Vegetarian Borshch with Chanterelle Mushrooms and Prunes
Sour cream and dill on everything is our family motto. Just kidding, as there’s also garlic. And this flavorful vegetarian mushroom borshch is no exception. I added some beautiful prunes for sweetness and chanterelle mushrooms for a deep, earthy taste. It’s a very traditional flavor combination that is rarely used today. We take our borshch very seriously in Ukraine. At some point, it may even become illegal to eat it without sour cream. I know that I’ve never seen a bowl that did not include a finishing dollop. In fact, the thought of eating borshch without rich sour cream on top and garlicky pampushky on the side makes me cringe. I guess that makes me a true borshch patriot.
Equipment
- Dutch Oven
- large skillet
- Fine Mesh Strainer
Ingredients
- 3 TBSP unsalted butter
- 1 TBSP sunflower oil
- 1 medium yellow onion finely chopped
- 2 medium carrots peeled and shredded
- 1 medium tomato diced
- 4 medium Yukon Gold potatoes peeled and cut into 1 ½-inch cubes
- 2 medium red beets peeled and cut into matchsticks
- 1 small bell pepper seeded and thinly sliced
- 1 ½ cups chanterelle mushrooms halved lengthwise
- A handful of California Prunes roughly chopped
- 2 bay leaves
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
- ½ cup drained canned white beans rinsed
- 1 small head green cabbage cored and shredded
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- ¼ cup chopped fresh dill and flat-leaf parsley in equal parts
- sour cream for serving
Instructions
- In a medium-large pot, melt the butter with the oil over medium heat. Add the onion and carrots and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft, 7 to 9 minutes. Add the tomato and cook, stirring from time to time, for 2 minutes longer.
- Now it’s time to add water (or vegetable broth, if you prefer). It is always a bit tricky to say how much because the ideal amount is never the same. It will depend on how big your pot is and the volume of your vegetables. For me, it’s usually 3 to 3 ½ quarts, but I never measure the exact amount. You want enough to cover all the vegetables by about 1 inch. You can always add more water later if needed. Once the water is in the pot, add the potatoes, beets, bell pepper, mushrooms, prunes, and bay leaves and bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat. Add a generous pinch of salt, turn down the heat to medium-low, and simmer, uncovered, until the potatoes are soft when pierced with a knife, about 15 minutes.
- Add the beans and cabbage and cook, stirring occasionally, until all the vegetables are soft, 10 to 15 minutes. Add the garlic, dill, and parsley and season to taste with salt and pepper. Stir to combine and cook for 2 more minutes. Remove and discard the bay leaves.
- Ladle the borshch into bowls and top each serving with a dollop of sour cream. Serve right away with the pampushky or bread rolls on the side.
Nutrition
Serving: 1portionCalories: 278kcalCarbohydrates: 46gProtein: 7gFat: 9gSaturated Fat: 4gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.5gMonounsaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0.2gCholesterol: 15mgSodium: 77mgPotassium: 1268mgFiber: 10gSugar: 11gVitamin A: 4526IUVitamin C: 116mgCalcium: 113mgIron: 3mg