Zhytomyr-Style Borscht
The Zhytomyr region of northern Ukraine has long cooked its borscht with beans, and that is what sets this version apart: young beans go into the pot alongside beet and carrot cut into thin matchsticks, with no separate sauté step. Raw beet releases its color and tartness straight into the broth, so the soup tastes cleaner and lighter than the classic built on a fried base.
Pork on the bone is not simply the meat here — it is how you get a rich pot in 15 to 20 minutes, since marrow and connective tissue give the liquid a body boneless fillet never will. Skim the foam diligently while the 500 g (about 1 lb) of meat comes up to temperature; once it boils hard the foam disperses and the broth turns cloudy.
The beans must be young. Dried ones need overnight soaking and separate boiling, or they will still be firm long after the potatoes have gone to mush. Tomato paste goes in at the end, and it pays to warm it in a spoonful of oil first, since raw paste reads as sharp acid. The onion also goes in raw at the last minute and keeps a slight bite; sauté it separately if you prefer it mellow. Serve with smetana — thick, full-fat sour cream, sold as such at Eastern European shops — and warm rolls.
Part of Ukrainian cuisine — 447 more recipes in the section.
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Ingredients
Instructions
Cover the meat with three liters of water and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, skimming off the foam.
Add the young beans and the beet and carrot cut into matchsticks, then simmer for 10 to 15 minutes.
Add the diced potatoes and finely shredded cabbage, season with salt, and cook until the vegetables are tender.
Just before taking the borscht off the heat, add the finely chopped onion, stir in the tomato paste, and sprinkle with chopped herbs.
Ladle the borscht into bowls and serve with sour cream and rolls.
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