Ukrainian Borscht with Sauerkraut

Wash dried porcini mushrooms under cold running water, place into a pot and cover with water. Add halved onion and bring to a boil. Cook for 2 hours on low heat. Add salt 30 minutes before the broth is done. Strain the broth and save it. Wash the mushrooms again and cut into fine strips.

Strain sauerkraut if it has too much liquid. If sauerkraut is too sour, wash it under cold running water and wring. Place it into a skillet or a pot, add 2 tablespoons of clarified butter, 4 tablespoons of water, cover with a lid and stew for 2 minutes on high heat. Then turn the heat down to low, mix sauerkraut well and keep cooking for another 2 hours, stirring occasionally and adding water when needed so it doesn’t burn.

Wash and peel beetroot and cut into fine strips. Place into a separate pot, add 3 tablespoons of water, 1 tablespoon of tomato puree, sugar and sprinkle with white vinegar. Cook on low for 1-½ hours, stirring occasionally.

Cut carrots, onions and parsley root into fine strips. In a skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil and two tablespoons of clarified butter and add carrots, onions and parsley root. Cook on medium high heat until the onion becomes translucent. Add 1 tablespoon of tomato puree and cook for another 5-7 minutes.

Bring the mushroom broth to a boil and add cubed potatoes. When it starts to boil again, add stewed sauerkraut and stewed beetroot and boil for 10 minutes. Then add cut mushrooms, salt, peppercorns, bay leaves and keep cooking for another 10 minutes. Remove from heat and let stand for 20-30 minutes before serving.

When serving, add sour cream, chopped dill and parsley into bowls.

You will need

For broth:   

• Water – 10 cups
• Dried porcini mushrooms – 1 oz
• 1 yellow onion
• Salt – 1 tablespoon

For borscht:       

• Beetroot – 4 oz
• Sauerkraut – 9 oz
• 6 medium potatoes
• 1 medium carrot
• ½ parsley root
• 2 yellow onions
• Tomato puree – 2 tablespoons
• Clarified butter – 4 tablespoons
• Vegetable oil – 2 tablespoons
• Sugar – 1 tablespoon
• White vinegar – 2 tablespoons
• 5 peppercorns
• 2 bay leaves
• Salt – to taste

To serve:        

• Sour cream
• Chopped parsley
• Chopped dill

Making sauerkraut

Cut fresh green cabbage into long strips. Place all cabbage into a big bowl, add shredded carrots, bay leaves and peppercorns and mix well. Transfer the cabbage into a glass or ceramic bowl or jar, tampin it down hard. Mix vinegar and sugar in water until sugar dissolves completely. Add this mixture to cabbage and place the jar into a warm and dark place. After 5-6 days, transfer the jar to a cool place. Let it stand in a cool place for 2-3 days and it’s ready to eat. Sauerkraut should be stored in a fridge.

You will need:

• Fresh green cabbage – 4 pounds
• 1 carrot
• 3 bay leaves
• 6 peppercorns
• Water – 4 cups
• Sugar – 2 tablespoons
• Salt – 2 tablespoons

Options:

1. You can add tomato puree to sauerkraut when you start cooking it. In this case, you can add parsley root to stewing sauerkraut 10 minutes before it’s done.
2. You can substitute drawn butter for olive or vegetable oil. In this case, this borscht can be served cold.  
3. When serving the borscht, you can add chopped green onions to the bowls too.