Botvinha soup – traditional recipe and 5 newest production methods

Greetings, dear readers of the online magazine “In Your Own House”! Now we have a traditional recipe for botvinya.

Botvinnik is a common Russian dish served cold. It is usually prepared with sour kvass with the addition of boiled sorrel leaves, beet tops, nettles and green onions. In the summer heat, you can replace the well-known okroshka with a hearty Russian dish.

The usefulness of botvinya lies in its unique composition. The tops contain vitamins (a group of low-molecular organic compounds of relatively simple structure and varied chemical nature) , potassium, calcium, magnesium and iron salts, therefore it is recommended to include the dish in the diet to regulate metabolism, heal gastritis and stomach ulcers. According to research, beet leaves and roots have an antitumor effect. They also remove harmful cholesterol from the body (an organic compound, a natural fatty, lipophilic alcohol contained in the cell membranes of all living organisms except nuclear-free ones) , promotes weight loss and prevents the aging process.

Ingredients

Traditional step-by-step recipe

Video recipe

5 manufacturing options

“Storozhevskaya”

A popular dish among people living in the village of Storozhevoye, Dankovsky district, Lipetsk region. The soup called “Storozhevskaya” differs from the traditional recipe in that quinoa and boiled potatoes are added to it.

A tasty and satisfying dish that is suitable for those who are watching their weight. It would be a good choice for okroshka on a hot summer day.

Light, but nutritious and fragrant soup with meat. It differs from traditional botvinnik in that it is prepared with meat, preferably beef. Bell peppers, carrots and tomatoes are also added to it.

A savory soup based on new cucumbers, green onions, parsley, kvass, grated raw beets with juice and sour cream. Botwinia is served in Polish with hard-boiled eggs.

A hearty first course based on beets with tops, ham, potatoes, lemon juice, horseradish, cucumber and green onions. Serve chilled, garnished with an egg cut in half.

Useful tips

Botvinnik is usually served with a plate of crushed ice. Anyone can add it to their plate.
The dish can be served not only with fish, but also with crayfish. They must be boiled in advance with the addition of vegetables, salt and spices.

Conclusion

To make Botvinnik, I use all kinds of edible greens and tops. Some of them should be crushed, boiled and ground.

Horseradish roots, mustard seeds and dark ground pepper will help add spiciness to the soup. For dressing, I recommend using snow-white bread kvass.

That's all for today. If you have questions, ask them in the comments.

Botvinya - how to cook botvinya

One of the oldest dishes of Russian cuisine, it was already strong in Domostroy, well, 500 years before it, I think, it was present. How constantly, undeservedly forgotten and not included in the Soviet cuisine due to unnecessary pomp.

In the original, botvinya was prepared with kvass. At the same time, on beetroot . While rusk and snow-white kvass can still be found somewhere in monastery shops and the rarest catering establishments, beet kvass has dropped out of the assortment forever. It’s not difficult to prepare - pour boiling water over a couple of rye crusts, cut the beets into slices or cubes, leave them warm for a couple of days and you’ll have kvass for you. With some degree of probability. Since the percentage is small, let’s go with the other method, where the degree of success is higher, and at the end we get an even more impressive result. Let us show off as best we can, so to speak.

How to make beetroot botvinya

When you buy beets with tops at the market, you immediately get three necessary components, which you may not even realize. Specifically, the root crop itself, young and showy, the trunks of the tops and the leaves of the tops . All these tops and roots are valuable to us, and this is how.

From the root vegetable we will create something like kvass - a bright ruby sour drink. The trunks will serve as a textural filler - they have an unsurpassed crunch. The leaves will be a thickening filler for greater density.

Beetroot, beet tops and beet kvass

In addition to beets, the composition may include sorrel and spinach , also as green fillers and “ acidity regulators ,” as they say on the labels. The freshest cucumbers and green onions are definitely included , perhaps radishes and hard-boiled eggs .

