Doukhobor Borscht

There’s something special about homemade soup, especially when it’s made with fresh garden vegetables.

My friend Cheryl introduced me to this variation on borscht that I had never experienced before. She made such a delicious batch, I had to get the recipe and try it at home.

I’m not sure my version was as good as Cheryl’s (doesn’t it seem tastier when someone else makes it for you!) but my garden provided the potatoes, carrots, little beets and dill, so that made it extra special.

This recipe is from The Life Nostalgic, although I made a few variations. Like anything, the more you make a recipe, the more you get comfortable with the adaptations.

First, you will need several beets, about 4 carrots, 6 potatoes, a cabbage, an onion, a can of tomatoes (whole or diced), celery, butter, whipping cream and dill.

As mentioned, I adapt when I cook. For instance, my potatoes are the small gemson variety, so I used more than 6 – I basically selected what I thought looked like 6 potatoes. My beets are also very immature, so they are small and I adapted. My carrots are probably not what would be considered an average size, so I used a few more. The actual portions are reflected in the printable recipe below.

Start by prepping all your vegetables. Chop the onion, grate half the carrots, and dice the rest of the carrots, grate half the beets and dice the rest of the beets. Chop your cabbage (I only used half a small head of cabbage). Slice three potatoes in half, and dice the rest into a size you would like in your soup.

You will need two pots – a large soup pot, and a smaller pot.

In the medium pot, melt half the butter and fry the onion until glossy and translucent. Season with salt and pepper and a little bit of dill. Add the tomatoes, grated carrots and grated beets. Boil for 20 minutes, stirring constantly and breaking up the tomatoes. It will turn into a rich red stew. After 20 minutes, take off the heat and set aside.

Meanwhile, fill the soup pot with water and bring to a boil. To this water, add the 3 potatoes that you cut in half, the diced beets, diced carrots, celery and a generous dash of salt. This will be the foundation of your soup. Boil until the potatoes are done.

When the potatoes are soft, scoop them out of the water and mash them in a separate bowl. Set them aside.

To the water, add the remaining butter, whipping cream and diced potatoes. Boil for one minute, then add the tomato “stew” that you made in the smaller pot. Add the cabbage and the mashed potatoes, as well as the dill. I let this simmer for several hours, tasting and adjusting salt if necessary.

I have found with soup and stews that if I put the pot in the fridge overnight, it tastes so much better the next day (if you can wait that long!)

When you serve the soup, garnish with sour cream.

This is a rich, tasty variation on borsht that I really enjoy. My family’s traditional borscht is made with beef and many more beets. It’s worth trying too. Click here for that recipe.

Fresh vegetables make thus even more spectacular, so whether you have a garden, borrow from your neighbour’s, or visit the local farmer’s market, enjoy this tasty meal! The printable recipe is below.