Barszcz Czerwony (Polish Clear Red Beet Soup)
Local name: Barszcz czerwony
In short: A clear, ruby-red beet soup simmered with root vegetables and dried mushrooms and brightened with lemon, the traditional Polish Christmas Eve starter. It takes about 1 h 40 min in total and makes 6 servings.
- Prep
- 20 min
- Cook
- 1 h 20 min
- Total
- 1 h 40 min
- Servings
- 6
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Calories
- 45 kcal
Clear, ruby-red and faintly sweet-sour, barszcz czerwony is the soup that opens the Polish Christmas Eve supper. It is made without meat, from beets simmered with root vegetables and dried mushrooms, then sharpened with lemon or vinegar. It is often served in cups, or poured over uszka, tiny mushroom dumplings. Everyday versions come with potatoes. The color stays brilliant if the soup is never boiled hard.
Instructions
- Char the onion halves, cut side down, in a dry pan over medium-high heat for 5 minutes, until blackened. This gives the broth deeper color and flavor.
- Put the onion, carrot, parsnip, celery root, leek, dried mushrooms, garlic, allspice, bay leaves, peppercorns and water in a large pot. Bring to a boil, then simmer gently for 40 minutes.
- Add the beets and simmer very gently for 25 to 30 minutes, until just tender. Do not let it boil hard, which dulls the red color.
- Strain the broth through a fine sieve into a clean pot. Keep the carrot and mushrooms if you like, and discard the rest or use the beets in a salad.
- Reheat the broth and stir in the salt, sugar and marjoram. Add the lemon juice a spoonful at a time until the soup tastes pleasantly sweet and sour, then take it off the heat.
- Serve hot in cups or bowls, with uszka or boiled potatoes on the side if you like.
Tips
- Add the acid at the end and do not boil the soup afterwards. Long heat with acid turns the red toward brown.
- Barszcz tastes better a day later. Chill it, reheat gently and adjust the sourness. If you can find beet kvass, use a small glass of it in place of some of the lemon juice.
Questions and answers
Is barszcz czerwony vegetarian?
Yes. The Christmas Eve version is meatless and vegan, with a broth of vegetables and dried mushrooms. Some everyday versions are made with meat broth.
What is served with barszcz?
On Christmas Eve, uszka, tiny mushroom dumplings, go in the soup. On other days it comes with boiled potatoes, croquettes or a bread roll.
How do I keep the color bright?
Cook the beets gently, never at a hard boil, and add the lemon juice or vinegar after straining. A little acid keeps the red vivid.
How long does it take to make Barszcz Czerwony (Polish Clear Red Beet Soup)?
About 1 h 40 min in total: 20 min of preparation and 1 h 20 min of cooking.
How many calories are in Barszcz Czerwony (Polish Clear Red Beet Soup)?
About 45 kcal per serving, with 1 g of protein, 10 g of carbohydrates and 0 g of fat. These values are estimates.
Nutrition per serving
| Calories | 45 kcal |
|---|---|
| Protein | 1 g |
| Carbohydrates | 10 g |
| Fat | 0 g |
| Fiber | 1 g |
| Sugar | 8 g |
| Sodium | 600 mg |
Estimated values, calculated from the ingredients.