Botvinje is always served with salted fish - reddish or salmon, and served with crayfish necks. Those who “ do not suffer from a weak stomach ,” as previously written in cookbooks, add finely crushed ice the botvinya

Botvinya from Andrey Bugaisky

Traditional recipe for botvinya from Andrey Bugaisky

To make botvinya for 4 hungry adults you need to purchase:

3 young beets with tops
large bunch of sorrel
large bunch of spinach
3 new cucumbers
bunch of radishes
bunch of green onions
half a bunch of dill
3 chicken eggs
500 g of fresh sturgeon or at least pike perch or 300 g of lightly salted salmon or trout
4 {live} crayfish

Product layout for Botvinya from Andrey Bugaisky

The composition of the set is even somewhat redundant, but it won’t be worse; the optional components can be removed from it painlessly.

We divide whole-dug beets into three components. We clean the beets themselves and cut them into narrow julienne strips. Or grate it if you're feeling lazy, but we don't approve of that. Place in a bowl, sprinkle with salt, pour over white wine or apple cider vinegar, press down with pressure and let stand for at least half an hour.

Old Russian healthy dish - botvinya, a traditional recipe for a light and rich soup

In ancient times, the Slavs had a huge amount of delicious, vitamin-rich, necessary and at the same time very cheap dishes. One of them is considered to be botvinya, the traditional recipe of which belongs to old Russian cuisine. As the name suggests, it was prepared from tops - sorrel leaves, beets with the addition of spinach, nettle, dill, quinoa, parsley. In general, all the greens that grew in the garden were used. Botvinya was poured with sour kvass. Later they began to add finely chopped radishes, fresh cucumbers, and beets to it.

This cool, common soup quickly gained popularity not only among the poor, but also took its respectable place at the ceremonial and daily meals of princes and kings. Only for authoritative persons, botvinya was flavored with grated horseradish, and later lemon juice was added. It was served with boiled or salted fish, various seafood, and crayfish. A device with crushed ice was placed separately on the table to further cool the dish. If previously separate cutlery was served for fish, ice and the botvinya itself, and they were laid out on different plates, then nowadays, most often the botvinya is served immediately with ice and fish (seafood) in one container.

Partial Lenten botvinya, traditional recipe

In ancient times, if tops were prepared from beet tops and other greens, it was called incomplete. A dish that was supplemented with fish or crayfish was called complete. The watery component of the dish also differed. Botvinya was simply filled with kvass, and it was considered ordinary. If, in addition to kvass, the dressing included sourdough made from kvass grounds and flour, then botvinya was called steamed.

The easiest traditional recipe is considered to be incomplete botvinya.

To make it you will need:

half a kilo of sorrel;
5-6 new cucumbers;
2 liters of kvass;
a bunch of beet tops;
green onions, parsley, dill - 50 g each;
sugar, salt, horseradish, mustard - to taste;
ice cubes.

Preparing the cool soup is quite simple.

Manufacturing method:

The sorrel and beet tops are sorted out, washed, and placed in a saucepan. Pour in a small amount of water so that it just covers the greens. Boil in its juice for 10 minutes, then grind through a sieve or crush with a mixer (blender).
Green onions are washed, dried, crushed and combined with horseradish or mustard, not forgetting to add salt.
Peel the cucumbers and finely chop them.
Transfer the sorrel-beet mixture into a dish, add onions with horseradish, and cucumber slices. Everything is filled with kvass. Decorate with chopped herbs and serve with a bowl of ice.

This is the most common, economical, dietary version of botvinya.

Full botvinya with reddish fish

Botvinnik, the recipe for which is presented below, is also traditional, but the soup turns out to be the most satisfying and rich.

Manufacturing secrets

Since time immemorial, the traditional botvinya recipe has included only natural ingredients.

