FSU Soups, Borsch and Specialities

[BCKev]

On my last trip to Ukraine, my sweetheart cooked up pots of borsht many different ways, with chicken, duck or fish. So after the first batch I said "nice soup!"
"Its not soup, its borsht"

A couple of days later, a different soup!!
"Good soup"
"Its not soup, its borsht"

A couple of days later, a different soup!!
"Good borsht"
"Its not borsht, its soup"

What is the difference between borsht and soup?

[Dave13]

Olga, your right it's 4 cloves! Sometimes I do cheat, I get the large jars of garlic from the supermarket and just add a few table spoons. Just add to your taste.

[mendeleyev]

BCKev, I'm with you on this question: 

What is the difference between borsht and soup?

 

Alright ladies, what is the difference?

[Olga]

BCKev, I'm with you on this question:   

Alright ladies, what is the difference?

Honestly I can not say. In Russian explanatory dictionaries "borcsh" is denoted as a soup with the beets and other vegetables.

My grandmother told me that the real borsch should be very thick; if you stick a spoon in borsch the spoon should not go down  but I like when borsch looks like a soup than a thick stew 

In old time the borsch usually was a meal of the peasantry.   

[ECR844]

"olga,"

   My lady mentioned the other day that it was her dad who used to make the borsh in her family most of the time. Apparently it was a family tradition that was passed down among the male members of the family. She said that in a pinch the 'family' would settle for her moms version, but that it wasn't as good as her dads.

[Chris]

"olga,"

   My lady mentioned the other day that it was her dad who used to make the borsh in her family most of the time. Apparently it was a family tradition that was passed down among the male members of the family. She said that in a pinch the 'family' would settle for her moms version, but that it wasn't as good as her dads.

My lady says it is always her Dad who prepares the meat for any meal, he says a womens hand is no good for meat 

[dwfunk]

Ahhh, yes!  Salted Cabbage!!!

MIL arrived last Sunday, however, beginning 2 weeks prior, EVERY glass jar and large plastic container was called into service to make "Salted Cabbage!"  Food Town had cabbage on sale for 10 cents a head!  Can't pass that up!! Glasses, cups, smaller plastic containers were filled with water and placed into service as 'presses'.  I do believe we will soon have to make another batch!!






------
David & Natalia
Republic of Texas / Moscow, Russia
УЛ. КОНЕНКОВА
16th World Spacemodeling Championships

[Zabikol]

...
"Its not soup, its borsht"
...
"Its not soup, its borsht"
...
"Its not borsht, its soup"

 

I had the exact same issue, and in no way could she explain to me why borsh is not soup ... after a long debate we settled on borsh is borsh, everything else is soup and I should let it go 

Still think its just a different soup though 

[lindochka]

All borsch is soup, but not all soup is borsch.

It's borsch as long as there are beets. There are as many variations on the theme of borsch as there are people who make it, and it is not unusual for the man of the house to be in charge of borsch-making even if the lady of the house is herself quite good at it. (I am in charge of everything more complicated than buterbrodiki, macaroni, and fried eggs.  )

[mendeleyev]

Linda, have you tasted Ukrainian white borsch?  I'm told it's akin to a soup the Polish call borsch but have enjoyed it in Ukraine twice.   Milk or cream apparently is added, as are boiled eggs and small chunks of link sausage.  Apparently the beets are boiled and then transferred to another stock and the cream/milk is added at that point otherwise it would seem that the beet juice would overpower the milk colour.

It was delicious but I can't find the recipe.

[lindochka]

I have not tasted that, Mendeleyev, but it sounds good! If it's a cousin of something Polish, that suggests it's more likely to be found in Western Ukraine.

I googled "white borsch" -- Google added a "t" to the word "borsch" in my search (it's "borsht" or "borscht" as transcribed from the Yiddish) and a number of Polish recipes for barszcz bialy came up. Apparently the Poles do not use beets for this particular soup. It's popular to serve it on Easter Sunday and since beets aren't prohibited during the Lenten fast, I suppose we could overlook the absence of them during Easter dinner!

[mendeleyev]

Linda, that makes perfect sense and yes it was in central/western Ukraine.  Thanks for doing the research!

[mendeleyev]

Okroshka is an ancient Russian soup made from "kvass", the national drink. The cookbook says Kvass, a fermented drink made from rye bread or fruit and sugar, can be found at Russian grocery stores.

Okroshka (Chilled Kvass Soup)

4 hard-cooked eggs
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1/2 tsp sugar
6 cups kvass
1 cup diced red radishes
1 large boiling potato, peeled, boiled, and diced
1 1/2 cups diced, peeled cucumbers
1 cup diced, cooked veal or ham
1 cup diced, cooked frankfurters
1/3 cup chopped scallions (green onions)
2 tbsp chopped fresh dill
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.
Sour cream for garnish (optional)

1. In a soup tureen, mash the egg yolks with a fork. Stir in the mustard and the sugar and mix well. Gradually stir in the kvass to blend well. Refrigerate the soup for one hour.

