The classical Russian beet soup, borscht, is not actually Russian. And it’s not historically pronounced with that distinctive final “t” sound either.
Borscht was created in Ukraine in the 16th century, probably by Ukrainian Cossacks. It’s the beet variant of an earlier peasant soup of wild “hogweed,” from which the Ukrainian, and subsequently Russian, and our, name derives. In other words, that archetypal “Russian” soup actually came from the tough little country Russia is trying to take over.
But then Russia, too, came from Ukraine. The Kievan “Rus” was founded in the 9th century around Kiev, a place much in the news currently, by Oleg, a leader of the Scandinavian Vikings who then controlled Eastern Europe’s river-based trade. The name “Rus,” which evolved into “Russia,” is Old Norse, not Russian, and related to a “steering oar.” The Rus over the generations, however, became increasingly Slavic, though was crushed during the Mongol occupation in the 13th century. Russian leadership shifted north to Moscow. But Ukraine and Russia, whether under the Tsars, the Soviet Union, or the current Russian leadership, remained politically, historically, culturally, and nostalgically entangled.
Borscht is widely loved throughout eastern Europe, particularly in Ukraine, Russia, Belarus, Lithuania, and Poland. While the carmine-red beet version is the best known, there are also white and green borschts. The beet soup typically contains other flavorful vegetables and often meat or poultry. Celery root, “celeriac,” would have been the source of the celery flavor, since borscht is a winter soup and few cooks in the old days had access to fresh celery in winter. The soup is usually made sweet-sour with lemon juice, citric acid (“sour salt”), or vinegar, and is typically enjoyed with sour cream — “smetana” — in both Ukraine and Russia.
The Jewish version of borscht (Eastern European Jewry closely overlapped areas where the beet soup is made) usually omits meat. Mosaic Law forbids combining dairy – like borscht’s essential sour cream – and meat. Borscht was introduced to America by Yiddish-speaking Ashkenazi Jews who migrated in large numbers from Ukraine, Belarus and Russia in the early 20th century. Thus, borscht here is usually thought of as a fairly clear, simple vegetarian beet soup, even though in its native Ukraine the soup is substantially chunky and meaty.
The soup’s correct name is actually “borsch.” In both Ukrainian and Russian, the Cyrillic spelling is “борщ,” which has no final “t” sound. (Hey, in college I briefly studied Russian, and my teacher was a Russian-speaking Ukrainian lady.) Borscht’s final “t” in American usage comes from the Yiddish transliteration of the soup’s Slavic name. The Yiddish name, in turn transliterated into English, got introduced here along with the soup.
Borscht is commonly part of Jewish Passover as well as enjoyed, typically cold, throughout the year. The soup was so popular among Jewish immigrants that the Catskill Mountain region in lower New York State, heavy with summer camps, resort hotels and entertainment venues catering to the New York and New Jersey Jewish communities, was known – affectionately — as the Borscht Belt.
But back to the earlier Ukrainian borscht, which is more substantial than the lighter, if refreshing, Jewish-American borscht. Here, in support of the beleaguered country where the soup originated, is a meaty Ukrainian-style borscht. I also suggest how to prepare a non-meat version. Whichever way you make it, serve borscht with a generous dollop of sour cream, and maybe some fresh dill, to stir in as you savor the soup.
Tim Dondero, co-owner and Executive Chef of Donderos’ Kitchen, is a culinary enthusiast who has taught international cooking in Atlanta and Athens for years. His blog is timsspecialrecipes.com.
Ukrainian-Style Borscht, with Meat
There is a culinary trick for making the soup as red as possible. The beets are cooked in the soup broth whole and unpeeled. Some color will leach into the broth, but cooking lightens it. When tender, the beets are removed, cooled, peeled and diced to be re-added to the soup at the end.
The recipe serves six to eight, but leftovers are great later. Serve hot in individual soup bowls, with a dollop of sour cream for diners stir into their soup.
- 1 to 1-1/2 pounds pork with bones, such as shoulder steak or shoulder “chops”
- 2 quarts water
- 1-1/2 pounds red beets
- 1/2 pound celery root (“celeriac”)
- 2 large carrots
- 1 medium-large onion
- 1/4 head red cabbage (green can be substituted)
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon dry thyme
- 3 1/2 teaspoons salt, plus more to taste
- 5 tablespoons white or cider vinegar (5% acidity)
- 3 tablespoons sugar
- Sour cream for serving
- Sprigs of fresh dill (optional) for garnish
Cut the pork into large chunks and keep the bones. Bring meat and bones to a boil with the water in a soup pot, then allow to simmer.
Rinse the beets, then without peeling them, add them to the simmering meat. Saving both the peels and roots, peel the celeriac and cut off the entangled root sections. Rinse the peels and roots in a bowl of water, allowing any sand to settle to the bottom. Add the peels and roots to the simmering meat and beets to flavor the broth. Allow the pot to simmer, covered, for half an hour or more, depending on the size of the beets. With a toothpick pierce several beets to test for tenderness. When they are tender, remove them with a slotted spoon to a bowl.
Remove and save the meat and bones. Strain the broth into a bowl and discard the celeriac peels and roots. Measure the broth and return it to the soup pot and add enough water to make 2 quarts.
Cut the meat off the bones and cut it into 1/4-inch pieces. Add the cut-up meat to the broth. Discard the bones.
Cut the peeled celeriac into 1/4-inch cubes. Peel the carrots and cut then into 1/4-inch pieces. Peel the onion. Halve it then slice it 1/4-inch wide then cut the slices into 1/4-inch pieces. Add these three vegetables to the broth and bring it back to a boil. Reduce the heat so that the soup simmers. Skim off any foam that forms. Add the pepper and thyme but not the salt. Simmer, stirring occasionally until the vegetables are tender, 10-12 minutes.
Meanwhile, cut out the core of the cabbage, and cut cabbage first into 1/4-inch slices then crosswise into 1/4-inch pieces. Set aside. Peel the cooked beets and cut the beets into 1/4-inch cubes. Set aside separate from the cabbage.
When the simmering vegetables are tender, add the cut-up cabbage. Simmer it until it is becoming tender, 10 minutes or so. Add the salt, and simmer a few more minutes, until the cabbage is fully tender. Add the reserved, diced cooked beets plus the vinegar and sugar. Bring to a boil and simmer one minute. Remove from the heat.
Skim off any foam from the surface. Taste the broth and several pieces of vegetable. Add a little salt if needed. Add a little more vinegar and/or sugar if needed to make it sweet-sour to your taste. The soup can be served now or, when cool, refrigerated and reheated later.
Serve hot in wide soup dishes. Place several tablespoons of sour cream in the center of each bowl of soup. If desired, place a sprig of dill on top of the sour cream.
Vegetarian Borscht
This version of the soup can be eaten hot or chilled. It is made without meat, but the “umami” quality is replaced by simmering in some mushrooms. Mushrooms, freshly gathered in the woods in summer, and dried mushrooms during the rest of the year, are common cooking ingredients in Eastern Europe.
Check the head notes at the start of the meat version of the soup, above. Follow that recipe but omit the meat. Simmer the beets plus the celeriac peels and roots as above. Handle the beets as above and strain out the celeriac peels and roots as above.
Add 1/2 pound of fresh mushrooms, either regular white or “Baby Bella,” cut into 1/4-inch dice to the other cubed vegetables in the recipe above.
Whether served hot or cold, add the sour cream to the soup bowls for diners to stir in.