Using the following tips, you can prepare the right soup according to the old Slavic method:

Kvass. Homemade kvass made from rye bread or beets is an excellent choice for botvinya. The taste of botvinya almost entirely depends on the choice of fizzy drink. It is better to prepare kvass on your own than to take something unknown from the store. There is nothing complicated in this process. Wort is made by steaming rye bread crusts with hot water. Leave them to ferment for a day in a warm place. Then yeast with sweet sand is added and left to ferment for 6-8 hours. Strain and the kvass is ready! In the absence of a homemade drink, you can buy store-bought live fermented kvass.
Beet. According to the traditional recipe, young beets for botvinya are chosen, always with the freshest, unwithered leaves. It contains the most necessary substances, while the tops contain more of them than the root vegetables themselves.
Additional components. Add wild garlic, spinach, quinoa, and nettle to the soup. Vegetables can be cut into small pieces, strips, cubes, halves of circles, or grated. This is a matter of aesthetic perception.
Fish. If botvinya is prepared with fish, it is served separately or placed in the middle of a portioned dish. It is better to choose fillets or fish with the least amount of bones for convenience.
Innings. Botvinnik is decorated with chopped herbs and pieces of boiled eggs.

Cool beetroot soup with kvass was so popular among connoisseurs of Slavic cuisine that culinary experts came up with a hot version. With a rich taste, fragrant, rich botvinya has already become a classic of gastronomy; it is prepared with meat, chicken, turkey, and even quail. But the main components still remain beet tops and sorrel. Instead of kvass, the recipe for traditional roast botvinya uses rich meat broth.

Botvinya is one of the most popular dishes in Old Rus'. This cool soup is prepared simply, with minimal effort, and it contains a lot of vitamins, because the ingredients are used fresh and the dish is not actually subjected to heat treatment.

Classic botvinya is an excellent choice for okroshka on hot summer days. It was not for nothing that she was so popular even at princely and royal tables.

Burning botvinya, traditional recipe - video

Botvinya - a traditional recipe for making cool soup

Now we will prepare botvinya. A hearty, truly tasty soup, immediately reminiscent of beetroot soup, okroshka and green cabbage soup. Not so long ago, botvinya was the most common dish; it was prepared at home, in taverns and in luxury restaurants.

She was considered the queen of Russian cool soups. Unfortunately, now this tasty dish has undeservedly lost its popularity.

Botvinya what is it anyway?

Once upon a time, botvinya was a real hit in Russian cuisine.

In Dahl’s dictionary we find “A cool, usually fishy dish made with kvass with boiled herbs (sorrel and others), beet tops and finely chopped vegetables.”

In the 19th century, botvinya was prepared with beluga, stellate sturgeon, pike perch and served with slices of sturgeon balyk, crayfish necks and a “garnish” of cucumbers, green onions, dill and horseradish.

Real old Russian botvinya is a rather complex dish consisting of beet broth or kvass, generous fish, herbs, and cucumbers. Let's prepare it specifically - festive botvinya with fish.

Traditional recipe for making cool botvinya

fish (pink salmon, and salmon or trout as standard) – 500 g

water – 3 glasses,
onion – 1 piece,
carrots - 1 piece,
bay leaf - 1 piece,
black and aromatic pepper - 3 pieces each,
salt to taste

beets - 1 piece,
cucumber – 2 pieces,
sorrel, spinach, beet tops, dill, green onions - a large bunch,
sour kvass

large radishes - 2 pieces,
horseradish - 1 tablespoon,
sugar - 1 teaspoon,
salt - to taste

sour cream,
boiled potatoes,
boiled egg,
ice

Let's start manufacturing.

Step 1 – prepare fish broth and boil the fish

Peel the onions and carrots, cut into random pieces, put them in a saucepan, fill with water, put on high heat and bring to a boil.

Meanwhile, thoroughly wash the fish and cut it into large pieces. As the broth boils, add salt, pepper, bay leaf, and fish. Reduce heat and cook for 10-15 minutes.

Then carefully take out the fish with a slotted spoon, place it on a plate, covering it with a lid so that it does not dry out. We strain the fish broth, we will need it later.

Step 2 - boil the beets

We carefully wash the beets with water, peel them, cut them into small cubes and send them to boil in fish broth for 15-20 minutes, depending on the desired softness of the beets.

