Barszcz: Polish Beet Soup

I've always wanted to try borscht, called barszcz in Polish. I love the taste of beets and figured all those jokes about the soup being awful soup were from McDonalds-addicted, over-processed food lovers. Now that I've tasted it, I know that is exactly the case. It has a mild and slightly rich flavor, totally in love.  My mom say it's ok, but my grandma said she loves it too. Although she loves, my mom said she didn't make it very much while my mom was growing up because my grandpa hates beets. Apparently he didn't even want them in the house! I must confess that grating beets is a pain, so I shared my grandpa's hatred while I was prepping everything at least. This recipe is based on one from cooks.com called Polish Beet Soup.




Barszcz
4 cups water
1/2 stick of vegan butter (I used Earth Balance)
4 good-sized beets
1 medium-sized onion
Salt

This part really sucks to do. I suggest wearing gloves so your hands do not turn bright red.  Peel and grate the beets and onion.

Add the 4 cups of water to a large pot and bring to a boil. Once boiling, add the vegan butter.

Once the butter has melted, add the grated vegetables and salt to taste.

Cook for about 1/2 an hour, until the beets and onions are cooked.









If you want hot soup, serve it immediately. But I wanted mine cold so I made mine earlier in the day and then let it chill till dinner.

Top with some vegan sour cream (try Tofutti) and some dill or chives. My dad and I loved it, my mom wasn't a big fan. I guess she takes after her dad.

One last Polish recipe posting up soon.