Hearty Healthy Ukrainian Borscht

In the West, borscht is often thought of as Russian, but it is Ukrainian in origin and popular throughout much of Eastern Europe, with many local variations. Today’s borscht is a vegetarian (and vegan, depending on your choice of cooking fat) borscht from Kyiv, and it’s especially good for the gut, heart, and blood sugars.

You will need

• 1 quart vegetable stock; ideally you made this yourself from vegetable offcuts you kept in the freezer, but failing that, your supermarket should have low-sodium stock cubes
• 4 large beets, peeled and cut into matchsticks
• 1 can white beans (cannellini beans are ideal), drained and rinsed
• 1 cup sauerkraut
• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• 1 green bell pepper, roughly chopped
• 1 large russet potato, peeled and cut into large chunks
• 3 small carrots, tops removed and cut into large chunks
• 1 tbsp tomato paste
• ½ bulb garlic, finely chopped
• 2 tsp black pepper, coarse ground
• 1 bunch fresh dill, chopped. If you cannot get fresh, substitute with parsley (1 bunch fresh, chopped, or 1 tbsp dried). Do not use dried dill; it won’t work.
• A little fat for cooking; this one’s a tricky and personal decision. Butter is traditional, but would make this recipe impossible to cook without going over the recommended limit for saturated fat. Avocado oil is healthy, relatively neutral in taste, and has a high smoke point, though that latter shouldn’t be necessary here if you are attentive with the stirring. Extra virgin olive oil is also a healthy choice, but not as neutral in flavor and does have a lower smoke point. Coconut oil has arguably too strong a taste and a low smoke point. Seed oils are very heart-unhealthy. All in all, avocado oil is a respectable choice from all angles except tradition.
• On standby: a little vinegar (your preference what kind)

Salt is conspicuous by its absence, but there should be enough already from the other ingredients, especially the sauerkraut.

Method

(we suggest you read everything at least once before doing anything)

1) Heat some oil in a large sauté pan (cast iron is perfect if you have it), add the onion and pepper, and stir until the onion is becoming soft.

2) Add the carrots and beets and stir until they are becoming soft. If you need to add a little more oil, that’s fine.

3) Add the tomato paste, and stir in well.

4) Add a little (about ½ cup) of the vegetable stock and stir in well until you get a consistent texture with the tomato paste.

5) Add the sauerkraut and the rest of the broth, and cook for about 20 minutes.

6) Add the potatoes and cook for another 10 minutes.

7) Add the beans and cook for another 5 minutes.

8) Add the garlic, black pepper, and herbs. Check that everything is cooked (poke a chunk of potato with a fork) and that the seasoning is to your liking. The taste should be moderately sour from the sauerkraut; if it is sweet, you can stir in a little vinegar now to correct that.

9) Serve! Ukrainian borscht is most often served hot (unlike Lithuanian borscht, which is almost always served cold), but if the weather’s warm, it can certainly be enjoyed cold too:

Enjoy!

Want to learn more?

For those interested in some of the science of what we have going on today:

• Making Friends With Your Gut (You Can Thank Us Later)
• Eat More (Of This) For Lower Blood Pressure
• No, Beetroot Isn’t Vegetable Viagra. But Here’s What It Can Do
• The Many Health Benefits Of Garlic
• Black Pepper’s Impressive Anti-Cancer Arsenal

Take care!