Leafy greens are full of important nutrients like folate, iron, and vitamin K, and their consumption has been demonstrated to be beneficial to human health in a number of ways. Consumption of leafy green and cruciferous vegetables has been shown to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease and cancer.
This week’s recipe highlights red cabbage in a hearty Ukrainian borscht, which also gets a healthy boost from a fellow superfood, beets. The recipe was sent to CCSA as part of a series of emails from our resident chef, Dr. Linda Doody. She has been sharing her extensive collection of favorite recipes with friends, family, and the CCSA team as a means of maintaining connections during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“The perfect borscht is what life should be but never is”
Aleksandar Hemon
Ukrainian Borscht
Editors of Time Life Books, The Good Cook/Techniques & Recipe Series: Soups (1979)
Notes
To make fermented beat liquid: Grate peeled raw beets into a pot. For 5–6 beets, add 2 quarts warm water, a chunk of rye bread, and 1 teaspoon sugar. Cover and leave in a cool room for 3–4 days, then strain. The liquid will keep refrigerated in a tightly closed bottle for several weeks.
Ingredients
- 3 lbs beef brisket or shank, or a mixture of beef and smoked ham
- 2½ quarts water
- 2 onions
- 1 bay leaf
- Salt and pepper
- 1 red cabbage, halved, cored and coarsely chopped
- 2 cups fermented beet liquid (see below) (you can substitute unseasoned rice vinegar to taste, but other vinegars could be used)
- 6 red beets, washed but not peeled
- 1½ tablespoons flour
- Finely chopped parsley
- Garnishes: fried fresh pork sausages, kasha, piroshki, boiled buckwheat groats, and/or sour cream, which serves as a nice counterpoint to the vinegar
Instructions
- Put the meat into a large pot with the water, onions, bay leaf, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil, skim, partially cover, and simmer for 2–3 hours.
- Strain the stock, reserve the meat, and return the stock to the pot. Add the cabbage and fermented beet liquid or vinegar. Simmer for 1 hour.
- Meanwhile, bake the beets at 350˚F for 2–3 hours or until soft. Peel and chop the beets and mix with flour. Add the mixture to the simmering soup, and return to a boil. Correct the seasoning. Cut the reserved meat into small pieces, add to the soup, and reheat for a few minutes.
- To serve, add parsley to a soup tureen or to individual bowls, and pour in the soup. Serve accompanied by garnishes and/or sour cream and a good whole meal seed or rye bread.