Summary of "ЧОРНИЙ БОРЩ?! Український автентичний рецепт ЗАБУТОГО борщу від Євгена Клопотенка"

Recipe Summary: Ukrainian Black Borscht (Чорний Борщ) by Yevhen Klopotenko

Porcini mushrooms – boiled for about 30 minutes to develop dark color and concentrated flavor
Smoked pears – 2 to 3 pieces, added to deepen the black color and add smoky notes
Half an onion – for vegetable broth
Half a carrot – added to broth; the other half can be fried later for stir-fry
Chicken liver – washed and cleaned; adds unique flavor combined with mushrooms
Potatoes – peeled, added to cook in the broth
Pickled beets or homemade souring agent – can use pickled beets or make sourness by adding vinegar or lemon juice diluted with water to fresh beets; sourness is essential for authentic taste
Tomato paste – optional, can be added to enhance sourness and color
Cabbage – added to the soup
Activated charcoal (food-grade) – used as a safe substitute for blood to achieve the characteristic black color and metallic taste without using animal blood

Large pot for boiling mushrooms and soup
Ability to simmer ingredients for extended periods (30+ minutes)
Optional frying pan for stir-fry (dressing) with carrot, beetroot, and tomato paste

Boil porcini mushrooms for about 30 minutes until they become very dark and concentrated in flavor.
Add smoked pears during mushroom boiling to deepen color.
Add half an onion and half a carrot to create a vegetable broth base; simmer for another 10 minutes.
Add chicken liver and cook together with mushrooms and vegetables.
Add potatoes and continue cooking until tender.
Optional: Prepare a stir-fry (“dressing”) by frying the other half of the carrot, beetroot, and tomato paste; add to the soup to enhance flavor and color.
Add cabbage to the soup.
Add pickled beets or the homemade souring mixture (beets + vinegar/lemon + water) at the very end to preserve vegetable texture and ensure sourness.

Chef tip: Add acidic ingredients last because acid halts vegetable cooking; adding them too early will prevent vegetables (like carrots) from softening properly.
To replicate the black color and metallic taste traditionally achieved with blood, add a small amount of activated charcoal (food-grade). This gives the soup the desired black color safely and healthily.

The traditional black borscht uses wild boar blood, which gives a metallic sourness, but this recipe substitutes blood with activated charcoal for safety and accessibility.
Long boiling of porcini mushrooms is key to achieving the dark color and umami flavor.
Sourness is crucial for authentic taste; if you dislike vinegar, increase tomato paste to add acidity.
Adding acid late in cooking preserves vegetable textures.
Activated charcoal is a unique “life hack” to achieve the black color without compromising taste or health.
The combination of mushrooms and liver creates a unique, almost indistinguishable flavor blend.
This recipe reflects the traditional Volyn region’s black borscht but adapted for modern kitchens.

Use tomato paste as a souring agent if pickled beets or beet kvass are unavailable.
Optional stir-fry (dressing) with carrot, beetroot, and tomato paste for added flavor and color.
Activated charcoal can also be used to color other dishes like mashed potatoes.

Serve hot as a hearty soup.
Enjoy with traditional Ukrainian accompaniments (not specified but typical for borscht).

Recipe and demonstration by Yevhen Klopotenko, Ukrainian chef known for modernizing traditional Ukrainian cuisine.
Inspired by black borscht from Volyn region, Ukraine.
Video title: “ЧОРНИЙ БОРЩ?! Український автентичний рецепт ЗАБУТОГО борщу від Євгена Клопотенка”