Oat Borscht

For about fifteen hundred years, borscht has been one of the foundations of Polish and, more broadly, East Slavic cuisine. Originally made from fermented leaves of Heracleum sphondylium (which gave the dish its name), it later came to mean soups prepared on various types of sour starters — that is, fermented vegetables. Today the most popular version is beet borscht, which often isn’t truly borscht at all, since it’s acidified with vinegar or, in better cases, with sauerkraut or pickle brine.

Borscht can also be made with flour (this variation is now known as white borscht). As one of the Christmas Eve soups, I propose oat borscht, inspired by a traditional Christmas Eve recipe from the Brzozów region in Podkarpacie, in southeastern Poland.

INGREDIENTS

Starter

• 250 g oat flakes
• 2 tbsp rye flour
• 1 tbsp wheat flour
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 1/2 tsp salt

Soup

• 20 g dried mushrooms
• 1 l broth
• 1 onion (about 60 g)
• 4 pieces of TVP protein (optional)
• 30 g linseed oil
• 200 ml oat cream
• 4 pieces of TVP protein (optional)

PREPARATION

Starter:
Pour one liter of boiled and cooled water over the oat flakes, flours, and sugar. Add the sugar and mix. Cover with a cloth secured around the jar or container with a rubber band — you want airflow, but not insects getting into the starter.
Leave in a warm place for two to five days. The borscht will ferment clearly, developing a distinct sour aroma.

Soup:
Soak the mushrooms in hot water and leave to cool.
Strain the starter.
Slice the onion into thin strips and sauté in oil until lightly browned. Add the broth, the strained starter, and the mushrooms.
Bring to a boil, stirring — the borscht contains quite a lot of flour, and without stirring or with too much heat, it will burn quickly.
Once it boils, add the oat cream, stir, and remove from the heat.
Cut the TVP into thin strips, fry until well browned (preferably in linseed oil), and add to the borscht.