If you’re looking for a delicious meal that will wow your dinner guests, look no further than borscht – a colorful and versatile dish packed with flavor.
This classic Russian soup has gained quite the following in recent years due to its unique taste and various health benefits.
But what to serve with borscht? To answer this fundamental question, we’ve compiled a comprehensive list of some of our favorite accompaniments for bolstering your borscht experience.
Read on for more information about what goes best with rich, Vitamin-packed bowlfuls of the ultimate comfort food!
What Is Borscht?
Borscht is a popular Eastern European soup that has been around for centuries.
It is typically made from beets (borshch means beet in Russian), but other ingredients such as cabbage, potatoes, carrots, onions, garlic, dill, and sour cream are also often added.
Borscht can be served hot or cold and is often topped with a dollop of sour cream or garnished with dill.
Borscht can also include meat such as beef, pork, or chicken in some regions.
No matter how it’s made, borscht provides a comforting and delicious meal that people worldwide have enjoyed for many years.
This hearty soup is an excellent source of vitamins and minerals and a great way to get in your daily servings of vegetables.
Borscht can be enjoyed as a stand-alone meal or as part of a larger Russian feast.
It’s also a delicious accompaniment to freshly baked bread or pierogi.
What To Serve With Borscht?
Borscht is a hearty and delicious soup that pairs nicely with various foods. Here are some ideas for what to serve with borscht:
Saffron Rice
Saffron Rice is a traditional dish typically served as an accompaniment to borscht.
It is made with rice, butter, and saffron threads, giving the dish its bright yellow hue and distinct flavor.
The use of saffron in cooking dates back centuries and is believed to have originated in Persia.
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Saffron is known for its medicinal properties, rich in antioxidants and other beneficial compounds.
Saffron Rice and borscht are often served together because they both have a comforting flavor that can be enjoyed alone or with other side dishes.
Combining the two offers a balanced meal with plenty of nutrients, fiber, protein, and vitamins.
The saffron in the rice adds a subtly sweet, earthy flavor to the hearty soup, making it an even more enjoyable dining experience.
Fruit Salad
Fruit Salad is a dish that typically consists of fresh fruits such as apples, oranges, bananas, grapes, and strawberries.
It can also include other ingredients such as yogurt, honey, or nuts.
The sweetness of the fruit makes it a great accompaniment to traditional borscht soup.
Borscht is a hearty Eastern European beet-based soup usually served with a dollop of sour cream.
The contrast between the sweet fruit salad and the savory borscht creates an interesting balance in flavor.
Fruit Salad adds a lightness to the heavy, earthy flavors of borscht. It’s also a great way to add nutrition and variety to the meal.
Garden Salad
The garden salad is a light and refreshing dish typically composed of raw vegetables, such as lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, carrots or onions.
It may be served with various dressings such as vinaigrette or Italian-style dressing.
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Garden salad perfectly accompanies the hearty and flavourful Russian stew known as borscht.
The cold, crisp taste of the salad helps cut through the soup’s richness and balance out its flavor profile.
Additionally, the nutritional value of a garden salad is much higher than borscht’s, providing vitamins A and C, folate and dietary fiber.
The garden salad also adds a colorful contrast to the deep-red hue of the borscht, making it a visually appealing dish.
Cucumber Salad
Cucumber salad is a refreshing side dish that is commonly served with borscht.
It usually consists of cucumbers, onions, garlic, and some herbs and spices like dill or parsley.
Depending on the recipe, it may also include vinegar and sugar to give it a slightly sweet yet tart flavor.
The crunchiness of the cucumbers, the sweetness of the sugar, and the spiciness of the herbs make it a perfect accompaniment to borscht.
The two dishes complement each other in both flavor and texture, providing a balanced meal that is full of flavor and nutrition.
Cucumber salad is also straightforward, making it an ideal choice for busy weeknight meals.
Rye Bread
Rye bread is a type of bread that is made with rye flour or mixtures of wheat and rye flour.