We take it out of the broth and leave it to cool. Beetroot - do not pour out the fish broth, but let it cool. We will still need him.

Step 3 - boil the tops (sorrel, spinach, beet leaves)

While the beets are cooking, prepare the tops. We wash all the greens in water, dry them slightly and gradually add them to boiling water. At first, cook the beet leaves for no more than 5 minutes.

We take out the beet leaves and put sorrel and spinach into the same water for almost 1-2 minutes, then take them out and cool.

We collect together the boiled leaves of beets, spinach, sorrel and turn all the tops into a homogeneous mass. Grind through a sieve or pass through a blender or grind with a masher, or you can simply cut it at your discretion.

It can be replaced with ice cream or regular leaf lettuce, nettle leaves or radish tops. I often use frozen spinach. Place the chopped tops in a separate dish.

Step 4 – cut cucumber and greens

We wash the cucumber in water, remove the skin if it is bitter or thick and cut into fine cubes. Wash the dill and onion well, dry and finely chop.

Step 5 - prepare the dressing

We thoroughly wash the radishes and grate them on a small grater, add horseradish, sugar, and salt. Both pickled horseradish, prepared for the winter or purchased in a store, or fresh horseradish are suitable. You just need to prepare it: wash it, peel it and grind it on a small grater.

Step 6 - cook the fish

Remove the bones from the cooled fish and cut into portions. It can be served separately with the botvinia, or it can be placed directly into the dish. This is at your discretion.

Step 7 – assembling the vegetable base

Add chopped cucumbers to boiled beets. We also send chopped onions, dill, boiled and grated tops, and a spicy radish and horseradish dressing there. Mix everything, taste, add salt as needed.

Step 8 – Assembling the Watery Base

To make the botvina inimitable, mix chilled beetroot, fish broth and kvass together in equal proportions.

That’s why homemade kvass is perfect, beetroot is better, but if you don’t have one on hand, you can use store-bought kvass for okroshka.

Add salt, sugar, mustard, and dark ground pepper to taste to the watery base.

Step 9 – assembling and serving the botvinya
We combine the vegetable and watery bases together to the desired thickness and you can serve, but it is better to let it brew for a little while in the refrigerator.

Pour our botvinya into plates, add an egg, serve boiled potatoes and pieces of fish separately. Let everyone choose for themselves how much fish to add to our dish.

The taste was stunningly multi-component - sour (due to sorrel), sweetish (thanks to beets), spicy-salty (due to radishes, horseradish, tops and kvass).

Botvinya soup from beet tops

Botvinya can be lean, without adding fish. It’s great for refreshing on a hot summer day; it’s made from young beets with tops. The name of the soup comes from the main ingredient - edible grass tops. Before serving, the soup must be cooled in the refrigerator.

small beets with tops – 5-6 pieces,
cucumbers – 2-3 pieces,
fresh radish - 300 g,
boiled egg - 3 pieces,
sugar - 1 teaspoon,
citric acid - 1/2 teaspoon or juice of 1 lemon,
kvass - like okroshka,
salt, pepper, horseradish, mustard, sour cream - to taste

Learn about the intricacies of making tops from beet tops by watching this video.

This type of botvinya is perfect for a healthy diet. It doesn't have enough calories and a lot of vegetables. It perfectly replenishes water lost in the heat.

Now you have learned two methods for making cool botvinya. One is the traditional one, the most difficult, and the second one is more ordinary, but the soup is also very tasty, with a memorable taste. There is also modern burning botvinya, but this is the topic of a completely different article.

I would like to point out that making traditional botvinya is not such a common process. After all, any product is prepared separately, something is boiled, something is finely crumbled, something is rubbed through a sieve... All this takes time. It can be saved if some ingredients are prepared in advance. For example, cook fish, beets, prepare kvass, wipe the tops, then all that remains is to cut out the vegetables and assemble the dish.

If you decide to prepare holiday botvinya, then do exactly this - divide the manufacturing processes over time. Cook with pleasure.

Bon appetit. With respect, your Nadezhda.