
Wishing everyone a delicious meal of my mom's borscht!!!