Barszcz For Spring

Witamy!  There are a “gazillion” recipes for Barszcz.  It seems that every region, town and village in Poland has its own version.  And very often there are different versions favored at different times of the year.  The elegant holiday variety is essentially a beet consommé, quite peppery, and sipped from delicate china teacups, as an accompaniment to the delicacies consumed at Christmas or Easter.  Then you have your more hearty versions chock full of leafy vegetables, beans, dices of cooked pork, and whatever was on hand that day.  These were especially popular in the country when hard working farmers needed fuel to get through the day. 

 This version is somewhere in between – more filling than a cup of broth, but just filling enough to serve on a bright and sunny spring day.  A hunk of fresh rye bread smeared with sweet butter, and a bowl of Spring Barszcz, is all you need for lunch or a light supper.  

Serves 81 bunch of fresh young beets with leaves, washed and diced
2 cups water
1 teaspoon vinegar
4 cups beef or chicken broth
2 tablespoons flour
¼ cup cold water
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon sugar
Salt and pepper to taste
1 tablespoon chopped green parsley
1 tablespoon fresh chopped dill, or more to taste
1 tablespoon chopped green onion
1 tablespoon butter
½ cup sour cream
2  hardboiled eggs, sliced

Cook beets in the water and vinegar for 10 minutes or until tender. Add the broth and simmer for 5 minutes.  Add the flour mixed with ¼ cup cold water. (For more "heft"  you could add half a cup of your favorite chopped greens or   cooked  beans). Stir and cook for 5 minutes.  Remove from heat.

Season with lemon juice, sugar, salt & pepper.  Add the dill, parsley, green onion, butter and sour cream.  Ladle into soup bowls.  Float egg slices on top and serve. 
Smacznego!