The story behind the recipe
Borscht was originally something completely different. According to Polish Wikipedia, it was initially made from the fermented leaves of a plant called common borscht and was a food for the poor. By the 15th century, it spread across the lands of present-day Poland and Belarus. The red borscht made from beets appears in Polish sources in the 16th century, mentioned by Mikołaj Rej among others. Szymon Syreniusz wrote: "Our Polish borscht is known to everyone here."
The fasting borscht made from a broth of dried mushrooms with uszka is a traditional Christmas Eve soup. According to Gloger, cited by Wikipedia, it used to be the only dish eaten on that day. Ćwierczakiewiczowa wrote in "365 Dinners for 5 Złoty" from 1871: "The goodness of borscht mainly depends on fresh beetroot sourdough." She fermented beets in a clay pot in boiled and cooled water in a warm place for 4–6 days, and advised adding the sourdough just before serving, because the borscht "should only boil once; if it cooks too long, it becomes sour." Before beetroot sourdough became common, borscht was also soured with barberry, cranberry, or gooseberry.
On the List of Traditional Products by the Ministry of Agriculture, there is "Borscht with Sourdough" from the Rogów area in the Lublin Voivodeship, registered in 2025: an unthickened soup made from red beets, which almost every household cooks for Christmas Eve. The list also includes three types of beetroot sourdough, including Podlasie beetroot sourdough, which is the juice from fermented beets, registered in 2018.
Ingredients
Borscht
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800 g beetroots (raw, peeled, sliced or grated)
Abroad: UK and Australia: beetroot; USA and Canada: beets; Germany: Rote Bete - 1.2 l water or light vegetable broth
- 1 pc carrot (about 80 g)
- 1 pc small parsley root (about 50 g)
- 50 g celery (a piece)
- leek (a piece about 8 cm)
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15 g dried mushrooms (preferably porcini)
Abroad: USA and UK: dried porcini; Germany: getrocknete Steinpilze - 0.5 pc apple (not necessary, preferably sour)
Spices and souring
- 1 pc bay leaf
- 4 pcs allspice (whole berries)
- 5 pcs black pepper (whole berries)
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200 ml beetroot sourdough (add gradually, to taste)
Abroad: without sourdough: 1–2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar or wine vinegar or lemon juice - 1 clove garlic (grated, at the end)
- 1 tsp (about 4 g) sugar
- salt and pepper (to taste)
Homemade beetroot sourdough (optional, prepare 7–10 days in advance)
- 500 g beetroots (peeled, in thick slices)
- 4 cloves garlic
- 350 ml water (boiled, lukewarm)
- 1 tsp (about 6 g) non-iodized salt (flat)
- 1 pc bay leaf
- 6 pcs black pepper (whole berries)
- 4 pcs allspice (whole berries)
Method, step by step
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If you are making the sourdough yourself, prepare it 7–10 days in advance. Place the beets in thick slices, garlic, and spices into a sterilized jar with a capacity of at least 700 ml. Dissolve the salt in lukewarm boiled water, pour it over the beets, and place the jar in a cool, dark place. The longer it sits, the sharper the sourdough will be.
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The day before cooking, rinse the dried mushrooms and cover them with a small amount of water, just enough to submerge them. Leave them overnight.
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Cook the mushrooms in the water they soaked in for about 5 minutes over very low heat. Strain through a fine sieve and keep the mushroom water, about 100 ml.
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Peel the beets and cut them into slices or grate them on a coarse grater; grated beets cook much faster. Peel the carrot, parsley root, and celery, and rinse the leek.
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Place the beets, vegetables, half an apple, bay leaf, allspice, and black pepper into a pot and cover with water or broth. Slowly bring to a boil and cook covered over very low heat: sliced beets for about one and a half hours, grated for about 10 minutes after boiling.
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Strain the broth through a sieve and set the vegetables aside. Remove the pot with the broth from the heat.
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Pour in the mushroom water and half of the sourdough, mix, and taste. Gradually add the rest until the borscht is as sour as you like. If you don't have sourdough, sour it with a tablespoon of vinegar or lemon juice and add more to taste.
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Season with sugar, salt, pepper, and grated garlic. From this point on, do not boil the borscht: only heat it gently until hot, but do not let it boil.
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It's best to let the borscht sit until the next day, and before serving, taste and season again. Serve hot, clear in cups or on a plate with uszka filled with mushrooms.
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