Hello. My name is Monica and I am a Real Food Nerd.
I love exploring faraway cultures through food and food custom. A couple of years ago, I spent about a month wandering through Poland. Eating my way from one place to the next and learning traditional Polish food ways from Polish grand-mamas…other people's grand-mamas…okay, strangers. Language barrier be damned!
You see, this was a truly magical trip. So many wise people willing to share their great knowledge came into my path and did not balk at my inquisitive exuberance. All had an inspiring energy. It must be the way they eat!
When I returned to Los Angeles, my sweetheart and I ate like the Poles for the next few weeks. One of my favorite Polish dishes is Borscht. It is comforting, delicious, can be served hot or cold and is nutrient dense to say the least. Bathed in bone broth and creme fraiche…now that's how I like to eat my vegetables. Nostrovia!
Beautiful beet borscht ingredients
- 1 lb beets, peeled and rough chopped
- 4 carrots, peeled and rough chopped
- 2 turnips, peeled and rough chopped
- 2 cups green cabbage, thin sliced
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 1 onion, diced
- 1 tablespoon finely diced dill
- 3 tablespoons tallow (you can also use coconut oil or lard)
- 1 beef shank (optional – preferably from cows raised on pasture)
- 1/4 teaspoon unrefined sea salt
- 1/4 teaspoon coarse ground black pepper
- 6 cups beef broth (preferably from cows raised on pasture)
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 2 tablespoons red wine
- creme friache for garnish
Beautiful beet borscht method
- Chop the beets and turnips in similar size and the carrots a bit smaller.
- In a heavy bottom pot, melt the tallow and add the onion, salt and pepper.
- Once the onion has become tender and fragrant, add the garlic, beets, turnips, carrots, cabbage, optional beef shank red wine and beef broth.
- Bring broth to a boil and turn down to a simmer.
- Simmer for an hour or until all veggies are tender.
- Remove the optional beef shank and set aside.
- Add the honey and dill.
- Pull meat off optional beef shank and add meet to soup in shreds.
- Serve topped with a generous dollop of creme fraiche and a little dill.
Active Time: 30 minutes
Yields: 3 quarts
“Beautiful Beet Borscht” was generously contributed by Monica Ford of Real Food Devotee. Check back next Friday for more delicious recipes from Monica that will make your mouth water and your tummy purr. If you're lucky enough to live in Los Angeles, Real Food Devotee can make your life easier by delivering nutrient dense goodies directly to your door.
Photo credit: An Eye Full Studio
Thank you for this post! I’m from Poland and when I discovered the “traditional diet” it made so much sense to me in part because that’s what our grandparents ate. Chicken broth soups were a daily dish, we were not afraid of fat, I grew up drinking milk from my grandparents cow. Now, after years of following the mainstream nutrition advice, I enjoy discovering again the old recipes 🙂
I second the thank you! I’m Polish but the cooking methods were lost to me when my Grandmom died. We used to eat things like homemade pierogi & golumpki. I have no idea how she used to make her kielbasa soup which we had every Easter. I enjoy learning how to mesh my heritage with a whole foods diet.
Wow! You ladies are lucky to have such a beautifully rich food heritage. Eating my way around Poland was a great pleasure and I look forward to sharing more recipes using the methods and ideas I that enjoyed while there. xo
Just a little correction: Borscht’s origin is actually Ukrainian, not Polish. It has just become popular in many other Eastern and Central European countries.
Thanks @Iryna