October brings new-season beetroot and cabbage, and with them borsch. This version is made with chicken stock, beans, red pepper and tomatoes.

The recipe was shared by the British food magazine delicious.. Its author is Olia Hercules, a Ukrainian food writer born in Nova Kakhovka and living in London. The magazine published it with a call to cook it and raise money for Cook For Ukraine.

The key is the base: onion and carrot are cooked slowly over a low heat to bring out their sweetness, which makes the borsch sour-sweet.

What you need

Serves 4–6:

  • dried borlotti beans, 150 g, soaked overnight, or 200 g tinned, drained;
  • chicken stock, 1.5 litres plus a little extra;
  • potatoes, 2 medium;
  • olive oil, for frying;
  • onion, 1;
  • carrot, 1 large;
  • beetroot, 2;
  • red pepper, 1;
  • chopped tomatoes, 400 g tin (or fresh);
  • white cabbage, half a small head;
  • sour cream and dill, to serve.

How to cook

1. Cook the beans. If using dried beans, drain them after soaking and boil for 45–60 minutes until soft.

2. Start the stock. Bring the stock to the boil in a large pan, add the potatoes in 3 cm chunks and boil for about 7 minutes.

3. Make the base. Meanwhile heat oil in a frying pan over a low heat. Cook the finely diced onion for about 10 minutes, add the grated carrot and cook 5 minutes more, until lightly caramelised.

4. Add beetroot and tomatoes. Add the beetroot matchsticks and thinly sliced pepper, cook for 2 minutes, then stir in the tomatoes and let it bubble for a few minutes.

5. Bring it together. Tip the base into the stock, add the shredded cabbage and beans and simmer for 3–4 minutes, loosening with more stock or water if needed. Season: it should be sour-sweet and well seasoned.

Serve the borsch hot with sour cream and dill. It keeps in the fridge for several days.

As a reminder, last week we made a Czech sauerkraut soup.

Nota bene

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