Borscht with prunes
Our borscht with prunes will be a real find for those who observe fasting or adhere to vegetarian dietary principles. Moreover, this first dish turns out to be unusually tasty and fragrant. Why? Because borsch is prepared on mushroom broth, and prunes with their inimitable smoky notes act as a special additive to the dish. All other ingredients are traditional: beets, onions, carrots, cabbage and potatoes. Therefore, your "omnivorous" household will certainly like the dish. We are simply sure that the absence of meat in borscht with prunes will not embarrass them at all, and even pleasantly surprise them, because this version of the soup is more light and better digestible.
Ingredients
Servings 4–5- dried porcini mushrooms - 10 g
- drinking water - 2.5 l
- pitted prunes - 150 g
- sugar - 1 tbsp. l.
- medium-sized beets - 4 pcs.
- vegetable oil - 4 tbsp. l.
- tomato paste - 2 tbsp. l.
- medium-sized onion - 1 pc.
- medium-sized carrots - 1 pc.
- parsley root - 1 pc.
- muka - 1 h. l.
- white cabbage - 350 g
- boiled potatoes - 4 pcs.
- ground black pepper
- salt
- greens for serving - to taste
Cooking
Step 1
Prepare the ingredients for borscht with prunes. Place dried mushrooms in a saucepan, pour 2 liters of warm water and leave for 2 hours. Then put on fire, bring to a boil and cook over low heat for 1-1.5 hours. Drain the mushrooms in a colander and then cut into strips. Strain the broth through 2 layers of gauze.
Step 2
Rinse the prunes thoroughly under running water and place in a small saucepan. Pour 500 ml of water and add sugar. Put on fire and cook until soft for 10 minutes.
Step 3
Peel the beets for borscht, wash and cut into thin strips. Heat half the oil in a frying pan. Put the beets, add 1 tbsp. l. tomato paste and mushroom broth. Simmer, stirring occasionally, over low heat for 10-15 minutes.
Step 4
Peel the onion, carrot and parsley root, then chop finely. Heat the remaining oil in a frying pan and, stirring, brown the prepared vegetables for 3 minutes. Add the remaining tomato paste and flour. Simmer over low heat for 5 minutes.
Step 5
Chop cabbage for borscht. Cut boiled potatoes into small pieces. Bring the mushroom broth to a boil. Put the cabbage and cook for 10 minutes.
Step 6
Add potatoes, stewed beets, onions with carrots and parsley, as well as chopped mushrooms and prunes along with the broth. Salt, pepper and cook for 10 minutes over low heat. Pour borscht on plates, add greens and serve.