Local name: Barszcz czerwony
A clear, sharp beetroot broth scented with marjoram, served scalding in a cup with small Polish dumplings.
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Photo: Aw58, CC BY 4.0
Polish kitchens often use zakwas, beetroot juice fermented for a week in salted water, in place of the lemon. It brings a round, lactic sourness. Stir it in off the heat so its cultures survive.
An estimate computed from the recipe quantities and the USDA food composition database. Real values vary with the products used.
It boiled. Beetroot pigment is fragile at high heat and quickly dulls to brown. Keep the liquid at a simmer where bubbles barely break the surface. Acidity helps hold the colour too, but it goes in after straining, so watching the heat is the real safeguard.
The broth itself entirely is: beetroot, root vegetables, spices and lemon. It is the uszka, small wheat-dough dumplings, that are not. Serve the broth on its own in a cup, as is often done, or add diced boiled potato instead.
Pressing pushes pulp through the sieve and clouds a broth that should stay clear and bright. Just let it drip. The cooked beetroot keeps its flavour and can be used the next day, grated into a salad with a little vinegar.
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