Polish Irish Borsch Zurek Soup Recipes

Steps:

• Peel and cube potatoes in medium to smaller size cubes; boil until they are about halfway done (check by slicing knife through a cube...should be hard to do). Drain.
• Fill pot with fresh water (about 6 cups); add chopped carrots (chop them to the size you like them in your soups) and chopped leek. Drop in the bay leaf. Bring to a light boil, then lower to a simmer.
• Chop sausages into bites you are comfortable with. Be careful when chopping the bangers because they are so tender. Slice them carefully. Add sausages to pot. Simmer for about 10 minutes.
• While soup is simmering, boil your eggs in a separate pot. Boil them to your liking... soft or hard tastes well with the soup! After your eggs are done, just put them to the side to cool.
• In a bowl, empty out the soup mix packets. I use two to give a mild - to - robust borsch flavor. Use 3 packets if you want a robust, out-of-this-world borsch flavor! To the bowl, add 3 ladles of your hot soup, and 1 cup of milk. Whisk together the hot soup and the mix until it is all combined and creamy. Pour mixture into soup pot. Simmer for about 10 more minutes. Chop parsley and sprinkle it on top of soup. Turn off heat and let soup rest on burner.
• At this time, peel eggs and chop them up into your soup bowls. Add horseradish (however much you like; I love lots!). Pour hot soup into the bowls and serve immediately. This is very good with bread and butter on the side. Enjoy!

Steps:

• In a large pot, combine the beets, bones, carrots, parsnip, onion, leek, celery, garlic and bay leaves, plus the mushrooms, peppercorns and marjoram, if using. Top with 14 cups water. (There should be enough water to cover all the ingredients.) Bring to a boil over high.
• Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer until the vegetables are very tender, 2 to 2 1/2 hours. As it cooks, use a small ladle to periodically skim off and discard any foam, impurities and fat that have risen to the top of the pot.
• Transfer the 3 whole beets to a cutting board to cool. Strain the soup through a colander set over a large bowl. Remove the bones and press the solids to extract all the liquids, then strain the liquid through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean medium saucepan.
• Once they're cool enough to handle, chop the reserved whole beets into small 1/2-inch cubes. Stir the diced beets into the soup and season with salt and pepper.
• Heat soup over medium until warmed, then stir in lemon juice, salt and pepper to taste. Serve very hot in small bowls or even large teacups, which you can pick up and drink. If desired, serve with a spoonful of sour cream. Keep refrigerated for up to 5 days.