Delicious, rich, aromatic borscht is one of our most favorite dishes and our valuable asset!
That's why every woman should know how to cook borscht. And the most experienced housewives also have their own culinary tricks that make this dish special!
Some cook borscht with apples, some experiment with other ingredients, but the basis remains classic. This dish should be multi-component, have a sweet and sour taste and a bright red color.
Basic ingredients for borscht
As you know, real borscht should contain many ingredients. Traditional recipes usually include beets, potatoes, cabbage, carrots and onions, garlic, tomatoes, meat, beans, herbs and spices.
Of course, there are no strict rules for cooking, so every housewife cooks borscht in her own way. Some people don’t like adding beans, some cook lean borscht without meat, and some add zucchini or apples to this dish. Find your favorite recipe!
How to cook borscht correctly
Here are some simple tricks for making thick, rich, fragrant borscht.
1. The first secret of delicious borscht is the broth. Add not only the bone, but also the meat. The longer you cook the broth (the recommended time is 2 hours), the richer and more aromatic your borscht will be. Watch the liquid in the pan - if it boils away, you can add a little warm boiled water.
2. Add vegetables in the correct order. First, add potatoes to the broth (you can fry them first, then the borscht will be richer and tastier). When the potatoes are almost ready, add cabbage. Lastly, add the fried vegetables from the remaining vegetables to the borscht. To enrich the taste, you can add sweet peppers cut into strips.
3. Tomato paste or tomatoes are added to the borscht shortly before it is ready, along with seasonings and spices (bay leaf and black pepper). Garlic is also added at the end of cooking.
4. Many housewives add vinegar to borscht. Instead of vinegar, you can add sauerkraut or lemon juice. For a sour taste, you can also pour a little bread kvass into the borscht.
5. Let the borscht sit for about 20-25 minutes before serving. If the dish is not rich, you can add some butter.
How to Make Borscht Bright Red
Here, a lot depends on the beetroot and how you cook it. The worst way to cook it is to cook the beetroot together with the broth. In this case, the vegetable will most likely boil down and lose its color.
To prepare borscht, boiled, stewed, and even raw beets are used.
