Preparing Russian Borscht with a Cuisinart Elite Food Processor plus Wusthof Classic Knives

When I lived in Philadelphia, I enjoyed lots of meals next door with my neighbors. Mrs. B is a talented cook and I definitely appreciated eating with her and her family. They introduced me to a number of authentic Russian dishes. My favorite was Mrs. B’s borscht, which she taught me to prepare. Her borscht is so popular with my family that I quadruple her recipe. Having nine vegetables and also four fresh herbs, I use my Wusthof Classic knife set in order to make some of it and also a Cuisinart 14 Cup food processor in order to save time with the rest.

Mrs. B’s borscht is truly amazing and consuming it merely once is not enough - hence, the multiple batch. This is a lovely rich magenta soup speckled with colorful, perfectly proportioned diced vegetables. After supper, I offer everyone a takeout container of borscht for the next day. I am glad to have found that utilizing a sharp Wusthof Classic knife set along with a Cuisinart Elite food processor, I can easily cut prep time for this recipe in half.

I am sharing Mrs. B’s original recipe with you, that for one meal, serves four people. It does not require hours of simmering, so more of the preparation is in cutting the vegetables. Modify the simmer time to your preference for veggie crispness. I add the bell peppers, green beans, and peas at the very last moment, but you may well prefer that they simmer slightly longer.

Vegetables:

• 2 small red beets (the smaller, the tastier)


• 2 small potatoes, diced into small pieces equal in size to red beet pieces


• 2 medium carrots, diced into small pieces to match other vegetables


• 1 small onion, diced into small pieces to match other vegetables


• 1 cup green string beans, diced into small pieces to match other vegetables


• 1 cup peas, fresh or frozen


• 1 red bell pepper, diced into small pieces to match other vegetables


• 2 tomatoes, diced into small pieces to match other vegetables


• 1/4 small head of cabbage, shredded and chopped

I utilize my Cuisinart 14 Cup food processor for these ingredients: onion, tomatoes, cabbage, basil, parsley, dill, and cilantro. For the rest of the vegetables, I use my Wusthof Classic knife set.

Pare the beets and cut into small pieces. Place the beets in a saucepan and pour cold water over them so that you have 2" of water on top of the beets. Bring to a boil and after that add 2 teaspoons of sugar. Add 1/8 teaspoon of lemon acid powder (available in Russian markets) and a little bit more cool water. Decrease the heat and then simmer for one hour until beets are soft.

Shred and also chop the cabbage. Put it in a separate pot and fill it halfway with water. Add 2 bay leaves and also 5 peppercorns. Bring to a boil and simmer for 15 or 20 minutes. Skin the potatoes and slice them into small pieces. Peel and chop the carrots and onion. Add these to the stockpot together with your cabbage and bring it to a boil again. Simmer an additional 15 minutes. Add peas, green beans, red pepper, and tomatoes. Bring this to a boil again and then simmer for five minutes. Season with salt, freshly ground pepper, and a handful of freshly chopped basil, parsley, dill, and cilantro (all of these herbs combined total one handful).

Add the beets and their stock to the pot of vegetables and the borscht is done. Ladle into bowls and finish each bowlful with a dollop of sour cream and also a garnish of fresh dill.

To discover more about the Cuisinart 14 Cup food processor or a Wusthof Classic knife set, please visit us at Tools for Kitchens.