Stepping out of a Selective Palate

Passport & Plate - Authentic Ukrainian Borscht Soup

Ukraine | Tuesday, February 17, 2015 | 3 photos

Ingredients
3 medium beets, peeled and shredded
3 carrots, peeled and shredded
3 medium baking potatoes, peeled and cubed
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste
3/4 cup water
1/2 medium head cabbage, cored and shredded
1 (8 ounce) can diced tomatoes, drained
3 cloves garlic, minced
salt and pepper to taste
1 teaspoon white sugar, or to taste
1/2 cup sour cream, for topping
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley for garnish

1 (16 ounce) package pork sausage
(if you want the meat-version)

 

How to prepare this recipe
We used a good allrecipes.com recipe in order to recreate the soup:

1.Crumble the sausage (if using) into a skillet over medium-high heat. Cook and stir until no longer pink. Remove from the heat and set aside.
2.Fill a large pot halfway with water(about 2 quarts), and bring to a boil. Add the sausage, and cover the pot. Return to a boil. Add the beets, and cook until they have lost their color. Add the carrots and potatoes, and cook until tender, about 15 minutes. Add the cabbage, and the can of diced tomatoes.
3.Heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, and cook until tender. Stir in the tomato paste and water until well blended. Transfer to the pot. Add the raw garlic to the soup, cover and turn off the heat. Let stand for 5 minutes. Taste, and season with salt, pepper and sugar.
4.Ladle into serving bowls, and garnish with sour cream, if desired, and fresh parsley.


PREP
25 mins

COOK
40 mins

READY IN
1 hr 5 mins

 

The story behind this recipe
My sister traveled to the Ukraine on a mission trip Summer of 2013, before the war. When she returned to the States, she gathered friends and family together to tell of her travels, the people she met, and the new foods she experienced. Yet before she could share her stories, I helped her make some of the traditional food so that everyone could partake in the culture of Ukraine through the food my sister fell in love with while she was traveling. The magic of this meal, Borscht, is that there is no "correct" way to prepare it! Every chef and homemaker has their own way of creating the dish, throwing in some different twists and turns each time you make it. As a food lover with a selective palate, I found this meal to be a step out of my usual comfort zone. Too often we stay within the frame of our culture and only what is familiar to us, when instead we should be constantly stepping out and trying new flavors, spices, and recipes. I believe that eating the food of a country is the strongest way to feel a sense of their culture. Walking through the streets of a foreign country gives you the feeling of tourism and sightseeing, but sitting down and eating a traditional meal and learning about its meaning to the country is the best way to feel tied into the culture itself, past and present. After the war broke out in Ukraine, this recipe stood out in importance to me because it would forever remind me of the friends and family I shared it with and that, hopefully, one day the Ukrainians can sit around the dinner table, indulging in their grandmother's Borscht recipe, and look back on this time with heavy hearts but also be filled with promise for tomorrow.