Mushroom Borscht with Beans

If you love mushrooms you will love this borscht! This recipe calls for beans as the protein so this recipe is excellent for vegetarians.
Before you start cooking the borscht, place white beans into water and soak them for 6-8 hours.
Take your beetroot, leeks, yellow onions and parsley root and chop them nicely. Mix one half of water and one half of beetroot brew. Place all the shredded vegetables into a pot, add beetroot-water mixture and bring to a boil. Add salt. Shred dried porcini mushrooms really fine. Cut cabbage into squares and cut potatoes into pieces. Add soaked beans, mushrooms and potatoes into the borscht. While it is boiling, add peppercorns, bay leaf, cloves, dill seeds, marjoram and simmer for 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, shred the beetroots and press them firm so you get the juice. Pour the juice into a little pot, bring to a boil and let cool. Add the juice to the borscht when the borscht is nearly ready. Serve the borscht with buckwheat pancakes.

You will need:

For borscht:       

• Water – 4 ½ cups
• Beetroot brew – 2 cups
• Dried porcini mushrooms – 1 ½ oz
• White beans – ¼ cups
• Beetroot – 10 oz
• Green cabbage – 14 oz
• 3 medium Potatoes (medium)
• 1 Parsley root
• 1 Yellow onion
• 1 Leek
• 2 Bay Leaves
• 5 Peppercorns
• Dill seeds – ¼ teaspoon
• 2 Whole Cloves
• Marjoram – ¼ teaspoon
• Salt – to taste

For serving:       

• Buckwheat pancakes

Making beetroot brew:

Peel and wash your beetroots. Cut ⅕ of beetroot into large pieces, mix with whole beetroot and place into a clean glass or clay dish. Add cold water and leave for two days in a warm place. After the fermentation is over, transfer the brew to the fridge. The brew is ready in 13-15 days. Remove any mildew that might have appeared on top of the brew.

You will need:

• Beetroot – 2 pounds
• Water – 8 ½ cups

Making buckwheat pancakes:

Pour clean buckwheat into boiling water, add salt and simmer constantly stirring until the grain absorbs all water. The porridge should become thick and sticky. Let it cool. Spread the porridge evenly on the oiled pan or baking sheet. When it becomes firm, cut the buckwheat with a knife into small squares and fry them on both sides until they become gold in color.

You will need:

• Buckwheat  – 1 cup
• Water – 3 cups
• Vegetable oil – 3 tablespoons
• Salt – ½ teaspoon

 
Also known as: Lenten Borscht or Lenten Bean Borscht with mushrooms