Borsch - Russian Beetroot Soup

Finally, let's prepare an alternative recipe!!! RUSSIAN this time....
This dish is very popular not only in Russia but in the whole world, even if people have never tried it, they at least know about it. I asked my international friends on FB which dish they associate Russia with. 
The answer was - Borsch !!! 

Borsch is prepared from beetroots that give the soup it's particular dark red colour, they traditionally use fresh-made beef broth for it and some versions are prepared with the fermented cabbage (sauerkraut). 
I used to eat Borsch very often when I was younger as this soup was frequently cooked in my family. Actually Russians don't consider Borsch as a kind of soup, soups are different and Borsch is just Borsch... According to Russian recommended daily diet one should have at least one "liquid" meal a day, so Russians eat a lot of soups. Borsch is eaten in every Russian family many times a week as a main course and sometimes even as the only dish. Every housekeeper has her own recipe but believe me, mine is as authentic as theirs!!! 

INGREDIENTS:
Servings: many*

For beef broth:
beef (veal)
1 carrot (optional)
1 onion (optional)
1 celery stalk (optional, not traditional) 
1 bay leaf
4lt water 

For the soup: 
3lt beef broth
1 big or 2 medium beetroots
1 big carrot
1 medium onion
1 big tomato 
2-3 tbs tomato paste
1/3 head of medium cabbage (about 400g)
4 big potatoes
1 bay leaf
50g lard slices
1 garlic clove
dill, parsley, fresh chilli (optional)
salt 
some sour cream
     
 * I specified "many" as servings because usually Borsch is prepared for more meals and I may swear it is even better the day after.

1. First prepare the broth. The broth for Borsch should necessarily be from BEEF or veal (if you like it better). 
I posted once the recipe of a CHICKEN broth and as the method is absolutely the same I advise to visit the page HERE
The only difference will be in time of cooking: beef is way harder than chicken so keep cooking your broth for 2 hours minimum. The extended cooking time of the broth will lead to the amount of liquid to reduce. So when your broth is ready and you took the vegetables out of it, there will be about two litres of liquid. You may delute it with some hot water, about 0.6-0.8 litre I would say.

2. Peel potatoes and put them aside in a bowl with water in order for them not to get brown with the starch.
3.  Peel beetroot, carrot and onion.
4. Cut a sign of a cross on a tomato, boil tomato for 3-5 minutes and then put it into cold water, after couple of minutes you will be able to peel it. You need to cut the tomato because it can "burst" while boiling.
5. Cut tomato into cubes. 

6. Smash warm lard slices with the finely chopped garlic clove, you need to produce a creamy mix. If your lard is not very soft, just cut it into tiny bits and mix well with mashed garlic.
This tip I got from my dear aunt Nelly, she lives in the southern part of Russia and they do it like this.

7. Cut beetroot and carrot in thin stripes, chop onion finely. 
Note: If you don't have much time or don't fancy cutting the veges, you can always grate beetroot and carrot. The taste won't suffer from it, just the appearance... OR... you may use a shredding device that cuts in thick and thin sticks and shreds... 

8. Pour some oil to a pan and add the lard mix, add chopped onions  and let it become transparent in the mix, then add beetroot, carrot, tomato and some tomato paste, cover the pan and simmer till the beetroot and carrot are soft. 
Note: You may add some broth to the mix if it becomes too dry. 
Note: Traditionally they use fresh beetroots for Borsch, but if you cannot find them in your supermarket, you may substitute them with the cooked ones, they are usually sold boiled and packed. In this case add beetroots to the veg mix at the end and use more of them in order to have the same deep red colour of Borsch. 

9. Cut potatoes as for the French fries, rinse them with some water to avoid adding starch to the soup.

 10. Heat the broth till it boils then add potato sticks and a bay leaf and cook for 5-7 minutes at medium heat till potatoes are half-ready.
 
11. Meanwhile shred cabbage finely and add it to borsch when potato is almost cooked.

 
12. Straight after add simmered vegetables to Borsch and cook till the potatoes are completely ready.

13. At the end add some chopped parsley and dill, boil it for a minute and switch off the heat.
Note: I used my frozen Preserved Parsley, find out how to make it HERE.

14. As I said earlier Borsch tastes better the day after but no one can resist having a plate full of this fuming deep-red Borsch.

Serve it with couple of table spoons of sour cream, a slice of boiled beef and as an option toasted slice of fresh bread on which you rubbed a garlic clove over. 
Note: Indeed, in Russia they like eating a garlic clove by tiny bites and brown bread with Borsch.   

Priyatnogo Appetita!!! Приятного Аппетита!!!