Mariia Sukhanova of Sukhanov Ukrainian Kitchen at 239 Algoma St. South knows borscht. “One of the undoubtedly richest dishes of Ukrainian cuisine is the beloved borscht,” she says, as the tantalizing smell of the favourite Ukrainian soup wafts from her kitchen.
It is common knowledge in Ukraine that each housewife has her own recipe for borscht. Although each recipe may vary in the choice of spices, vegetables and meat, there is something that unites all the recipes – the use of beets.
“Sometimes my mom cooked borscht with meat, sometimes without. The recipe I’m sharing with Bayview readers does not contain pork or beef,” Mariia says, then adds with a grin, “In my opinion, the secret of a delicious borscht is a properly cooked broth. I use chicken to cook a light and healthy base for borsch - chicken broth.”
With no time to waste, and the promise of a great bowl of soup on your table for dinner, “Let’s start cooking,” Mariia says.
Ingredients:
Instructions:
Place the chicken into a pot that holds 3 litres of water. Add one sliced onion, one sliced carrot, 10 black peppercorns and 1 tablespoon Italian spice. Bring to a boil and then let simmer for 60 to 90 minutes, depending on your preference. (Note: Maria likes to cook her broth for a long time, so it is rich and flavourful. Although you could eat the broth as is, there is more to add to make a delicious borscht.) Remove chicken from broth and set aside to cool. Finely chop the cabbage and add to the broth and cook until the cabbage is soft. To make the beetroot dressing, peel and grate the beets, slice the remaining carrot and onion and put in a large frying pan along with the tomato paste or chopped red tomatoes and 1 tablespoon Italian spice. Stew at medium temperature for 30 to 110 minutes, depending on the freshness of the vegetables. Remove from heat and set aside until the cabbage is ready for the broth. Cut up the chicken and add to the broth along with the beetroot dressing. Salt and pepper to taste. Simmer for 10 minutes. Do not cook more than 10 minutes as the beets will lose their colour. Serve with a heaping spoon of sour cream or your favourite kalash and enjoy!