2. In a large bowl, toss together the remaining ingredients, except the sour cream to mix well.

3. Serve the kvass mixture from the tureen and pass the meat and vegetable mixture seperately. The sour cream is a tasty optional accompaniment.

Serves 6


 
MSG URL:  http://www.recipelink.com/msgid/038046 

[froid]

I love Russian soups now.  I'm addicted to rassolnik and schi. 

And I like sour cream now too.  I never did before. 

[Ward_Cleaver]

My Ukrainian girlfriend used to cook a dish that I really liked that consisted of grains, meat, and tomato sauce/paste.  She said that the tomato stuff was optional but being the tomato lover I am couldn't imagine the dish without it.  I'm sure there was more to it than that but I can't remember.  I really liked how she took such good care of me in ways like that.  Anyway, I got the impression from her that this was a very common meal for her when she was a growing girl.  I actually made sloppy joes for her on our second date and was surprised to discover that she had never even heard of them before.  I never really liked borsch.

[Olga_Mouse]

My Ukrainian girlfriend used to cook a dish that I really liked that consisted of grains, meat, and tomato sauce/paste. 

She said that the tomato stuff was optional but being the tomato lover I am couldn't imagine the dish without it. 

Sounds like a goulash to me? 

If that's what I think, then it has originated from Hungary, and thus is much more popular in Ukraine than in Russia...

[mendeleyev]

Olga-M, do you think it's Polenta?

I discovered polenta in Russia which had been prepared by a lady from Moldova.  She served it with meat and tomato sauce also and it sounds much like Ward has described and is delicious!  The Italians claim the dish but it is enjoyed across a broad region from Italy to Turkey to Russian and Ukraine and Moldova and Georgia.

Ward, if what you experienced was polenta, then here is more information on it:

Polenta is a coarse ground cornmeal and generally made into a mush-like porridge. Polenta is to the Italians, and especially to the Venetians, what potatoes mean to the Irish, Germans and Americans, and rice to the Japanese.

Polenta fans love it's versatility and use it in every course of the meal from antipasto to dessert. It can be served for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and in between. As a mush polenta can be made with water, stock or milk. The mush is eaten soft, the consistency of hot cereal, or chilled and cut into slices which are then baked, broiled or fried. It is especially good with game birds, ragouts and stews - any dish where the polenta can absorb the meat juices or sauce. Polenta can be grilled, fried, and ladled; it works well with meat, poultry, and fish; it can be enriched by cream, butter, and cheese, or lightened with a little chicken broth. The possibilities are endless, and all make a considerably inexpensive and nourishing meal. Each region of Italy has its own versions of polenta.  Everyone knows how to make it without measuring anything; boil the water, put in some salt, and add enough meal.



It is desirable to use coarsely ground polenta to make a rather thick polenta, while the finely ground type is more suitable for a thinner polenta. Medium ground cornmeal is suitable for most preparations. Whatever kind of polenta is used, be sure that it is dry and without lumps. It should be recently ground; if stored for a long time, the polenta may taste bitter.

Basic tools and ingredients:
For each pound of polenta use 2 quarts of water and an ounce of salt. This ratio applies to a soft polenta, which are always served with a condiment or with other ingredients added. If polenta is to be used baked, grilled or instead of bread, use a 3 to 1 ratio of water to polenta, use the same amount of salt. The problem is that with oen package the ratio may work perfectly while a second package may need more or less water. So, it is best to do it the Venetian way, with is to say eyeball it.

The tools for making polenta, other than a strong arm and a weak brain, are a pot with sloping sides, a wooden paddle or spoon for mixing the cooking polenta, and a circular piece of wood or board. You may also a wire wisk for stirring the corn meal while you are inserting into the pot. The rest of the stirring is done with the wooden paddle or spoon.  Sloping sides on the pot make it easier to stir the polenta. The best kind of pot in which to cook polenta is the classic paiolo, made of copper without a tin lining, and with a convex bottom.

The piece of wood serves as a place to put the polenta when it is cooked, as a place for it to cool, and as a cutting board. The board normally has a handle and the handle a hole in it. The hole is there for two reasons: one, so that the board may be hung up on a peg of nail, and two, a place to attach a string. The string is used to cut the polenta by drawing it down across the board, thereby slicing the polenta.

Cooking procedures:
The paiolo should only be half full with water; otherwise, in adding the cornmeal the water might overflow. The water should be properly salted in the beginning in order to avoid having to add either salt or water later in the cooking process.

