Galician borshch with vushka

What it is

Borscht with vushka is the Christmas Eve borscht of Galicia. It is unlike the thick daily version: this is a transparent ruby broth made from beets, root vegetables, and dried porcini mushrooms, soured with beet kvass. It is not thickened with sour cream, as the entire Christmas Eve table is lean.

The main feature of the dish is the vushka: tiny dumplings made from thin unleavened dough filled with chopped dried mushrooms and fried onions. The dough is cut into squares, folded into triangles, and the ends are joined to form a 'vushka'. The vushka are boiled separately and placed in the bowl before serving.

Beet kvass is prepared in advance: chopped beets are covered with water, a crust of rye bread is added, and it is kept warm for a week. Once, such kvass was made in whole barrels: it was consumed, and for Christmas, it was used for borscht.

The boiled vushka are rinsed with cold water, lightly greased with oil to prevent sticking, and kept warm until serving.

History and name

Writer Yuriy Vynnychuk in the magazine 'Ї' calls borscht with vushka the 'king of borschts' of the old Lviv cuisine. The Christmas Eve borscht with vushka was also recorded in the Boyko villages of Drohobych region: there, it was reheated, drizzled with flaxseed oil, and vushka with mushroom filling were added.

Vushka are also known in Polish (uszka) and Belarusian cuisines. According to researcher of Galician cuisine Marianna Dushar, in Lviv, besides mushroom vushka, they also make vushka with herring — a custom that came to Lviv from Ivano-Frankivsk region.

Ingredients and allergens

Variant: lean, on beet kvass, with mushroom vushka

Beetroot500 g – 1 kgRed beetroot is the base for borscht with ears and czwikły; it is boiled or baked in its skin to preserve its color.

Dried porcini50–150 g (for broth and vushka)Winter supply of a mountain family — for soup, machanka, and lean holubtsi.

Beet kvass0.4–1 l, to tasteBeetroot fermented in water with a crust of rye bread; it ferments for several days in warmth and gives borscht a sour taste without vinegar.Contains allergens: gluten

Carrot1 pc.Added to mushroom soup.

Parsley (root and leaves)1 rootRoot is used in soup, greens added at the end for aroma.

Onion2 pcs.Fried onion in lard or oil is a common seasoning in Carpathian dishes.

Also: wheat flour (300 g for vushka dough), linseed oil (a few drops, optional), water (2–2.5 l), sunflower oil (2–3 tbsp.), bay leaf (1–2 leaves), salt (to taste), sugar (a pinch, optional)

Contains allergens: gluten
Diet: lenten · vegan

Variant: without beet kvass, with vinegar

beetroot, vinegar, dried porcini, carrot, parsley (root and leaves), onion, wheat flour, water, sunflower oil, salt

Contains allergens: gluten
Diet: lenten · vegan

Ingredients of the traditional recipe; every cook and every place may do it differently — please ask when ordering. We cannot guarantee the absence of allergens or traces.

How it is traditionally made

Serves: 6–8 servings

• Beetroot — 500 g – 1 kg
• Beet kvass — 0.4–1 l, to taste
• Dried porcini — 50–150 g (for broth and vushka)
• Carrot — 1 pc.
• Parsley (root and leaves) — 1 root
• Onion — 2 pcs.
• Wheat flour — 300 g for vushka dough
• Water — 2–2.5 l
• Sunflower oil — 2–3 tbsp.
• Bay leaf — 1–2 leaves
• Sugar — a pinch
• Linseed oil — a few drops
• Salt — to taste

1. 6–7 days before the holiday, prepare the kvass: cover chopped beets with cold boiled water, add a crust of rye bread, cover with cheesecloth, and keep warm, skimming off the foam.
2. Soak dried mushrooms overnight and boil them in the same water; remove the mushrooms for the filling, and strain the broth.
3. Boil beets, carrots, parsley root, and onion in 2–2.5 liters of water. Grate or cut the beets into strips, and combine the vegetable and mushroom broths.
4. Pour in beet kvass to taste, add bay leaves, salt, and a pinch of sugar; if desired, thicken with a spoonful of flour fried in oil. Bring to a boil and remove from heat to keep the borscht bright.
5. For the vushka: finely chop the mushrooms and mix with fried onions, salt, and pepper. Knead a firm dough from flour and water, roll it out thinly, and cut into squares of 3–4 cm.
6. Place a little filling on each square, fold into a triangle, and join the ends to form a 'vushka'. Boil in water until they float, and lightly grease with oil.
7. Place several vushka in a bowl and pour hot borscht over them.

How it is served

Hot, in deep bowls with several vushka; without sour cream, as the dish is lean on Christmas Eve. Some drizzle the borscht with flaxseed oil.

Variants

In Lviv, besides mushroom vushka, they also make vushka with herring, prunes, or nuts. Without beet kvass, acidity can be provided by vinegar or lemon juice; Boykos drizzled the borscht with flaxseed oil.

The traditional method as described by our sources; every family does it its own way. We have not tested this recipe in a professional kitchen.

Where it is eaten

The area is approximate and based on the sources below. The dish is cooked outside it too, and ethnographic borders are blurred.

Galicia includes Lviv region, Ivano-Frankivsk region, Ternopil region, including the Boyko villages of Drohobych region. The area is approximate.

When it is eaten

Occasions: Christmas Eve · Lent

In tradition

Borscht with vushka is one of the twelve lean dishes of the Galician Christmas Eve, along with kutia, pies, cabbage rolls with mushroom sauce, fish, and uzvar.

Safety

Use only purchased or expert-verified mushrooms for the vushka; do not collect mushrooms based on photos.

FAQ