It has a distinctive flavor, darker color, and denser texture than conventional wheat bread.
Rye bread can be served in many forms, from loaves to buns to rolls.
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Rye bread complements the flavors of borscht, a traditional Eastern European soup made with beetroot and served either hot or cold.
The tangy taste of rye bread can help balance the sweetness of the beets in borscht.
Additionally, its dense texture stands up well to the conventional hearty broth for this dish.
Many people also find the flavor of rye bread to be more interesting than wheat bread, making it a great pairing with borscht.
Garlic Bread
Garlic bread is a savory side dish made of bread slices or a baguette topped with garlic, salt, herbs and butter.
It is often served as an accompaniment to Italian dishes such as pasta and pizza.
Garlic bread pairs perfectly with borscht, the traditional Ukrainian beet soup.
The rich flavors of garlic bread provide a great contrast to the light and tangy flavors of borscht.
The garlic flavor also helps to enhance the earthiness of the beets in borscht.
Garlic bread can help balance the slight sweetness of borscht while adding texture and depth to the overall dish.
Additionally, garlic is known for its health benefits and can help to provide additional nutrients when served with borscht.
Potato Wedges
Potato wedges are a classic side dish especially popular in Eastern European cuisine.
They are typically made from potatoes cut into large, wedge-shaped pieces and then fried, baked, or boiled until golden brown.
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Potato wedges go perfectly with borscht because their savory flavor complements the sweet and sour taste of the soup.
Potato wedges also offer a satisfying crunch that adds an enjoyable texture to the dish.
Additionally, potato wedges have a relatively neutral flavor that can easily be enhanced with different toppings or seasonings, making them versatile and suitable for accompanying many different dishes.
Ultimately, potato wedges are a great accompaniment to borscht because they provide a delicious contrast of flavors and textures that make the meal more enjoyable.
Mashed Potatoes
Mashed potatoes are a classic side dish that is simple to make and can be served with many different dishes.
It typically consists of mashed potatoes with butter, milk, salt, pepper, and sometimes other ingredients such as garlic or herbs.
Mashed potatoes are commonly served with borscht because the creamy texture of the mashed potatoes helps to balance out the sour flavor of the borscht.
Additionally, mashed potatoes provide a good base for hearty borscht such as be, cabbage, and root vegetables.
Furthermore, mashed potatoes’ starchy texture helps add some thickness to borscht, making it more filling.
Mashed potatoes also absorb all of the flavors of the borscht, making it even more flavorful.
FAQs
What Kind Of Bread To Serve With Borscht?
Borscht is traditionally served with dark rye bread, such as pumpernickel and rye.
If you don’t have dark rye bread, fresh-baked bread will be a good accompaniment.
What Kind Of Appetizers To Serve With Borscht?
Borscht is commonly served with a variety of appetizers. A few popular options include pickled herring, smoked fish, deviled eggs, and blini (Russian pancakes).
Try serving homemade pierogi or mushroom-filled turnovers if you want something more substantial.
Is Borscht Considered A Side Dish?
Yes, borscht is traditionally served as a side dish in Eastern European cuisine.
It can be served cold or hot and is often accompanied by sour cream, dill, boiled potatoes, and hard-boiled eggs.
Borscht also pairs well with rye bread for dipping into the soup.
Do You Serve Borscht Cold?
Yes, borscht is often served cold. This is especially true during summer months, as the cool soup can make a refreshing meal. You can also heat it if you prefer.
Conclusion
Borscht is an Eastern European soup that has a sweet and sour flavor.
When choosing what to serve with borscht, it is important to choose foods that will complement the flavors of the soup.
Rye bread, garlic bread, potato wedges, and mashed potatoes are all good options to accompany borscht because they contrast flavors and textures.
Rye bread is tangy, garlic bread is savory, potato wedges are crunchy, and mashed potatoes are creamy.
Combining these sides with borscht can provide a satisfying and delicious meal.
