South Ukrainian borsch
- Prepare
- less than 30 mins
- Cook
- 1 to 2 hours
- Serve
- Serves 4–6
We often say that borsch is part of the Ukrainian DNA. There are hundreds of meat, fish and vegetarian varieties, but it is never a puréed soup. It is always a broth that contains plenty of vegetables, so a wooden spoon stands up straight when placed in the middle. It is super nutritious, full of prebiotics and a salve for the body and soul. I could eat it for breakfast, lunch and dinner. It is always best the day after cooking.
Ingredients
- 1.3kg–1.5kg/3lb–3lb 5oz whole chicken (preferably organic)
- 3 onions, 1 left whole and 2 chopped
- 5 black peppercorns
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 beetroots, cut into matchsticks
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil (optional)
- 2 carrots, roughly grated
- ½ parsnip or 200g/7oz celeriac, roughly grated
- few celery leaves
- 1 red pepper, sliced
- 2 tbsp tomato purée
- 200ml tin chopped tomatoes
- 1 tsp sugar
- 4 floury potatoes, cut into 3cm/1¼in cubes (see Tip)
- 400g tin red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
- ½ white cabbage, thinly sliced
- sea salt
- chopped fresh dill, to garnish
- chopped fresh flatleaf parsley, to garnish
- 150ml/5fl oz full-fat crème fraîche, to serve
Method
Place the chicken in a large stock pot with the whole onion, the peppercorns and bay leaf. Season with some sea salt.
Pour in 2.5–3 litres/3½–5¼ pints cold water. Bring to the boil and skim off any scum.
Add the beetroot and simmer over a low heat for 40 minutes.
Cover with a lid, switch off the heat and leave for 20 minutes. The chicken will continue to cook until tender in the residual heat. Check that the chicken is cooked through when the juices run clear with no trace of pink when the thickest part of the leg, between the drumstick and the thigh, is pierced with a skewer.
Remove the chicken from the pot (reserving the stock) and pull the meat from the bones, shredding into large chunks.
Meanwhile, make the 'zasmazhka', a Ukrainian soffritto. Skim 2 tablespoons fat off the top of the stock in the casserole and transfer to a large frying pan. Alternatively, use the vegetable oil.
Heat the oil over a medium heat, then add the chopped onions and a generous pinch of sea salt. Cook, stirring often, for 10 minutes, or until transparent, soft and starting to brown.
Add the carrots, parsnip and red pepper and season with more salt. Fry gently for 10 minutes until softened, but not browned.
Add the tomato purée and pour in the tomatoes. Cook over a high heat for 5 minutes, or until reduced. Taste and add the sugar to balance out the acidity.
Take the whole onion out of the stock and discard. Add all of the ‘zasmazhka’ tomato mixture to the stock, along with the potatoes and beans. Bring to the boil.
Add the potatoes and beans and bring to the boil again. Reduce the heat and simmer for about 20 minutes until the potatoes are soft.
Add the cabbage and cook for just 5 minutes. Do not overcook the cabbage. Remove the bay leaf, add the chopped celery leaves and the chicken back into the soup to warm through.
Garnish with the dill and parsley and serve with a dollop of crème fraîche.
Recipe tips
If the potatoes are organic, they do not need to be peeled, just well scrubbed.
