Old cookbooks are true treasures. Our colleague recently found "Dobra kuchnia," published in 1985 by the "WATRA" publishing house. There are such gems in there! But today, we'll focus a bit on the upcoming holidays and present a recipe for meatless borscht, which I used to enjoy as a little girl while sitting on my grandmother's lap by the Christmas tree. Its unique flavor is enhanced by a special juice—specifically, fermented beet juice.
Meatless Red Borscht - A 37-Year-Old Recipe
Ingredients:
- 20 g of dried mushrooms
- 250 g of root vegetables (carrot, parsley root, celery)
- 500 g of beets
- 1 cup of fermented beet juice (kvass)
- Salt, pepper, and sugar to taste
- Parsley or dill for serving
Instructions:
- Start by preparing the dried mushrooms. Place them in a bowl and cover with cold water. Once they have soaked, cook them until soft in the same water they were soaked in. You can add a pinch of salt and a bay leaf.
- Peel and chop the root vegetables and beets. Then, place them in a pot and cover with water (about 6 cups). Cook on low heat until all the vegetables are soft. Then, strain the broth.
- Once the mushrooms are soft, remove them from the broth and chop them into smaller pieces. Then, combine the mushroom broth with the vegetable broth. Add the mushrooms and a cup of fermented beet juice (you can find instructions for making beet kvass here).
- Simmer the borscht for a while longer on moderate heat, then season to taste with spices. Serve with mushroom-filled dumplings (uszka).
Enjoy your meal!
