The photographer shares his mother’s recipe for this classic Eastern European dish.
For Vitali Gelwich, life is about creating something that stands the test of time. The Russia-born, Berlin-raised photographer, who is known for his tender and evocative fashion portraits has managed to immortalize many moments through the lens of his camera, but his mother’s borscht recipe is one he has etched into his memory—and taste buds—forever. “Resilience, resourcefulness, family, and care are all part of it in a real way,” Gelwich tells Family Style. His fondness for the hearty soup dates back to his childhood, when his mother would make the dish for him and his brother year-long using local game and tough root vegetables. A staple of Eastern European cuisine, borscht is the only traditional part of Siberia that has followed Gelwich throughout his life, and the warmth of the soup never fails to remind him of his childhood. The longevity of the dish is what the photographer appreciates most: He says the soup tastes better after letting it sit for one to two days. And, of course, it must be served with a dollop of sour cream. “If you preserve the original soup and keep cooking it… You could make one soup last the entire winter,” he says. “It takes care of hungry souls.”
Meat and Seasoning Ingredients
- 1 pound of beef, cut into chunks
- 1 ½ teaspoons salt
- ½ teaspoon ground pepper, whole pieces and crushed
- 4 garlic cloves, sliced
- 4 bay leaves, crushed
- Vegetable oil
Soup Ingredients
- 14 cups water
- 5 cups more water, for beets
- 3 medium beets, quartered
- 4 large potatoes, cubed
- 1/2 head of medium cabbage, shredded
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 2 carrots, grated
- 2 medium tomatoes, chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1½ tablespoons vinegar or 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice (just throw the lemon in)
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons salt
- Whole peppercorns
- 2 laurel leaves
- 4 tablespoons fresh parsley
- 4 tablespoons fresh dill
- Sour cream to serve
Instructions
- Cut meat into bite-size pieces.
- Slice the garlic cloves and break the bay leaves into smaller pieces. Season the meat. Combine everything. Refrigerate meat for at least 2 days.
- Peel and quarter beets. Cook beets for 20-25 minutes in 5 cups of water. You should be able to slide a knife into them easily. When they’re done, take them out of the water and set aside.
- Bring 14 cups of water to a boil in a large pot.
- Rinse seasoning off of meat. Put the meat in the boiling water. When the scum and fat rise to the surface, take it out. Stay on it.
- Turn heat down to low-medium, cook the meat for about 35-40 minutes or until meat is tender.
- While the meat is cooking, peel and cube the potatoes. Add to a bowl and cover with cold water so they don’t turn in color. Set aside.
- Shred the cabbage. Set aside.
- Finely chop the onion. Sauté for 3 minutes on medium heat in butter (2 tablespoons).
- Grate the carrots. Add the carrots to the skillet with another 2 tablespoons of butter and mix. Cook for about 5-6 minutes or until carrots are tender. Add oil if things get dry.
- Grate the beets. Add to the skillet with the onion and carrots.
- Cut the pepper into strips and add to skillet with minced garlic.
- Chop the tomatoes and add to the skillet. Add the water leftover from cooking the beets to the skillet. Turn the heat down to medium-low and cook for about 5 minutes.
- Once the meat is tender, add the potatoes and cabbage. Cook for 15 minutes.
- Transfer all of the ingredients from the skillet to the pot.
- Add vinegar, sugar, salt, whole peppercorns, bay leaves, parsley, and dill.
- Cook for another 5-10 minutes or until potatoes and cabbage are tender.
- Check if you need to add anything by tasting.
- Add fresh herbs of choice.
- Serve with sour cream. Most important.
- If you make a mistake, it will still taste good in the end, even if you don’t follow every single step of the recipe. Just make sure to fry everything in the pan, add the water and all the ingredients. Somehow, it will come along. Enjoy!