Russian borsh recipe for my fellow hubbers!

As you may have noticed, all my previous hubs were about search engine optimization or blog promotion tips. However, this hub is in reaction to the borsch my family and I recently tried in one of the Californian restaurants. I remember how my grandma always said that the real borsch is a home made meal. You can try borsch at some restaurants, but even the best of them can offer no more than "quite decent borsch". It will never have that special home taste and spirit that the home-made borsch has.

I can't tell you how much fun my whole family had while we were preparing and videotaping for this hub. My kids helped me with the videotaping and it was another opportunity to teach them more about Russian cuisine and traditions. My family really likes this drop-dead delicious "beetroot soup" and I am sure once you discover how wonderful it is, this soup will be one of your favorites to make as well!

• Originally borsch came from Ukraine and each region in Ukraine has its own borsch recipe. Today there are literally thousands of ways to cook it and "as many recipes for borsch as there are Russians": Ukrainian borsch, Belarusian borsch, Borsch without potatoes, Borsch with beans, Galitsky borsch, Hetman borsch, Dneprovsky borsch and so on. Everyone will say that the way they do it is the one and only way, but I am cooking borsch the same way my grandma was doing and how my mom currently does.Borsch got its name from the most important ingredient, beets, which were called borsch in old Slavic. My kids call it "red soup" or "red soup with black meat":)

• Originally borsch is from Ukraine and it is still one of the most popular Ukranian dishes

• Borsch can be served hot or cold

• Original borsch recipe includes piping hot piroshki

• 1 beef shank (or a t-bone steak)

• ¾ cabbage

• Carrots (1 large or a few small carrots)

• Celery (1 stick)

• Tomatoes (1-2 medium size)

• Beets (with no green tops)

• Potatoes (2-3 small)

• Onion

• Garlic

• Bay leaf

• Tomato paste (1 small can)

• Salt

• Sunflower oil

•Baby dill

• Sour cream

Before I even start with cooking details, I would love to highlight some "don'ts" that may ruin all your efforts with cooking borsch. I know that "7 minute meals" are very popular these days, but this is obviously not the case and these simple notes will help you cook a really good and tasty borsch:

• If there is no time to make stock then trust me, using bouillon cubes is not a way for cooking the borsch. Simply wait until you have time to shop for the necessary ingredients and to cook the actual borsch. • Buy the freshest meat for borsch, the beef broth is the most important part of this. I am buying a beef shank at "Whole foods" market, or at any store where there is fresh organic meat. • Canned beets can't replace free beets. Period. • And don't use canned tomatoes either. • Yes, there is a difference between green or red cabbage. We use green cabbage for cooking borsch. • Fresh baby dill and garlic are also "must-haves" • Buy sunflower oil and black bread in any local Russian store or online. 

Although you can easily find sunflower oil in any American supermarket, I would highly recommend trying sunflower oil from Russia. It tastes so good, it's 100% organic and it smells like real sunflowers. • Don't eat your borsch right after you finish cooking it. Cover it with a kitchen towel and leave it for 10-15 minutes.

• First step is making the broth. Place your meat in a large pot and bring to the boil, then reduce heat, cover and simmer until the meat is tender (app 1-1.30 hour).

• A very important thing to do while cooking borsch is to make a "zazharka" (fry up). While the borsch is heating up you need to sauté in sunflower oil with finely chopped carrots, onion and celery

• Take the meat out and discard the bone. Chop meat and put it back in the pot along with sauté carrots, onion and celery

• Slice the beets (into strips), add some broth to the pan and place the beets into the pan. Add tomato paste. Cover and let it cook for 5-7 minutes (medium heat).

• While the beets are preparing, cut the cabbage and potatoes and put them in the pot. Bring to the boil.

• Sprinkle the beets with vinegar (1 tablespoon) and sugar (1.5 tablespoons)

• Add beets to the borsch

• Add salt to the borsch

• Mix chopped tomatoes with garlic and salt and add to the bowl

• Add one bay leaf, cover and leave for at least 15 minutes.

• Bon appetite!

To-da! The borsch is ready and it's time to eat! I can tell you that serving the borsch properly is another story. You can add additional flavors to compliment borsch and here are some traditional variants.

Russians often use sour cream for different dishes and definitely for borsch. Simply add a tablespoon of sour cream to your soup bowl and sprinkle with a little bit of chopped parsley and/or dill. My kids don't like parsley and as you can see from my video, I am adding some chopped baby dill only.

You can experiment with this borsch recipe as much as you want: make it without meat, make it with beans or add some bacon or red peppers. You can even serve it hot or cold - it is your choice.

Try to experiment and invent your own borsch recipe. Post it here and share it with us as a reward for the time me and my family spent creating this hub.