Hot Ukrainian Borscht
Equal parts rustic vegetable stew and bright, sheer, meaty broth, borscht is the universal, infinitely adaptable heart of Ukrainian cuisine.
Gather Your Ingredients
BrothKey Equipment
Before You Begin
Pork butt roast is often labeled Boston butt in the supermarket. For efficiency, prep the vegetables while the broth cooks, or make the broth ahead. In step 2, the chilled fat hardens on the surface of the broth and is easy to remove with a spoon. This soup benefits from being made in advance—at least a few hours before eating and up to three days. Serve with bread. Garnish with sour cream, if desired.
Instructions
1.
FOR THE BROTH: Combine all ingredients in Dutch oven and bring to boil over high heat. Adjust heat to simmer and cook, covered, until pork is tender, about 2 hours, occasionally skimming foam off surface.
2.
Transfer pork to large plate or cutting board. Discard onion, carrot, and bay leaves. When pork is cool enough to handle, cut into bite-size pieces (it's OK if meat starts to shred). Skim fat from surface of broth. (Alternatively, cool broth completely and refrigerate overnight. Refrigerate pork separately.)
3.
FOR THE SOUP: Reserve ½ cup broth. In Dutch oven, bring remaining broth to boil over high heat. Add potatoes, cabbage, and ½ teaspoon salt. Adjust heat to maintain gentle simmer and cook, covered, until potatoes are just tender, 8 to 10 minutes.
4.
Meanwhile, heat oil in 12-inch skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Add onion and cook, stirring frequently, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add beets, carrots, and ½ teaspoon salt and cook, stirring frequently, until softened, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in tomato paste (mixture will be thick) and cook until fragrant and tomato paste is slightly darkened in color, 1 to 2 minutes. Slowly add reserved broth, scraping bottom of pan to loosen any browned bits.
5.
Add beet mixture to Dutch oven and stir gently to combine. Cover and simmer for 5 minutes. Stir in pork, dill, lemon juice, and remaining ½ teaspoon salt. Season with salt, pepper, and lemon juice to taste. Portion borscht into bowls and garnish each serving with more dill. Serve. (Borscht can be refrigerated for up to 3 days or frozen for up to 4 months.)
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