Borscht

The Ukrainians made borsch...and the Mennonites of the Ukraine borrowed the soup and called it Borscht.
This soup freezes well. We freeze it in 2 litre empty milk cartons.

Yield:
about 30 servings
Category:
Soup
Cuisine:
Canadian

INGREDIENTS:

  • For the Stock:
  • 1 whole chicken
  • 2 stalks celery
  • 1 large carrot
  • 1 onion
  • 6 whole cloves
  • 10 black peppercorns
  • 4 litres water
  • For the Soup:
  • 1 package of deboned skinless chicken thighs
  • 2-3 red beets, peeled and diced
  • 5 large potatoes, peeled and diced
  • 5 large onions, chopped, sauteed in a little butter until soft and slightly golden
  • 1 large head of cabbage, shredded
  • 3 cloves garlic, peeled and sliced
  • 3 dried Thai chilies, crumbled
  • 28 oz. can of diced tomatoes
  • 680 ml. can of tomato sauce
  • 156 ml can of tomato paste
  • 4 litres water and more if needed
  • 1/2 bunch of parsley, chopped (optional)
  • 3 tablespoons of dried dill
  • 2 tbl. salt or to taste
  • sour cream to garnish

DIRECTIONS:

  1. Day 1: Making the Stock
    Cook whole chicken in about 4 litres of water with the onion, celery, cloves and peppercorns.
    Remove chicken when cooked, in about one hour. Remove bones, and skin and cut the meat into bite sized pieces. Set aside.
    Drain the stock into a clean bowl. Place in the refrigerator overnight and skim the fat in the morning.
  2. Day 2: Making the Borscht
    Chop the onions and saute until soft and golden (no salt) Place all ingredients except for the chicken - cooked and raw, into a very large pot.
    Chop the chicken thighs into bite sized pieces.
    When the soup comes to a full boil, add the chicken thighs and cook for about 1/2 hour, until the thighs are done.
    Then add the cooked chicken pieces and simmer the soup for another 15 minutes.
    Correct flavouring. You might want to add another can of tomatoes.
    Serve topped with a dollop of sour cream.

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