Borscht from Moldova
While working on a photoshoot for our beautiful Bread Project Worldwide, we were served a tasty borscht, a popular soup from Eastern and Central Europe (mainly Russia and Ukraine). The soup has a beautiful red color from beets, the main ingredient.
Often, besides beetroot, vegetables like cabbage, potato, tomato and onion are added and the soup is topped with a dollop of sour cream. For a vegan version, just leave out the cream or use a plant based variety. This is how the love women from a Moldovan village cooked the soup:
WHAT YOU NEED
2.5 cups grated beetroot
1 cup grated carrot
1 cup shredded cabbage
1 cup potato cubes
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
4-5 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup finely chopped dill
Juice of half a lemon
2 bay leaves
1 tbsp tomato paste
5 cups vegetable stock
1 tbsp olive oil
Salt & pepper as per taste
(vegan) sour cream optional and/or hard boiled egg
WHAT YOU DO
Heat oil in a pan. Add onion and garlic. Cook until the onion starts softening.
Add beets, carrot, cabbage, and potatoes. Mix and cook for around 8 minutes and keep stirring.
Add tomato paste, salt, pepper, and bay leaves. Sauté for another minute and add vegetable stock.
Cook covered for around 20 minutes on medium flame.
Switch off the gas. Add lemon juice and dill. Mix.
Optional: serve borscht with a dollop of sour cream and hard boiled egg on top.