Bring the salted water to a boil, then lower the heat (be careful, because in the beginning while adding cornmeal, boiling water might easily splash) and add the coarsely ground cornmeal, little by little, stirring constantly to prevent lumps from forming. If you use finely ground cornmeal the danger of lumping is much greater [see note]. Do not pour directly from the container, but use your hands, pouring a handful at time. For this initial stirring, a wire whip works best, but after all the cornmeal has been blended into the pot, change to a wooden spoon (or tarello). Increase the heat, and let cook for 40-50 minutes, stirring constantly. While cooking, the heat should be high, to cause bubbles to rise and burst on the surface. While stirring separate the polenta from the sides of the pot and from the bottom toward the top. When ready, the polenta comes away easily from the sides of the pot. It can be served hot immediately with the desired condiment, or it may be poured out of the paiolo onto a wooden board. To do so, smooth the surface of the polenta and with a brisk move, turn the paiolo upside down. The polenta will easily come away from the paiolo. Cut with a wooden knife and serve. polenta is often cut with a piece of thick string stretched tightly between two hands. 

Note: polenta made with finely ground cornmeal forms lumps easily. In order to avoid this, add a fifth of the cornmeal to the salted water while it is still cold, mixing with a whisk. Once the cornmeal is blended with the water, cover, in order to prevent boiling polenta from splashing, and let boil for 10 minutes. Then, stirring constantly, add the remaining cornmeal following the procedures described in basic method.

How to serve polenta:
Polenta is eaten with stews, game, cooked sausage, calf's liver Venetian style, and almost anything else where there might be some sauce to soak up.



Polenta may be eaten immediately after it is made, or it can be eaten cold. When cold, it can be cut into slices and charcoal-broiled; or it can be fried. One suggestion it to use a special frying pan that has ridges spaced about an inch apart, this to make it seem that it has been charcoal-broiled.

Polenta is often served as a starch instead of bread, especially in rural and mountain areas, together with tiny deep-fried fish, broiled cotechino, salami, or cheese. In this case it is not sauced but is served solely as a complement to meat, game and fish dishes cooked in sauces or gravies. Polenta is also served with cheese (gorgonzola, toma, fontina) or in bowls with cold milk. It is delicious when served very hot, dotted with fresh butter and sprinkled with parmigiano. It is good when sliced, arranged in layers in a baking dish, covered with wedges of parmigiano, sprinkled with melted butter and baked for a few minutes. You may add thinly sliced white truffles, if in season. Polenta leftovers may be sliced and fried in oil or lightly grilled over charcoal, then served either as a side dish or, better yet, covered with lard minced with parsley and garlic. Polenta may also be prepared by cooking it with other ingredients like beans, cabbage, spinach, and potatoes. In this case, polenta is dotted with butter or browned lard, sprinkled with parmigiano, and thus served as a complete meal.

[Olga_Mouse]

Olga-M, do you think it's Polenta?

Nope, I guess anything "Polenta-like" would qualify here for the каша cathegory, not for the суп one...

[froid]

I am always amazed by how the cooking from my two heritages, and Russian food cross distance and borders and end up sounding very similar in the end. 

My Finnish grandmother cooked cabbage rolls and cabbage casarole all the time.  It's how I learned to love cabbage.

My Newfie grandmother used cabbage in her salt beef dinner.  Along with the other veggies that was a veggie dish to die for.  Most people wont eat the salt beef with it because it is too fatty and salty. 

And so much of what I have tried and loved in Russia (And now make myself at home a little) has more cabbage in it.  It's great!


Hmmm that reminds me...turnips (The big yellow kind, also called rutabaga depending on where you live)...do Russians use turnips in any recipes? 

[mendeleyev]

I'm not under the impression that Ward described a soup.  But then again, I could be wrong.

[mendeleyev]

Rassolnik (Soup with Pickled Cucumbers) 

This is a delicious soup and we've borrowed the recipe from www.russiansabroad.com/cuisine
 


Ingredients
Beef (with or without bones) - 0.7 lbs. (320 g)
potatoes - 0.5 lbs. (200 g)
rice - 0.1 lbs. (50 g)
parsley - 0.7 ounces (20 g)
carrots - 0.1 lbs. (50 g)
onions - 2, small size
pickled cucumbers - 0.1 lbs. (50 g)
tomato - 1
sour cream - 1 tablespoon.


