The traditional, classic borsch was a staple soup during my upbringing. Whenever time was of the essence, my grandma would whip up a pot of this beloved red soup. However, as a child, I never truly enjoyed it. I vividly recall those moments, seated in the kitchen with my grandma as she served a steaming bowl of borscht in front of me.
Upon first glance, I'd make a face, hesitant to taste it. My grandma would gently urge, “Eat now,” and reluctantly, I'd take a spoonful. Looking back, those were cherished times, and I now regret my childhood aversion to my grandma's soup, for I've developed a fondness for it as an adult. Sadly, I can no longer savor my grandma's borsch, as the original recipe was forever sealed within her mind, carried with her into eternity.
First put the meat briefly in boiling salted water, blanch and remove.
Then add salt, 2 bay leaves and peppercorns again and cook until soft, about 2 - 2.5 hours, remove and cut into cubes or strips.
After cooking, first add the potatoes to the bouillon (without peppercorns and bay leaves), 10Min. let simmer gently. Then add the blanched cabbage.
Briefly sauté the carrots, onions, beetroot and tomato paste in a pan for about 10-15 minutes. You can add a little sugar and vinegar here to taste.
Then mix everything together in the pot and simmer for a while. Heat. Let it stand so that the borscht does not start to boil, because then the color and taste will be lost.
Season the finished borscht with garlic, salt and pepper and let it simmer gently for a while.
Sideboard suggestion: Finish with a tablespoon of sour cream*, chopped dill, parsley or chives before serving.
It's true with Smetana, but that doesn't exist in Germany. The closest thing is sour cream.
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