Polish Creamed Beet Barszcz Soup (Barszcz Zabielany)

By
Barbara Rolek
Barbara Rolek
Barbara Rolek is a former chef who became a cooking school instructor and award-winning food writer.
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Updated on 11/2/19
Beet Soup
Riou / Photographer's Choice RF / Getty Images
Prep: 30 mins
Cook: 30 mins
Total: 60 mins
Servings: 4 servings

Barszcz is the generic Polish term for any sour soup. Beet barszcz and white barszcz, made with kiełbasa-cooking water, are the most common.

This recipe for creamed beet barszcz is a brilliant magenta color that can be made with fresh beets or canned or jarred beets. The sourness comes from sour cream instead of vinegar as is common with other recipes for barszcz. 

Serve this warm or cold garnished with additional sour cream, dill, and julienned beets if desired. It's so refreshing on a hot day when ice cold!

Ingredients

  • 4 beets (washed, or 2 cups sliced canned or jarred beets)
  • 4 cups​ stock ( meat or vegetable)
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • Dash salt and black pepper
  • 1/2 cup sour cream
  • 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • Garnish: fresh dill (chopped)

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

  2. Preheat oven to 400 F.

  3. Wrap beets in aluminum foil and roast until tender, about 30 to 45 minutes. When cool enough to handle, peel and slice.

  4. In a medium pot, bring the stock to a boil, add the beets, sugar, and salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer 10 minutes.

  5. Transfer to a blender or food processor and puré until smooth, and return to pot.

  6. Mix sour cream with flour until well blended. Temper the sour cream mixture with a ladle of hot soup, whisking constantly. Transfer the tempered sour cream to remaining soup and whisk until smooth.

  7. Simmer to cook out the raw flour taste and until the soup is thickened, but do not boil vigorously.

  8. Serve immediately or cool quickly in an ice-water bath and refrigerate to serve cold. Garnish with dill, julienned beets, and sour cream.

  9. Enjoy!

    Use Caution When Blending Hot Ingredients

    Steam expands quickly in a blender, and can cause ingredients to splatter everywhere or cause burns. To prevent this, fill the blender only one-third of the way up, vent the top, and cover with a folded kitchen towel while blending.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
221 Calories
9g Fat
27g Carbs
9g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4
Amount per serving
Calories 221
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 9g 12%
Saturated Fat 4g 19%
Cholesterol 17mg 6%
Sodium 928mg 40%
Total Carbohydrate 27g 10%
Dietary Fiber 4g 13%
Protein 9g
Calcium 106mg 8%
*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.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

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