Borsht - Two Recipes

Borsht with Sour Cream or Sweet and Sour Cabbage Borsht with Raisins

© Frances Spiegel

Jun 20, 2007

Members of the Jewish faith celebrate the Sabbath on Saturday. It is the most important day of the Jewish week beginning at sunset on Friday evening and ending at sunset on Saturday evening. The Sabbath is always a happy celebration marking the end of the working week, a day of rest, joy and spiritually. Popular foods served at the Friday evening meal might include Roast Vegetables. Cheese Cake is frequently served for tea on Sabbath afternoon.

Every household has its traditional foods that are served on the Sabbath. In observant homes no cooking is permitted on the Sabbath therefore food is usually prepared on Friday before sunset.

A typical starter might be Borsht either made the traditional way with beetroots or a slightly unusual recipe uses Dutch or red cabbage.

Borsht with Sour Cream (serves 6)

Ingredients:

• 2lb raw red beetroots
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 3 pints cold water
• 2 eggs
• Salt to taste

Optional:

1 cooking apple - grated

Method:

1. Peel the beetroots and chop them very finely
2. Put them in a very large saucepan with the cold water
3. Bring the beetroots to the boil and simmer gently until tender
4. Strain off the liquid but don’t throw it away
5. Leave the beetroots to cool
6. In a large separate dish beat the eggs well
7. Very slowly add the saved liquid to the beaten eggs
8. Add the lemon juice – 2 tablespoons is the recommended amount but this is a matter of taste. You might want less
9. Add salt to taste

The Borsht can be served either hot or cold. When served hot it is customary to put a boiled potato in the soup.

Sweet and Sour Cabbage Borsht (serves 6)

Another variation on Borsht is Sweet and Sour Cabbage borsht with Raisins. This soup has a different texture because of the cabbage and fruit. The recipe is a little more time consuming but well worth the effort.

Ingredients:

• 1lb red cabbage. The cabbage must be finely grated.
• 1 raw beetroot. This must also be finely grated.
• 2 pints water
• Salt to taste
• 2 teaspoons acetic acid
• 4 oz. raisins
• 1½ oz flour
• 1½ margarine

Method:

Step One

1. Put the water in a large saucepan
2. Add the cabbage, beetroot, sugar and acetic acid
3. Bring to the boil
4. Add the raisins
5. Simmer gently for one hour or until all the ingredients are soft
6. Whilst cooking taste and add salt as required

Step Two

1. In a separate pan melt the margarine
2. Stir in the flour and cook on a gentle heat until the mixture turns golden brown
3. Add a small amount of the soup mix to the flour and margarine, stirring all the time
4. Gradually add more of the soup - about half a pint - and bring to the boil
5. Add the sauce mixture to the cooked soup
6. Taste! Add more salt, acetic acid, or sugar as required

Variations:

1. You can use lemon juice instead of acetic acid
2. Water can be replaced by vegetable stock or you can just add two stock cubes
3. One pint of water can be replaced by one pint of tomato juic

Borsht can be accompanied by home baked bagels. Some families like borsht as a starter followed by Roast Vegetables and Butternut Burgers or Cholent (Jewish beef stew). This makes a very filling and heart warming meal. Rhubarb and Apricot Crumble makes a good dessert with this meal. This recipe is also popular during Passover.

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