Barszcz (Polish beetroot soup)
- Preparation and cooking time
- Total time
- Make the kwas 5 days in advance or it can be bought in any good eastern european delicatessan
- Easy
- Serves 8
Ingredients
FOR THE KWAS
- 75g wholeleal rye flour
- 600ml boiled, cooled water
- 1/4 clove garlic
Rinse out an earthenware jar or any non-alluminium container with boiling water. (Note: the alluminium would react with the acidity of the kwas). Put the flour in the jar and mix to a liquid paste with a little of the water. Leave the mixture to settle for a few minutes and then pour on the remaining boiled water. Chop the garlic and add. Cover the jar with muslin or pierced clingfilm and leave in a warm place for 4 to 5 days to ferment. Strain and use as required. If stored in an airtight container, it will keep for a few weeks.
- Rinse out an earthenware jar or any non-alluminium container with boiling water. (Note: the alluminium would react with the acidity of the kwas). Put the flour in the jar and mix to a liquid paste with a little of the water. Leave the mixture to settle for a few minutes and then pour on the remaining boiled water. Chop the garlic and add. Cover the jar with muslin or pierced clingfilm and leave in a warm place for 4 to 5 days to ferment. Strain and use as required. If stored in an airtight container, it will keep for a few weeks.
FOR THE SOUP
- 2 litres of good beef or vegetable stock
- 1 onion peeled and chopped
- 1 bouquet garni
- 1 can mushrooms or 125g fresh halved
- 3 uncooked med beetroot, peeled and sliced thickly
- 300ml kwas
- 1tsp sugar
Method
- STEP 1Heat stock in a large pan. Add the onion, bouquet garni, mushrooms and beetroot. Boil for an hour
- STEP 2Strain the soup and stir the kwas into the clear soup. Add sugar to taste and reheat if necessary without boiling. Serve and enjoy.
- STEP 3You can add vegetables to the soup which is normally served during the Christmas Eve meatless dinner. Vegetables used are celery, carrot and parsnip, which are roughly chopped.
