Elevate your Easter feast with vibrant red borscht delights
Easter soups? Horseradish soup, sour rye soup, and white borscht. These three are considered traditional and are most often chosen. Although they are delicious, a few years ago I went against the grain and started making borscht, which most of us associate with Christmas.
Although there are few traditional Easter soups, they can cause a bit of confusion. Firstly, what's the difference between sour rye soup and white borscht? They are similar, but the difference lies in the type of sourdough used. For borscht, it is prepared with wheat flour, and for sour rye soup with rye flour.
White or red borscht?
Since we enjoy white borscht at Easter, why not the red one too? You could say these soups are similar. In both, the sourdough is important. The "red" version obviously differs in the inclusion of beetroots. For me, this second version is definitely more aromatic, tastier, and more vegetal. Additionally, eggs fit perfectly with such borscht, which is one of the symbols of Easter.
Serve red borscht for Easter
In the spring version, red borscht can also be additionally creamed with soured cream, making it milder in taste. It's worth adding some horseradish to it as well. This will be another flavour accent often associated with Easter. Creamed red borscht is an interesting alternative to the traditional, clear borscht. For me, it's the perfect choice for a family holiday dinner. It used to cause surprise, but this year my mother-in-law already asked if I would definitely be making it. It has a creamy consistency and mild taste but a sharper horseradish accent. It tastes great with an egg.
Creamed red borscht with egg
Ingredients:
- 2 chicken quarters,
- a turkey neck and drumstick (or a portion of soup meat),
- a piece of beef with bone,
- root vegetables (2 carrots, 1 parsley root, a piece of celeriac, leek),
- 6-8 beetroots,
- a bunch of chives,
- salt and pepper to taste,
- allspice berries,
- bay leaves,
- beetroot sourdough to taste,
- 2-3 tablespoons of soured cream,
- horseradish to taste,
- hard-boiled eggs for serving.
Preparation:
- Place the meat in a large pot, add about 2.5 litres of water, and bring to the boil.
- Skim off any scum, add peeled and chopped root vegetables.
- Then add beetroots cut into slices. Also, add allspice berries, bay leaves, salt, and pepper.
- Simmer the borscht on low heat for about 2 hours, until the meat and vegetables are tender.
- Strain the broth and season the borscht with the sourdough.
- Next, mix the soured cream with a little hot borscht to prevent curdling. Add horseradish to taste, mix again, and pour into the borscht, stirring gently.
- Serve the borscht with halved hard-boiled eggs.
