History

Barszcz czerwony in its clear festive form is the canonical Christmas Eve first course on Polish tables, served alongside uszka dumplings filled with wild mushroom. The dish has been part of Polish cooking since at least the 16th century, with the clear broth (klarowny) distinguishing the Polish version from Russian or Ukrainian borscht. Warsaw restaurants like Restauracja Polka and Stary Dom serve it year-round; at Christmas every Polish household sets a tureen on the table.

Common allergens: Gluten, Egg

Make it at home

Yield 6Hands-on 45 minTotal PT5DDifficulty Intermediate

Ingredients

  • For the zakwas (sour starter): 1kg raw beetroot peeled and sliced
  • 2 garlic cloves
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 4 allspice grains
  • 2 tablespoons rye flour
  • 1.5L warm water
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • For the broth: 2kg fresh beetroot, peeled and grated coarsely
  • 200g dried porcini mushrooms (or 50g for a stock)
  • 2 carrots, halved
  • 1 parsnip
  • 100g celeriac
  • 1 onion charred over a flame
  • 2 bay leaves, 6 allspice grains, 8 black peppercorns
  • 3 garlic cloves crushed
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • Salt to taste
  • For uszka: 200g flour, 1 egg, 80ml warm water, mushroom and onion filling

Method

  1. Five days ahead: combine sliced raw beetroot with garlic, bay, allspice and rye flour in a glass jar. Cover with warm water and salt. Seal loosely and ferment at room temperature 4 to 5 days until sharp and sour-smelling.
  2. Strain the zakwas, discarding the solids. Reserve the liquid (around 1L).
  3. Soak the porcini in 500ml warm water 30 minutes.
  4. Place the grated beetroot, carrots, parsnip, celeriac, charred onion, the porcini and their soaking liquid, bay leaves, allspice and peppercorns in a heavy pot with 2.5L cold water. Bring to the gentlest simmer; never boil hard.
  5. Simmer 90 minutes uncovered. Strain through a fine sieve, discarding the solids. The broth should be deep ruby.
  6. Return to a clean pot. Add crushed garlic, lemon juice, sugar, salt and the zakwas. Warm gently; never boil after adding zakwas or the colour dulls.
  7. For uszka: knead the flour, egg and water to a smooth dough. Rest 20 minutes. Roll thin, cut 4cm squares, place a small mushroom-onion filling in each, fold to triangles, then pinch two opposite corners together to make 'little ears'. Cook in salted water 5 minutes.
  8. Ladle hot clear barszcz into bowls, drop 5 to 6 uszka in each.

Tip from the editors. Boiling the barszcz dulls the colour from ruby to brown. Once the zakwas goes in, keep at gentle steaming heat only.

Where to eat barszcz czerwony

Barszcz czerwony in Warsaw

Restauracja Polka ★ 4.2

Traditional Polish$$$stare-miasto

Magda Gessler's Polka in Warsaw is the Old Town home-cooking room: seven flower-painted dining rooms in a Renaissance tenement, heavy curtains.

Signature: Bigos, Hand-rolled pierogi, Placki ziemniaczane

Order: The bigos plate, hand-rolled pierogi, and a Polmos vodka shot.

Tip: Touristy but earns it; ask for the back room, not the streetside seats.

ul. Swietojanska 2, 00-288 Warszawa Book →

Stary Dom ★ 4.3

Tasting menuChef House team$$$$200-350 zlMon-Sun 12:00-23:30Book 1 week ahead

Stary Dom in Warsaw is the white-tablecloth Polish steak room of leafy Mokotow. Led by chef House team. Tasting menu 200-350 zl. Book 1 week ahead.

ul. Pulawska 104, 02-620 Warszawa

Gosciniec Polskie Pierogi ★ 4.0

Pierogarnia$$stare-miasto

Gosciniec Polskie Pierogi in Warsaw plays the modernised-pierogarnia card with four central locations: Podwale, Krakowskie Przedmiescie, Nowy Swiat and Piwna.

Signature: Pierogi ruskie, Pierogi z kapusta i grzybami, Pierogi z dzikiem

Order: The wild-boar pierogi and a half-litre of cherry-infused vodka.

Tip: The Podwale branch has the biggest dining room and the easiest weekday lunch booking.

ul. Podwale 19, 00-252 Warszawa

More cities are in research. Want barszcz czerwony covered somewhere specific? Tell us where you want to eat.

Browse all dishes →