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Borscht has something to be expected all year round. According to many gourmets, there is no better way to start a traditional Christmas Eve dinner than a hearty serving of red borscht with dumplings.
However, if you fancy a bit of a twist on your classic menu, check out Chef Knorr's suggestions. You may find that a slight change in the recipe will have great results. Proven recipes do not always need to be completely changed. On the one hand, minor modifications will allow you to stick to the tradition, and on the other hand will make the festive meal unforgettable.
What should you know about borscht?
Borscht has been present in the Polish culinary tradition for centuries. Both common people and kings enjoyed it. Apparently even Władysław Warneńczyk was his faithful admirer. It cannot be denied, however, that for hundreds of years borscht recipes have undergone numerous modifications and the soup that we eat today does not resemble the original dish made of borscht leaves and stalks. Today, the basis of borscht is boiled beetroot and vegetable broth. Some chefs also add a decoction of dried mushrooms. In the iconic version on Christmas Eve, it is served with dumplings. Want to make sure you know how to make the best red borscht? Make use of Chef Knorr's recipe for the festive marjoram borscht. Its aroma immediately evokes the best associations with Christmas.
Festive borscht with marjoram
Preparation time: 15 minutes
Number of portions: 4
Ingredients:
- 4 beets
- 2 liters of vegetable broth
- 1 packet of Knorr red borscht
- 200 g of handles
- 1 apple
- 3 garlic cloves
- 1 tablespoon Marjoram from the Mediterranean countries of Knorr
- 2 spoons of sugar
A method of preparing:
- Peel and grate the beets and mix them with the sugar. Set aside for 10 minutes.
- Prepare vegetable broth. Put crushed garlic cloves, beets and pieces of apple into it. Simmer it all over low heat for about 20 minutes.
- Combine a package of Knorr red borscht with water and pour it into the prepared beetroot soup.
- Season everything with marjoram and set aside the borscht until the flavors blend together. Before serving, strain the Christmas borscht and serve it with dumplings.
Non-obvious borscht additives
The basis of the soup is usually the same, but every chef likes to add something extra. There are many different products that can add variety to the taste of a dish, and we are talking not only about dumplings. The inclusion of pickled cucumber in the recipe gives the borscht a very pleasant sour aftertaste. However, thanks to a few prunes, it gains a sweet note, which turns it into an even more intriguing appetizer. How about the addition of honey? This product fits not only with Christmas gingerbread! Check out the red borscht with a potato star to see that such combinations are excellent.
Red borscht with a potato star
Preparation time: 15 minutes
Number of portions: 4
Ingredients:
- 1 packet of Knorr red borscht
- a few boiled potatoes
- 1 lemon
- 60 g of prunes
- 2 Cloves from Indonesia Knorr
- 1 spoon of honey
- a pinch of Vietnam Black Pepper ground Knorr to taste
- 1 liter of water
Preparation of Christmas Eve borscht:
- Grate the lemon zest on a fine grater.
- Boil a liter of water. Then add the cloves, plums and lemon zest to it. Boil it all for about 5 minutes.
- Drain the broth, combine it with a spoonful of honey and heat it up thoroughly. Cut the plums into strips.
- Pour the contents of the Red Borscht Knorr into the stock and add the plums. Season to taste with black pepper.
- From the boiled potatoes, cut out a star shape. You can use a gingerbread mold for this. Put the star on top of the soup.
What to combine borscht with?
Uszka is an obvious choice. Just like dumplings. To match the Lenten Eve soup, they are filled with a stuffing of cabbage and mushrooms. Considering that during the holidays, consumption of such delicacies is counted in wholesale amounts, it is worth choosing a variety - especially during the next festive days, when we meet at the table with a large group of family and friends. Are you fed up with flour borscht additives? Serve it with a pie. It will still be traditional and delicious! Puff patties or sticks made of puff pastry are also great. Nobody will refuse yeast rolls and croquettes. As you can see, you can conjure up a truly magical Christmas with the universal Christmas Eve borscht.
Source: Knorr
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