Polish Young Beets Soup aka Botwinka is a very popular Polish soup made from young beets, typically served in the summer when young beets are in season. My Mom says that Botwinka is the queen of spring soups. It is made using the whole veggies, including the beet roots, the stems, and the leaves.
Back in a day, we were very fortunate that my grandparents had a farm 30 minutes aways from our home. We would visit them at least twice a month and my grandma would make this soup for us with fresh beets straight from her backyard. What a treat that was.
Grandma would always add a lot of young carrots, potatoes and dill. I love eggs, so I would also add a 2 hard-boiled eggs to my portion. They add flavor and make the soup more filling.
Ingredients
- 6 beets, medium size with stems and leaves
- 4 potatoes medium size
- 3 carrots
- 1 leek
- 1 celery stalk
- 1/2 parsnip root
- 8 cups (2 L) Chicken or Vegetable broth
- 1 bunch fresh chopped dill
- 3-4 eggs
- 2 tablespoons sour cream
- 1 tablespoon of wheat flour
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- lemon juice to taste
- salt and pepper
When buying the beets, try to find a small to medium in size, with firm stems and green leaves. The size of the beet roots don’t really matter that much, as the leaves and stems are the main focus of this soup. If you can’t find them in a supermarket, try a farmer’s market. I like to support local farmers so I buy a lot of my fruits and veggies directly from farmers.
Step by step instructions:
Step 1
Wash all vegetables thoroughly. It’s very important that you wash the stems and leaves really well. Remove them from the bulbs and set them in a container of water. They should soak for a few minutes to get rid of all the sand. Wash them under running water and set aside to dry.
Meanwhile, you can peel the beet bulbs, carrots, parsnip root and potatoes.
Step 2
Chop leek, parsnip root and celery finely. Cut potatoes and beets into 1-inch (2.5cm) cubes. Place all your chopped vegetables in the pot. Don’t add the stems and leaves yet.
Step 3
Add the broth, salt and pepper and stir the contents. Let it simmer for about 15 minutes.
Step 4
In the meantime, chop the stems into thin slices and roughly cut the leaves. Add to the pot and stir all together. Let it simmer for another 10 minutes until potatoes and beets are soft.
Step 5
While the soup is cooking you can boil your eggs.
Step 6
When potatoes are soft, add finely chopped dill, 1 teaspoon of sugar and 2 tablespoons of lemon juice to boost the flavors and balance the sweetness of the beets.
Step 7
Check for seasoning and add salt and pepper if necessary.
Step 8
I like to thicken my soups with a roux. To do this, in a separate dish, combine 2 tablespoons of sour cream and 1 tablespoon of all-purpose flour. Mix it all together until smooth. Slowly pour in 4-5 tablespoons of hot soup to the sour cream mixture whisking constantly to temper the sour cream and prevent it from curdling when added to the soup. Slowly pour in the roux into the pot stirring constantly. This will thicken the soup and add a more intense flavour. Simmer the soup briefly, for about 2-3 minutes.
Your Polish Young Beets Soup is ready to serve. Ladle the soup into bowls and garnish with chopped dill and hard-boiled egg.
SMACZNEGO!!! Enjoy!
