How You Can Make a Vintner’s Vegetable Borscht!

In case you’re an adventurous sort of diner who is not afraid to try new and unfamiliar dishes, you may want to check out this vintner’s vegetable borscht! If you have never heard of borscht, it is a popular soup among Eastern European and Russian cuisines made with beets as a strong ingredient. As for “vintner,” this means the beets are paired with red wine—a complement most people can’t say enough about after trying it! Throwing in Manuka honey, cooked vegetables, and beef for those who aren’t vegetarian, this recipe may seem like a great gamble on the part of amateur cooks, but the process is remarkably easy for something so seemingly out there.

This borscht does require a couple of hours to prepare and cook fully, so be sure to give yourself enough time if you intend to serve it to guests at a specific time. Now, if you are ready to go, let’s get started on that vintner’s vegetable borscht!

Ingredients for Vintner’s Vegetable Borscht

• 3/4 lb. of ground beef
• 1 lb. (or 16 oz.) of undrained canned beets
• 3 cups of sliced celery
• 3 cups of sliced carrots
• 3 cups of chopped onion
• 1/2 cup of red wine, dry
• 2 cans (or 14 oz. each) of beef broth
• 1/4 cup of Manuka honey
• 1 can (or 6 oz.) of tomato paste
• 1 head of green or red cabbage, chopped coarsely
• Salt for taste
• Pepper for taste
• Plain yogurt or sour cream as needed

Directions for Vintner’s Vegetable Borscht

1. Note: If you so desire, the ground beef can be omitted.
2. To begin, if you elect to include ground beef in your dish, brown the beef in a Dutch oven or a large saucepan. Drain out the fat.
3. Next, add the beets and the beet juice (remember not to drain the beets) as well as the chopped celery, carrots, and onions. Also, add the red wine, the beef broth, the Manuka honey, and the tomato paste. Covering the Dutch oven or saucepan, set it to simmer until the vegetables have become very tender to the touch, which should take roughly an hour.
4. Add the green or red cabbage to the pan, and then cover it and set it to simmer for another 20 minutes. Use the pepper and salt for seasoning at your discretion.
5. To serve the dish, ladle the borscht into bowls (there should be 12 servings if ground beef was used) and then top every serving with about a spoonful of plain yogurt or sour cream.
6. Enjoy your vintner’s vegetable borscht!

Photo via Timolina / Shutterstock