Barszcz czerwony
Vegetarian
A clear, ruby-red Polish beetroot broth, sweet-sour and garlicky, sipped from cups or served with small mushroom dumplings on Christmas Eve.
Barszcz czerwony is a Polish soup from Poland, ready in about 1 hour 35 minutes and made with beetroot and lemon juice. It serves 6 and is rated easy to cook.
No licensed photograph of this dish yet.
- Prep
- 20 min
- Cook
- 1 h
- Rest
- 15 min
- Total
- 1 h 35 min
- Serves
- 6
- Level
- Easy
- Calories
- 104
Method
Step 1
Put the carrot (opens in a new tab), celeriac (opens in a new tab), parsnip (opens in a new tab), onion (opens in a new tab) and mushrooms (opens in a new tab) in a pot with the water, bay and allspice (opens in a new tab). Simmer, covered, for 30 minutes to make a vegetable broth.
- 30 min
- medium-low heat
- Stockpot / large pot (opens in a new tab)
Step 2
Add the beetroot (opens in a new tab) and salt and simmer gently, uncovered, until the beets are tender and the broth is deep red.
- 30 min
- low heat
Never boil hard — the colour fades to brown.
Step 3
Take off the heat, add the garlic (opens in a new tab) and marjoram (opens in a new tab) and leave to infuse for 15 minutes until the broth smells strongly of garlic.
- 15 min
Step 4
Strain through a fine sieve, pressing lightly. Season with lemon juice (opens in a new tab), sugar (opens in a new tab) and pepper (opens in a new tab) until it is distinctly sweet-sour, reheat just to steaming and serve.
How it looks · Photo: Katerina Holmes on Pexels
About this dish
- Origin
- Poland · Well documentedMore food from Poland
- Dish
- Lunch · Dinner · Soups · Appetizers & starters
- Cooking method
- Simmered
- Taste
- earthy, sweet & sour, garlicky
- Diet
- Vegan · No gluten ingredients · Dairy-free · No nut ingredients · Low-carb · High-fibreWorked out from the ingredients. How labels work
All labels
Vegan · Plant-based · Vegetarian (lacto-ovo) · Eggetarian · Lacto-vegetarian · Ovo-vegetarian · Pescatarian · Flexitarian-friendly · No gluten ingredients · Dairy-free · Egg-free · No nut ingredients · Alcohol-free · Pork-free · Beef-free · Low-carb · High-fibre · Low-fat · Carb-conscious - Good for
- Make-ahead · Budget-friendly · Festive & celebration
- Techniques
- Simmering
Allergens
- Contains: Celeryfrom celeriac
Based on typical versions of these ingredients and not verified allergen-free. Brands differ and cross-contact happens, so always check labels. For severe allergies, follow your clinician’s advice.
Nutrition
104 kcal per serving
Calculated1 serving ≈ 529 g · recipe makes 6
Where the energy comes from
- Protein 13%
- Carbohydrate 83%
- Fat 4%
| Nutrient | Per serving | Per 100 g* |
|---|---|---|
| Energy | 104 kcal | 20 kcal |
| Protein | 3.7 g | 0.7 g |
| Carbohydrate | 23.6 g | 4.5 g |
| Net carbohydrate | 17.5 g | 3.3 g |
| Sugars | 12.8 g | 2.4 g |
| Added sugars | 0.7 g | 0.1 g |
| Fibre | 6 g | 1.1 g |
| Fat | 0.5 g | 0.1 g |
| Saturated fat | 0.1 g | 0 g |
| Trans fat | 0 g | 0 g |
| Cholesterol | 0 mg | 0 mg |
| Sodium | 721 mg | 136 mg |
| Salt equivalent | 1.8 g | 0.3 g |
Vitamins & minerals per serving
- Potassium
- 697 mg
- Calcium
- 83 mg
- Iron
- 1.6 mg
- Magnesium
- 53 mg
- Vitamin A (RAE)
- 87 µg
- Vitamin C
- 18 mg
- Vitamin D
- 0 µg
- Vitamin B12
- 0 µg
- Folate (DFE)
- 171 µg
How these numbers were made
- Calculated from USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy) per-100 g values and the listed quantities.
- *Per 100 g of combined raw ingredients; the cooked dish may weigh more or less.
- “—” means the value isn’t known for enough of the ingredients; it is never zero by default.
- Values are estimates for guidance, not for medical dosing. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. fdc.nal.usda.gov.
Good to know
Tips
- Add the acid at the end — it fixes the bright colour.
Common mistakes
- Adding the lemon or vinegar early — without acid at the end the broth turns brownish rather than ruby.
Serve with
- Serve in cups to sip, or with uszka (little mushroom dumplings) on Christmas Eve, or with a hot croquette on other days.
Storage
- Keeps 4 days chilled and improves overnight; freezes well.
Reheating
- Warm gently; do not boil or the colour dulls.
Original editorial recipe · FriendsPantry editorial · Not yet independently reviewed · Added · Updated
Recipe DNA
How this dish is built
Grouped by each ingredient’s role in the dish. Each band’s width is its share of the dish by weight. Choose a component to see what it does.
Reviews & corrections
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