Vegetarian Red Borscht Recipes

Steps:

• Soak the dried mushrooms in 1 cup hot water for 15 minutes. Drain, reserving the liquid, and squeeze out the excess liquid. Strain all the soaking liquid through a fine-mesh sieve. Reserve the liquid (there should be 1 cup) and the mushrooms separately.
• In a tall narrow stockpot, heat the oil over medium heat. Stir in the fresh mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally, for 4 minutes. Stir in the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, for 8 minutes.
• Add the beets, carrots, parsnip, celery root, 8 cups water, and the mushroom soaking liquid. bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Stir in the potatoes, cabbage, garlic, and, if using, the beet greens. Dissolve the tomato paste in 1/2 cup of the liquid and stir back into soup. Return to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Stir in the reconstituted mushrooms and simmer for 5 minutes, or until all the vegetables are tender.
• Remove from the heat. Stir in the dill, sugar, vinegar, salt and pepper.
• Pass bowls of chopped dill and sour cream at the table.

Steps:

• Combine beets and vinegar in a small frying pan over low heat. Cook, while stirring, until soft, about 15 minutes.
• Heat oil in a large frying pan over low heat while beets are cooking. Add onion and stir for 2 minutes. Add carrots and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft, about 10 minutes. Set aside.
• In the meantime, bring water to a simmer in a large saucepan. Add cabbage and lentils. Cook for 10 minutes. Add potatoes and cook for 10 minutes more. Stir in cooked beets and onion-carrot mixture. Season with salt and pepper. Add tomato paste and simmer until all vegetables are tender, about 10 minutes more. Serve with sour cream and dill.