Little known fact - most Eastern European governments will revoke your citizenship if you don't show enough enthusiasm for beets. And for good reason! These little root vegetables have a sweet, earthy taste, and are loaded with fiber, potassium, and iron. Dwight Schrute loves beets. Doug Funny loves beets. There's no way around it - beets are just great.
Barszcz is reaaaally easy to make. The hardest part is probably peeling the beets, which has the potential to make your kitchen look like a crime scene. The only other thing you absolutely MUST remember is that you can't boil this soup again after you add the vinegar. Otherwise, black magic/chemistry will happen and your soup will turn a really unappetizing shade of brown. You can reheat if necessary, but bubbles are a sign of trouble so proceed with caution.
Polish Barszcz
(from my mother's mental cookbook)
Serves 2
4-6 medium beets
1 box vegetable stock (about 4 cups)
1 cup whole parsley
salt, pepper, sugar, and white wine vinegar to taste
Peel your beets. I recommend doing this over the sink, or using a plastic cutting board that you can easily rinse off. If you end up with Lady Macbeth hands, rub a little lemon juice into your skin and then wash with cool water and lots of soap.
Note the technicolor fingers.
Toss your beets into a pot, add the vegetable stock and parsley, and boil over medium-high until you can easily pierce the beets with a fork. Add salt, pepper, and sugar to taste, then turn off the heat and add a little vinegar. I used about 1 teaspoon, but it depends on how sour you like your soup.
Steamy!
Voila! Your barszcz is done. You can pour your soup into mugs and serve it as a side dish with roasted potatoes and tempeh, or channel your inner Slavic farmer and enjoy a bowl of barszcz with a big hunk of rye bread for lunch. As a bonus, you can also scoop the beets out and save them for later - they're delicious in arugula salad with some balsamic vinaigrette, or grated and tossed with salt and lemon juice.
out out damn spot!
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