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4.8 from 18 votes

Barszcz - Polish Beet Soup

A simple and flavorful recipe that's sure to be a favorite.

Prep Time
15 mins
Cook Time
15 mins
baking the beets
1 hr
Total Time
1 hr 35 mins
Servings: 6 servings
Calories: 392 kcal
Course: Soup
Cuisine: Polish

Ingredients

for the soup:
  • 1 lb beets (450g) 2 medium/large beets
  • 6 cups chicken broth
  • 6 tablespoons sour cream
  • 1 tablespoon heavy cream
  • 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon lemon juice
  • 1/4 teaspoon sugar
  • 1 teaspoon marjoram
  • 3 tablespoons chopped dill
  • salt and pepper to taste
additionally:
  • 2 lbs (1 kg) starchy potatoes, like russets
  • 3 tablespoons butter
  • 1/4 cup milk
  • 1 tablespoon Frying oil
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 2 medium/large onions
  • 8 lices Bacon

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. Wrap the beets in aluminum foil and bake for about an hour at 400°F (200°C) or until they can be easily pierced with a fork (small beets can be done after 45 minutes, medium after about an hour, large need about an hour and a half).
  2. While the beets are baking prepare the sides: cook potatoes until soft, mash them with 3 Tbsp butter and 1/4 cup milk while still hot. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
  3. Dice the onion, cut the bacon into cubes. Heat the oil and 2 Tbsp of butter in a large frying pan. Add the onions and bacon, cook over medium-low heat for 5-10 minutes or until the onions are soft, lightly caramelized, and the bacon is browned. Transfer them to a plate lined with paper towels. (If you want the bacon super crispy cook it separately from the onions.)
  4. When the beets are cool enough to handle, peel them and grate on the large holes of a box grater (use gloves!).
  5. Add the beets to a large pot, add the broth. Bring to a boil, add the vinegar, and simmer for 10-15 minutes.
  6. Temper the cream: add both types of cream to a cup, gradually add a couple of tablespoons of hot soup, stirring after each addition. Add the tempered cream to the pot. You can also mix this in a food processor (it's easier to perfectly combine the sour cream with the soup). Add the tempered cream to the soup.
  7. Add marjoram, lemon juice, chopped dill, and sugar. Season the soup with salt and pepper then adjust the seasonings to your taste - add more vinegar or lemon juice if it's too sweet or add more sugar if it's too sour. The soup should have a distinct flavor and taste sweet and sour.
  8. Put some mashed potatoes into a soup plate, pour in some soup, top the potatoes with bacon and onions (you can also serve mashed potatoes, onions, and bacon on a separate plate).
  9. Enjoy!

Notes

  • Broth - use good-quality broth for the best-tasting soup, lots of people make this soup based on a vegetarian broth or rosół soup (Polish chicken soup) which often serves as a base for Polish soups. Rosol soup can be made with chicken or chicken and beef meat. If you have a good quality beef soup, you can add half chicken broth and half beef broth (I like to make rosół with chicken and beef meat (50:50) and use it to make this soup). If you don't have a good quality beef broth, use just store-bought chicken broth, which usually tastes much better than beef broth.
  • Is it necessary to bake beets? No, actually most Polish recipes call for cooking beets in chicken or beef broth, but I have made two batches of this soup - one with roasted beets and one with boiled beets and the one with roasted beets was so much better. Roasted beets are sweeter and have a more concentrated flavor.
  • Calories = 1 serving (1/6 of the recipe). This is only an estimate!

Nutrition Information

Calories 392kcal (20%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 6servings

Amount Per Serving

Calories 392

% Daily Value*

Calories 392kcal 20%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.