Colorful Japanese-style borscht (Борщ)

Borscht（ボルシチ）

What kind of dish is Borscht??

Borscht is a traditional dish from Ukraine, Russia and Eastern Europe. Known as one of the three great soups in the world, it is characterized by its bright crimson color. It is made in a pressure cooker, so it can be made in a short time.

This vivid color is due to the beets used as an ingredient. Traditional Ukrainian borscht is usually made with a combination of beef on the bone and vegetables.

Beets, cabbage, carrots, onions, potatoes, and tomatoes are frequently used vegetables. Beets themselves, one of the main ingredients in borscht, do not have much flavor.

The base of the flavor is the tomato that is added together. Therefore, you will feel the sour taste.The taste of meat and vegetables is skillfully combined there.

I added consomme to make it easier for Japanese people to eat. When eating borscht, be sure to serve it with sour cream. The contrast between the bright crimson color of the soup and the white color of the sour cream is beautiful. It also adds richness to the flavor.

Check out my beef stroganoff recipe too.　👉　Beef stroganoff（бефстроганов）

What kind of food is beet?

A bright red vegetable. It looks similar to turnips and radishes, but surprisingly, it belongs to the same family as spinach.

Beets can be eaten raw. Peeling the beets thickly and then slicing them thinly, then soaking them in water will help reduce the earthy smell of the beet.

Beets are hard, so after peeling the skin, boil them in a pressure cooker. Then cut into appropriate sizes. You can store it in the freezer.

The characteristic red pigment of beets is called “betacyanin” and has high antioxidant power. It contains B vitamins, vitamins C and E, minerals, and dietary fiber. For this reason, it has spread to Japan as a superfood.

Most of the time I buy canned, but sometimes I get home-grown beets from friends.

NUTRITION　FACTS

185kcal Protein 16.0g Fat 6.5g Carb 17.6 Salt Equivalent 1.2g

INGREDIENTS (4SERVINGS)

beets 130g
chunk of beef 250g
onion 270g
cabbage 270g
carrot 130g
celery leaves 15g
canned tomatoes 300g
water 800g
consomme 10g
garlic 8g
ginger 8g
sour cream moderate amount
Tabasco moderate amount
parsley moderate amount

COOKING　INSTRUCTIONS

① Cut off the stems of the beets.

② Peel the beets.

③ Put the beets in the pressure cooker and add enough water to cover them.

④ Pressurize for 6 minutes.

⑤ When the beets are cooled, cut them into appropriate sizes.

⑥ Cut onions, cabbage and carrots into large chunks.

⑦ Wash the celery leaves.

⑧ Place beets, beef, onions, cabbage, carrots, celery leaves, canned tomatoes, water, consommé, garlic, and ginger in a pressure cooker and heat for 6 minutes.

⑨ Once the pressure is released, remove the celery leaves.

⑩ Top with sour cream, tabasco and parsley.