Method
Preparing meat broth: Put beef into a large saucepan and cover with 1.2 gallons (4.5 l.) cold water. Bring to a boil; reduce heat. Remove the grease and froth from the broth surface with a spoon. Add one onion. Cook at low heat for 1-2 hours. If beef is with bones, filter the broth. Pan-frying vegetables: Melt one tablespoon margarine in a frying pan. Add chopped onions, carrots and parsley cut into sticks. Cover and saute at low heat for 15 minutes stirring occasionally. Add chopped tomato and saute for another 5 minutes. Simmering pickled cucumbers: Put chopped pickled cucumbers into a saucepan. Add meat broth covering cucumbers. Cover with lid and simmer at low heat for 15-20 minutes. Add rice to boiling meat broth. Bring to a boil. Add potatoes cut into bars and sauteed vegetables. Boil for 10-15 minutes. Add simmered pickled cucumbers and boil for another 5 minutes. Salt can be added by taste. Served with sour cream. Servings: 3-4. 

[mendeleyev]

Clear Fish Soup


Ingredients
1 onion
1 carrot
1 parsley root
1 leek (white part only)
1 parsnip
1 teaspoon salt
1 pound fresh or frozen smelts
10 whole black peppercorns
2-3 bay leaves


Method
Combine the vegetables, salt, and 2 quarts of water in a 4-quart pot. Bring to a boil, lower the heat, and simmer for 30 minutes, partially covered. Add the smelts, peppercorns, and bay leaves, then return to a boil and simmer for 20 minutes, partially covered. Strain the stock, discard the vegetables and fish. Taste the broth for salt, remove bay leaves, and use as directed in the following recipes.

[mendeleyev]

Ukha (Уха) Soup

During the reign of Ivan the terrible, the sovereign was served, as the poet Alexei Tolstoi wrote, with three kinds of soup: white chicken soup, a black chicken variety and saffron chicken soup. A fluid part of a rich stock of poultry of fresh fish was then called ukha. The dish having a rhymed name, Ukha is petukha, which means in fact just cock (or chicken) soup, was cooked with parsley roots, carrots and onions and was served with boneless pieces of the bird's meat. Over the time, the term ukha became applicable solely to a soup cooked of just caught fresh-water fish.


Ingredients
Per 2.5lbs (1kg) of fish:
1 onion
1 leek
1 bunch of parsley
1 bunch of celery
1 gallon (3 liters) of water


Description
Note: Ukha is fish soup, which tastes best when cooked with sterlet, snapper, or redfish. Also great with pike perch, zander, or any other small fish but carp.

Method
Fish preparation: To create proper texture be sure not to remove scales. Gut and thoroughly clean fish. If using snapper remove gills. Place fish into pot. Add water. Clean leek and add it to pot. Add onion, sliced celery and salt and boil on a medium flame for 40-60 min. Served with fish and parsley.

[mendeleyev]

 Pokhelbka (Beef Soup)

Ingredients
1 pound beef, cut in chunks (stew meat)
5-6 potatoes, peeled and diced
2 Yellow onions
2 Tablespoon butter
1 Large carrot, diced (Russians call the larger varieties of carrot Chernobyl Carrots for obvious reasons.
1 Sprig parsley
2 Quarts water
Salt and pepper to taste
1 Clove garlic, finely chopped
1 Tablespoon dry red wine
Simmer the beef in the water for about 1.5 hours to make a rich broth, or substitute 6 cups of prepared beef stock.


Method
Chop and saut the onion until tender in the butter. Add the onion, diced potatoes, sliced or diced carrot and parsley to the broth and simmer until the potatoes are tender. Salt and pepper to taste. Add the wine and garlic at the end of cooking. Do not overcook the potatoes. The secret of this dish is the preservation of the flavors of the vegetables. Side dishes may include heavy Russian-style breads, fresh dill diced and sprinkled on the dish as its served and perhaps a dollop of sour cream added to the bowl.

[mendeleyev]

Gorokhovye (Pea Soup)

Pea soup is one of Russias oldest, most venerable dishes. Since ancient times, Russians have made soup from dried peas. Fresh peas did not appear in Russian soups until the early 1900s. The reason for dried, as opposed to fresh peas, most likely is due to the short growing season and the need to preserve the peas for use throughout the long winters. Russian pea soup is an example of the outstanding ability of Russian cooks to create great soup from the simplest of ingredients.

Ingredients
1 Pound of smoked bacon or pork
1/2 Gallon water
8 Ounces of dried, split or whole green peas (Dried lima beans, red beans and other beans can be mixed in or cooked as a separate dish.)
1 Yellow onion, diced
3 Tablespoons vegetable oil
Salt and pepper to taste

Preparation
Soak the dried peas in water until soft. Slice the pork or bacon into small pieces.

Method
Bring the water to a boil; add the pork and peas. Cook gently for 1 and 1/2 hours or until peas are soft and you have a broth. Dice and saut the onion and any other vegetables you like. Add to broth after the first hour.

Serving suggestion: Serve with dried croutons, sour cream, and fresh dill.