The Grocer: Borscht
A fundamental member of Eastern Bloc cuisine is the thick hearty soup of borscht. In most incarnations of the dish, you’ll see tomato and hearty vegetables interspersed with spices and creams. Often ablaze with the fuchsia of beetroot colours (and flavours), borscht can come in many variations, depending on the European nation from which it has emerged.
The Yiddish name refers to the two main variants of the soup – the hot and cold. Hot borscht (which goes perfectly with fur ensembles to fend away the cold of bitter, snow-filled winters) is the most popular. Typically formed with beef or pork broth, it is mixed alongside heavy starchy vegetables such as beetroot and potato. Serve alongside a torn piece of heavy rye bread and you have a supper that Anna Karenina would be proud of.
The cold version is a slightly more delicate appetiser of sorts. Young beetroot is chopped and boiled. When cooled, an addition of sour cream or yoghurt is stirred through, alongside raw vegetables like cucumber and radish. No matter which of the pink broths you decide to enjoy, serve in a deep bowl, with a scattering of chopped dill on top and a thick serving of sour cream.
Make your own version of borscht with recipes from here, here or here.
Image via Cook Eat Live Vegetarian.
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