This recipe for Polish Christmas Eve beet soup (barszcz wigilijny) is from chef Marek (Mark) Widomski, founder and director of the Culinary Institute in Crakow, Poland.
While many beet soup recipes call for beef stock, meat or bones, since this is a Polish Christmas Eve supper (wigilia) recipe, it must be meatless.
The soup is made with a beet sour (kwas) that must ferment for at least three days before using and vegetable stock. The traditional way to eat barszcz wigilijny is with mushroom uszka or paszteciki.
At the Culinary Institute in Crakow, Chef Mark and his staff offer classes in everything from peasant food to gourmet cuisine, tailoring them to the individual's needs, in Polish, English and other languages.
Ingredients
For the Beet Sour (Kwas):
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3 1/2 pounds beets, peeled, rinsed, and sliced
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1 slice rye bread
For the Beet Soup:
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1 pound beets, peeled, rinsed, and sliced
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1/2 pound vegetables, such as carrot, parsnip, celery root, leeks, peeled and sliced
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2 teaspoons unsalted butter
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1 clove garlic, mashed with a little salt
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2 cups beet sour (kwas)
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1 dried mushroom, soaked, 1/4 cup soaking liquid reserved
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Salt, to taste
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Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
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1 teaspoon sugar, or to taste
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1 tablespoon finely chopped parsley
Steps to Make It
Make the Beet Sour (Kwas)
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Gather the ingredients.
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Place the beets in a large crock or ceramic bowl.
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Cover with pre-boiled lukewarm water. Add the bread with the crust, pushing it under the water.
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Cover the crock or bowl with cheesecloth and let stand at room temperature for three days.
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Strain through cheesecloth, pour into a glass jar and seal it. Store in the fridge. You may eat the strained beets or discard them.
Make the Beet Soup
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Gather the ingredients.
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Place the beets, Polish soup vegetables (włoszczna) in a large stockpot.
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Add 6 cups cold water and 1 teaspoon of the butter. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer until vegetables are tender.
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Strain, pressing on vegetables to extract every last ounce of liquid.
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Return the strained liquid to the pot and add mashed garlic with a little salt, the beet sour (kwas), strained mushroom soaking liquid, salt, pepper, and sugar to taste.
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Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer 30 minutes.
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Before serving, stir in the remaining 1 teaspoon of butter and parsley.
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Ladle into hot bowls and serve with mushroom uszka.
Nutrition Facts (per serving) | |
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212 | Calories |
2g | Fat |
44g | Carbs |
8g | Protein |
Nutrition Facts | |
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Servings: 6 | |
Amount per serving | |
Calories | 212 |
% Daily Value* | |
Total Fat 2g | 3% |
Saturated Fat 1g | 5% |
Cholesterol 3mg | 1% |
Sodium 398mg | 17% |
Total Carbohydrate 44g | 16% |
Dietary Fiber 9g | 34% |
Total Sugars 30g | |
Protein 8g | |
Vitamin C 14mg | 72% |
Calcium 70mg | 5% |
Iron 3mg | 18% |
Potassium 1176mg | 25% |
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice. |
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