Barszcz

If you've heard of it at all, you've probably heard of "borscht," a slavic soup which appears in various forms in Russia, Ukraine, Germany, Lithuania, Turkey, and Poland. In our family, barszcz is a well-loved part of our Polish heritage, with its unique blend of flavors such as vinegar, dill, and beets, and its special color. Who doesn't need more pink in their diet?

We began our beef broth early the day before, simmering soup bones, celery, onions, and carrots all day until we achieved a rich, flavorful base for our soup. Then we gathered beets, carrots, potatoes, and dill from our garden and supplemented with cabbage and onions from the market.

We tried chopping the beets this time, but we usually shred them, and we recommend that. Not only do shredded beets give a more pleasing texture, but they also provide the maximum amount of beautiful color.

 Be prepared for stained hands!

 Before adding the vegetables, we skimmed the fat off of yesterday's broth; strained it to remove the vegetables, bones, and meat; and then seperated the meat from the bone. Next, we added the beets, carrots, and potatoes and simmered that for thirty minutes or so, and then we added the cabbage, fresh dill, and meat. We seasoned it to taste with salt and pepper and stirred in red wine vinegar before letting the whole thing simmer for a few hours until it was dinner time.

Barszcz

~Serves 12

16 cups beef broth with soup bones

10 large beets, peeled and shredded

8 carrots, peeled and shredded

3 large russet potatoes, peeled and cubed

6 cups thinly sliced cabbage

3/4 cup chopped fresh dill

6 TB vinegar (white, apple cider, or red wine)
Sugar to taste (approx. 1-3 teaspoons)

Salt and pepper to taste

Sour cream and dill for garnish

Seperate meat from soup bones; set aside. Add beets, carrots, and potatoes and simmer for thirty minutes. Add cabbage, meat, and dill and simmer until cabbage is tender. Add vinegar, salt, and pepper. Best the next day after flavors have melded together.

Yummy! I topped my bowl with sour cream and more dried dill and enjoyed this beautiful, delicious, and healthy soup.  

 For dessert, Mama treated us to makowiec, a delicious Polish poppy seed roll, which we first discovered at the Polish festival in September.  {cue picture from the archives}

You can find a good recipe for this not-too-sweet concoction here if you want to try it!

Also, don't forget to enter our giveaway if you haven't already--it ends this Friday!