This white borscht recipe was my first attempt at recreating an old Polish dish I remember from my childhood. Everyone does it differently. Garnish with fresh dill sprigs.
Preparation Details
Prep Time: 30 mins
Cook Time: 45 mins
Total Time: 1 hr 15 mins
Servings: 8
Ingredients
- 9 cups water
- 3 pounds kielbasa sausage
- 2 cloves garlic, whole
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 leeks, chopped
- 1 medium white onion, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 large bay leaves
- 1 ½ cups sour cream
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour, or more as needed
- ¼ cup chopped fresh dill
- 2 tablespoons distilled white vinegar, or more to taste
- salt and ground black pepper to taste
- 4 large hard-cooked eggs, chopped
Steps
- Bring water, kielbasa, and 2 whole cloves garlic in a large pot to a boil over high heat, then reduce heat to medium and simmer for 30 minutes. Remove sausage; pour cooking liquid into a separate bowl. Cut sausage into bite-sized pieces. Discard garlic.
- Melt butter over medium heat in the same pot. Add leeks, onion, and minced garlic; cook and stir until vegetables tender, about 5 minutes.
- Transfer vegetables and about 1/2 cup reserved cooking water to a blender, filling halfway. Cover and hold lid down with a potholder; pulse a few times before leaving on to blend until smooth, adding more water as needed. Pour back into original pot. Repeat with any remaining vegetables.
- Add remaining cooking water and bay leaves to vegetable purée; bring to a simmer over medium heat. Remove and discard bay leaves.
- Whisk sour cream and flour together in a bowl until smooth; gradually whisk into soup until thickened. Stir in dill and vinegar, then season with salt and pepper.
- Divide sausage pieces and chopped eggs among bowls; ladle soup over top.
