Barszcz czerwony: clear ruby-red Polish beetroot soup, sweet and sour
The Christmas Eve barszcz on a stock of root vegetables and dried mushrooms, in which the beetroot is never boiled, only steeped in the hot stock under a lid. That is why it comes out ruby, not brown. Sourness from lemon or beet kvass, sweetness from the beets and a teaspoon of sugar.
Your own work in that: 30 min.
- Stock 45 min
- Beetroot 15 min
- Steeping under a lid 45 min
- Seasoning 15 min
Step by step
0 / 6 done
Make the stock
Cover the vegetables, charred onion, mushrooms and spices with water and simmer 45 minutes. Strain. The vegetables and mushrooms can go into uszka dumplings or pasties.
Ingredients: 2500 ml water · 2 pcs carrots · 1 pcs parsley root · 1 pcs celeriac, a piece · 1 pcs leek, white part · 1 pcs onion · 5 pcs dried mushrooms · 2 pcs bay leaves · 5 pcs allspice berries · 6 pcs black peppercorns
TipThe mushrooms are the taste of Christmas Eve: without them it is beetroot soup, not barszcz.
Root vegetables, mushrooms, charred onion
Peel the beetroot
Peel the beets and cut into 5 mm slices. Thin slices give up their colour fast; don't grate them, or the barszcz turns cloudy.
Ingredients: 1200 g beetroot · 3 cloves garlic · 1 pcs lemon, juice · 1 tsp sugar · 2 tsp salt · 1 tsp dried marjoram · ½ tsp black pepper
TipDisposable gloves, or lemon on your hands afterwards. Beet juice takes days to fade.
5 mm slices, no grater
Steep the beets, don't boil them
Bring the stock to the boil, take it off the heat, add the beets and crushed garlic, cover. Leave for 45 minutes. The stock takes on colour and flavour, and beets that were never boiled give red, not brown.
TipBoiled barszcz browns: beet pigment breaks down at high heat. Never boil barszcz once the beets are in.
Beets in hot stock, covered, off the heat
Strain
Strain the barszcz through a fine sieve into a clean pot. Don't press the beets — squeezing them would cloud the soup. You can use them in a salad or in ćwikła, the Polish beetroot and horseradish relish.
Ruby and translucent
Season
Add the lemon juice (or kvass), sugar, salt, marjoram rubbed between your palms and pepper. Taste: it should be distinctly sour and slightly sweet, with the garlic coming through. Season gradually; lemon also brightens the colour.
Lemon, sugar, marjoram: the balance
Heat and serve
Before serving, heat the barszcz until hot but not boiling. Serve in cups with uszka or pasties, or in a soup plate with uszka.
In a cup, uszka alongside
Before you start
Beet kvass
Sliced beets, garlic, allspice, bay leaf and boiled water with a spoon of salt per litre. A jar under muslin, 5–7 days. Kvass instead of lemon gives a deeper, earthier sourness and a darker colour.
It turned brown
Too hot. A spoon of lemon juice or vinegar brings some of the red back. Next time, don't boil after adding the beets.
Making ahead
3–4 days in the fridge, six months frozen. Reheat to hot, not to the boil.
Nutrition
per 100 gStep photos are computer-generated from the recipe.
