Easy Ukrainian Green borscht recipe

Green borscht is a traditional Ukrainian sorrel soup. This classic Ukrainian recipe has many variations, the one with spinach is my favorite

Green borscht or Ukrainian sorrel soup is one of the favorite soups in our house. Actually, there’s nothing to be surprised about… I adore it for so many reasons:

1. this soup is light and hearty at the same time. It’s so bright and fresh!
2. this sorrel soup is great for freezing. Dear frozen soups and other frozen meals opponents, I understand you… but it’s so convenient to cook a double batch of delicious homemade green borscht, then freeze it in portions, defrost it and reheat it when necessary. The soup will be like fresh!
3. To top it off, it comes together very quickly.  In fact, green borscht is only 35 minutes away! Do you know another soup that cooks faster?

It is this soup that I usually make in spring and summer.

Soups are an integral part of Ukrainian gastronomic culture. As an Italian doesn’t imagine lunch without a plate of pasta, so for Ukrainians a hot soup should 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.

Sorrel soup or spinach soup?

The word ‘’borscht’’ traditionally refers to the red beetroot soup, like the classic Ukrainian meat borscht, vegetarian borsch with vegetable broth, and the light drinking borsch – they are all red and are made with beetroots.

However, there is another variation – green borscht, which is made with sorrel. It’s a traditional Ukrainian homestyle recipe loved by many generations. Sorrel with its sour-ish taste makes this soup fabulous!

But in Rome for more than 10 years I managed to find sorrel 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 available 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.

Some useful tips

• if you decide to cook this soup with sorrel instead of spinach, chop the sorrel and add it at the very end, let it boil for 1 min – that’s enough. Make sure the potatoes are completely cooked before adding sorrel. If you add it to the soup too early, the potatoes will never become soft, no matter how long you boil them
• do you like fresh dill? Take a large bunch, chop it finely and add it to the pan at the end of cooking, your spinach soup will be amazingly fragrant
• I prefer green borscht with chicken or turkey broth. It’s so tender. But you can also use beef or vegetable broth. If you make your own meat broth, add the cooked shredded meat to the soup too
• I always add sour cream to the spinach, so the whole green borsch is creamy. But, if you or someone in your family does not like sour cream soups, do not add it. Put a spoonful of sour cream in a bowl of green borscht for those who love it
• by the way, sour cream can be replaced with heavy whipping cream
• this spinach soup is even tastier the next day, so I highly recommend making a double portion to enjoy it both today and tomorrow
• season to taste with as much salt, pepper and paprika as you like. You can also add your favorite soup seasoning, the taste of the sorrel soup will only benefit from this

What to serve green borscht with

• don’t forget to put a spoonful of sour cream and a sliced or cubed hard-boiled egg into each plate before serving. Without it, Ukrainian green borscht is like the sky without the sun! A hard-boiled egg and a spoon of sour cream make the story completely different – the taste becomes immediately full and perfectly balanced!
• spinach soup and a slice of crispy bread are the perfect match
• with homemade pampushky. Yes, the Ukrainian classics are red borscht and pampushky… but green borscht goes well with them too

How to hard-boil eggs so that they peel easily

Such a banal (at first glance) process as hard-boiling eggs actually has its own secrets and subtleties. Never use super-fresh eggs, they are always harder to peel. Bring the water to a boil and only then place the eggs into it (use a spoon to gently lower the eggs into the boiling water). Wait for the water to boil again and cook for exactly 10 minutes. After that immediately drain the hot water and place the pan with the eggs under the cold running water. Keep running the water until the water in the pot is completely cold. Let the eggs cool and peel them. Slice them and add to this spinach soup.

Ingredients

• 8 cups (2liters) meat broth (you can substitute it with water)
• 1 carrot
• 1 onion
• a sprig of celery (optional)
• 2 medium potatoes (it’s a must ingredient for most Ukrainian soups)
• 10 ounces (300g ) 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)
• 3-6Tbsp 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)
• 1Tbsp flour (to make our spinach soup thicker)
• 1 clove of garlic
• fresh chives
• salt, pepper and dried ground paprika
• 2Tbsp lard or any vegetable oil
• 4 hard-boiled eggs 

How to make Ukrainian green borscht

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

Most Ukrainian soups require sauteed onions and carrots, this adds expressiveness to the taste. 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

Saute 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.

FAQ

Make green borscht not only in spring and summer, let this delicious Ukrainian sorrel or spinach soup delight you all year round!

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