Beat the egg into the soup or add it boiled?

Both are authentic. Beaten egg drizzled in a thin stream makes silky ribbons in the broth; chopped or grated hard-boiled egg goes on top in the bowl. Your choice.

Do I need a sautee of onion and carrot?

It is debated. Mainstream recipes add a light sautee; purists leave it out so the sorrel leads. If you make it, keep it gentle and do not brown it to sweetness.

Can I make it vegetarian?

Yes, on a vegetable broth without the chicken or pork. The egg and sour cream keep it vegetarian (not vegan).

Traditionally hot, but in heat it is also eaten cold as a light spring soup. The sour cream is essential either way.

Ukraine · Soups · Gluten-free

Green Borscht

Name: Green Borscht
Total time: 50 min
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: Ukrainian
Ingredients: 400 g chicken; 2500 ml water; 400 g potatoes; 100 g onion; 100 g carrot; 300 g sorrel; 4 whole hard-boiled eggs; 3 tbsp fresh dill; 1 whole bay leaf; 6 tbsp sour cream; 2 tsp salt; 0.5 tsp black pepper

A Ukrainian spring soup whose sourness comes from sorrel rather than beets, bright and lemony. Potatoes simmer in a light chicken broth, then sorrel is wilted in at the end; it is served hot with chopped hard-boiled egg, dill, and a spoonful of sour cream.

50 min 180 kcal 6 serves Medium🌾Gluten-free🇺🇦Ukraine

Ingredients

ServingsMetric

400 gchicken
2500 mlwater
400 gpotatoes
100 gonion
100 gcarrot
300 gsorrel
4 wholehard-boiled eggs
3 tbspfresh dill
1 wholebay leaf
6 tbspsour cream
2 tspsalt
½ tspblack pepper

Method

Bring the water to a boil, add the chicken and 1 teaspoon of the salt, and simmer for about 30 minutes, skimming off any froth. Lift out the chicken, shred it, and return it to the pot.
Cut the potatoes into small cubes and add them to the broth. Simmer 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, finely chop the onion and grate the carrot, and soften them in a little oil over medium heat for 5 minutes. Add to the pot with the bay leaf.
Wash the sorrel, cut off the tough stems, and chop the leaves. Stir them into the simmering soup and cook just 3 to 5 minutes, until wilted and soft.
Stir in the dill, the remaining salt, and the black pepper. Remove the bay leaf.
Take the pot off the heat and let it rest 10 minutes so the flavours settle.
Serve hot, topping each bowl with chopped or grated hard-boiled egg and a spoonful of sour cream.

FAQ

Spinach plus lemon juice: spinach gives the green and the body, lemon the sorrel-like tartness. Not identical but close. In winter, use frozen or jarred sorrel.

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