Ingredients
Scale
🥕 INGREDIENTS YOU’LL NEED
For the Barszcz (serves 6–8)
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- 2.2 lb (1 kg) red beets (5–6 medium), scrubbed and trimmed
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- 1 medium carrot, peeled
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- 1 small parsnip or parsley root, peeled (optional)
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- 1 small onion, halved
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- 2 garlic cloves, crushed
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- 6 cups (1.5 L) vegetable stock or water
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- 3 bay leaves
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- 5 allspice berries (or whole peppercorns)
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- 1 tsp dried marjoram
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- 1 tbsp sugar (adjust to taste)
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- 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar or 2–4 tbsp beet zakwas (fermented beet starter)
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- Salt & black pepper to taste
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- Optional: 2–3 tbsp mushroom soaking liquid for extra umami
For the Uszka (~36 dumplings)
Filling:
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- 1 oz (30 g) dried porcini or mixed wild mushrooms
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- 1 small onion, finely diced
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- 1 tbsp butter or oil
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- 2 tbsp breadcrumbs (optional)
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- Salt & pepper to taste
Dough:
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- Store-bought dumpling wrappers or wonton skins
Instructions
👩🍳 STEP-BY-STEP INSTRUCTIONS
1) MAKE THE BEET BROTH
- Place beets, carrot, parsnip, onion, garlic, bay leaves, and allspice in a large pot. Cover with 6 cups stock or water.
- Bring to a gentle simmer, reduce heat, and cook 45–60 minutes until beets are tender. Avoid vigorous boiling to preserve color.
- Strain the solids; press gently to extract liquid if desired. Return clear broth to pot.
- Optional: add 1 peeled, grated raw beet or 1 cup boiled, pureed beet for color without fermentation.
- Add marjoram, sugar, vinegar or zakwas, and mushroom soaking liquid if used. Simmer 5–10 minutes, then season with salt and pepper.
2) PREPARE THE MUSHROOM FILLING
- Soak dried mushrooms in hot water 20–30 minutes. Reserve liquid.
- Finely chop mushrooms. Sauté onion in butter until translucent; add mushrooms, cook 2–3 minutes, season with salt and pepper.
- Stir in breadcrumbs if using; cool completely. Reserve 2–3 tbsp soaking liquid for broth if desired.
3) SHAPE THE USZKA WITH STORE-BOUGHT DOUGH
- Lay wrappers on a clean surface. Place ¼–½ tsp filling in the center.
- Fold into a triangle, then bring the two corners together to form “little ears.” Pinch edges to seal.
- Repeat until all filling is used.
- Cook in gently boiling salted water in batches until they float (~3–4 minutes). Remove with slotted spoon.
Pro Tip: Step-by-step folding is highly shareable on Pinterest or Instagram Reels.
4) ASSEMBLE AND SERVE
- Ladle hot barszcz into bowls, float 3–6 uszka per bowl.
- Garnish with parsley or a small swirl of sour cream if desired.