Polish Barszcz Wigilijny
This Christmas Eve, you are invited to the first course of a traditional Polish supper with this clear borscht soup. The soup is made from beetroots and mushrooms. Traditionally, it is poured over homemade mushroom dumplings, but you can choose your favorite tortellini instead. If you prefer a complete dinner meal, keep the vegetables in the soup. To make the flavor experience complete, serve the soup with fresh herbs, a dollop of sour cream, and a slice of dark rye bread.
Ingredients
Protein
- 9 oz tortellini mushroom or meat
Fresh Produce
- 1 lemon
- fresh chives dill, or sprouts (optional for garnish)
Dairy
- sour cream optional
Packaged Goods/Staples
- 1 jar pickled beetroots 16 oz, sliced
- 32 oz vegetable broth
- 0.5 oz dried mushrooms sliced
- 0.25 cup vinegar apple cider or wine
- salt
Barszcz Culinary Spice Kit
- Allspice garlic, black pepper, marjoram, cinnamon, star anise, cloves
Suggested Sides
- dark rye bread or baguette
Instructions
Prepare
- In a BOWL, strain the liquid from the beetroot jar. Set aside for later.
Soup
- In a large POT, bring broth to a boil.
- Turn heat off. Stir in mushrooms.
- Let mushrooms rest for 30 minutes.
- Bring broth to a boil again.
- Add the beetroots, Barszcz spices, and salt to taste. Cook for 10 minutes.
- Add the reserved beetroot liquid.
- Add up to 1 tbsp lemon juice and 1/8 cup vinegar to taste.
- Cook for 5 minutes.
- Drain soup through a fine-mesh SIEVE.
Tortellini
- Cook tortellini according to package instructions.
Serve
- Place tortellini on soup plates and then fill plates with the soup.
- Optionally, add a dollop of sour cream. Serve with bread and garnish with fresh herbs or sprouts.
- Enjoy!
Notes
- Substitute dried mushrooms with 3 oz fresh mushrooms. Skip steps 2-4 and add fresh mushrooms with the beetroots in step 5.
