Name: Clear Fermented Beet Soup (Barszcz czysty czerwony)
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 1 h 30 min
Total time: 1 h 50 min
Yield: Makes 4 servings
Cuisine: Polish
Ingredients: 1 bay leaf; Salt and freshly ground black pepper; 2 pounds (900 g) beets, peeled and sliced; 4 garlic cloves; 5 smoked plums; 1 ounce (30 g) dried porcini mushrooms; 3 bay leaves; ½ teaspoon black peppercorns; 3 allspice berries; 1 star anise pod; 2 whole cloves; 2 pounds (900 g) beets, peeled and halved; 1½ quarts (1½ L) Vegetable Broth or water; About 3 cups (720 ml) mineral water; 1 tablespoon salt; 2 cups (500 ml) juice from the fermented beet; 1 tablespoon soy sauce; 2 black peppercorns; Red wine vinegar

Preparation info

Makes
4
servings

Difficulty
Easy
Ready in
1 hr 50

Appears in

Fresh From Poland

By Michał Korkosz

Published 2021

About

Barszcz has many faces. Ukrainian borscht is hearty, with lots of vegetables, potatoes, beans, and meat, and Chłodnik litewski (Chilled Beet Soup with Cucumbers, Radish, and Dill) with buttermilk and sour cream is refreshing in the summer. But only one soup can be king: a ruby-colored beet bouillon built with vegetable broth, fermented beet juice, and mushroom consommé. It’s sweet, sour, and umami all at the same time. Unlike other types of b