Easy Ukrainian Green borscht recipe

Spinach is so wonderful in salads, pies, smoothies. And it can also be used to make one of the most delicious soups – Ukrainian green borscht

Ukrainian soups are an integral part of the culinary tradition

As an Italian doesn’t imagine lunch without a plate of pasta, so for Ukrainians a hot soup can never be missing! And just as there are many pasta shapes for every desire and region, Ukrainians too can boast of a great variety of soups with colors, flavors, and aromas for every taste.

Green borscht as a part of a big Ukrainian borscht family

No matter what they say, but almost every family has a black sheep. The white fluffy sheep graze, eat fresh rich grass, and among this white flock there is a black lamb – this sheep is absolutely no worse, it’s just different and beautiful in its own way.

The world-famous family called “Ukrainian Borscht” also has a relative who, by its appearance, differs from other members of the family. After all, everyone knows that the classic rich meat borscht, vegetarian borsch with vegetable broth, and the light drinking borsch – are all red and are made with beetroots.

And among this red deliciousness Green Borscht is comfortably nestled and proudly pleases gourmets around the world with its interesting taste. I must admit, I like green borscht much more than the red one …

Sorrel or spinach?

Traditional green borscht is made with sorrel. But in Rome for more than 10 years I managed to find these sour leaves only twice (it was a miracle!). And I don’t imagine my life without green borscht… So, to be able to enjoy my favorite soup at any time, I slightly modified the recipe, or rather, adjusted it to the products available here. Spinach came to my rescue! Yes, spinach, like no one else, is always and everywhere. You haven’t got fresh spinach? No problem! Use the frozen one. Spinach is simply wonderful in green borscht! The dish turns out to be even more tender and for sourness (that is typical of traditional sorrel soup), if desired, add a few drops of lemon juice.

How do you serve green borscht?

Serve spinach borscht with a generous spoon of sour cream. And don’t forget to put some chopped (or thinly sliced) boiled egg on each plate before serving. Without it, green borscht is like the sky without the sun! With an egg and a spoon of sour cream, the story is completely different – the taste becomes immediately full and perfectly balanced! And for complete taste ecstasy, bake homemade Ukrainian pampushky – taste pleasure shouldn’t have limits!

Ingredients for Ukrainian spinach borscht:

• Meat broth (you can substitute it with water)
• Carrots
• Onions
• A sprig of celery (optional)
• Potatoes (it’s a must ingredient for most Ukrainian soups)
• Frozen spinach (or 2 bundles of fresh spinach – the exact amount of spinach is not vital here, the more spinach you add the thicker the soup will be)
• Sour cream (here the amount is for personal taste – if you like hearty soups, then add more  as I do.  In Italy, I use Panna da cucina cream instead of sour cream)
• Flour (do make our soup thicker)
• A clove of garlic
• Fresh chives
• Salt, pepper, dried ground paprika
• Lard or any vegetable oil
• Hard-boiled eggs 

Green borscht step – by – step recipe

You can use store – bought broth or make your own one. If you are going to use your homemade meat broth, cook it until ready, then strain it, debone the cooked meat and add it to the broth (I like green borscht based on turkey or chicken broth most of all). Peel the potatoes, cut them into small pieces and boil until tender in the broth

Cut carrots, onions and celery into small cubes (I use my pre-chopped and frozen mixture for frying) and put them in a pan with oil or lard

Cook until the onions are transparent

Then put frozen spinach in the same frying pan (you do not need to defrost it first). If using fresh spinach, cut into medium strips and add straight to the frying pan

Add 2/3 cup water, cook until the spinach melts and then simmer under the lid for 5 minutes (cook fresh spinach for 5 minutes)

After 5 minutes, add chopped chives, salt, pepper and cook for another 3-4 minutes under the lid

Add sour cream and flour (mix them well together so that there are no lumps), add a clove of garlic (squeezed) and, stirring occasionally, stew without cover for 5 minutes (the excess liquid will evaporate, and the sauce will acquire the right thickness)

Add the spinach and sour cream mixture to the broth with meat and potatoes and bring to a boil

Season to taste with salt, pepper and paprika. Serve Green borscht with chopped boiled eggs. For sourness, if desired, add 1/2 tsp lemon juice to each plate. Bon appetit.