Borscht 🍅🥔🥕

Hong Kongers' take on borscht is more than just a bowl of soup; it's a classic staple of traditional Western restaurants and tea restaurants. Its essence lies in its tomato broth and generous servings of vegetables, creating a complex, sweet, sour, and complex drink.

🛒 Ingredients (Serves 4-5)

• Beef ribs or brisket🥩: 300g (cut into large pieces, the beef flavor will be released after cooking)
• Onion🧅: 1 (chopped or shredded)
• Tomatoes: 3-4 (cut into pieces, ripe tomatoes are recommended)
• Tomato paste: 2 tablespoons (increase color and concentration)
• Carrots: 2 (cut into dice)
• Potatoes🥔: 2 (cut into large pieces)
• Half a head of broccoli (shredded/diced)
• 2 celery pieces (cut into sections)
• Garlic🧄: 2 cloves (chopped)
• Bay leaf: 1 piece
• Butter: 1 tablespoon
• Olive oil: 1 tablespoon
• Beef broth or water: 1.5 liters
• Salt: appropriate amount
• Crushed black pepper: appropriate amount
• Sugar: a little (to balance the sourness of the tomatoes)
• Herbs: A little (such as thyme or parsley for garnish, optional)

👩🏻🍳 Detailed cooking process

1. Blanch the beef

• Drain the beef brisket or ribs first: Pour cold water into the pot, add ginger slices, and when the water boils, remove and rinse to remove blood and impurities.
• This step can make the soup base clearer and purer in taste.

2. Stir-fry the base

• Place a large pot on medium heat and add butter and olive oil.
• Add onion and sauté until translucent, then add garlic and sauté until fragrant.
• Add tomato cubes and stir-fry until soft, then add tomato paste and stir-fry until fragrant.

3. Cook beef with soup base

• Put the blanched beef into the pot and mix well.
• Pour in beef broth or water, bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce to low heat.
• Add bay leaves and simmer for about 40 minutes to 1 hour, until the beef is tender and flavorful.

4. Add vegetables

• Add carrots, potatoes, and celery to the pot and continue to cook over medium-low heat for 20 minutes.
• Finally add the broccoli and cook for another 10 minutes to keep the broccoli slightly crispy.

5. Seasoning

• Add salt and black pepper to taste, and a little sugar to neutralize the sourness.
• If you want it to be richer, you can add a little tomato paste.

6. Finish serving

• Pour into a bowl and sprinkle a little chopped parsley on top for garnish.
• The hot and spicy borscht has a good balance of sweet and sour, and the flavors of vegetables and beef blend together, making it very fragrant!

🌟 Editor's Tips

• The soul of the soup base : tomato paste is essential, which instantly upgrades the color and taste.
• Beef choice : Beef brisket and beef ribs are both suitable, just cook them for a while until they are tender enough.
• Lazy version : If you don’t want to cook beef, you can use instant beef broth + vegetables, the taste is almost the same as the tea restaurant version.
• Hong Kong style : Many tea restaurants add a little ketchup for seasoning, which gives it a sweet and sour taste and makes it more authentic.
• Healthy version : You can omit the butter/use less oil and cook the vegetables in clear broth for a lighter taste.