How useful is borscht for the body?

2024 Author: Isabella Gilson | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:14

Borsch is a favorite soup that is popular among Eastern Slavs. Without it, it is difficult to imagine Ukrainian cuisine, because this is its traditional dish. It is very satisfying and tasty, many have heard about it. Let's see how useful borscht is and why it is loved so much?

What is this dish?

First of all, this is the main dish of Ukrainian cuisine. Borscht is known all over the world, and its taste is praised by everyone who has tried it. There are a huge number of varieties of this soup, because earlier Ukrainian lands were divided, and the people themselves lived in the territories of such states as:

• Russia;
• Romania;
• Poland;
• Moldova;
• Czechoslovakia.

Ukrainian cuisine was formed under the influence of culinary traditions and tastes of the following nations:

• Greek;
• Crimean;
• Russian;
• Turkish;
• Hungarian;
• Nogai;
• Moldovan;
• Polish.

Therefore, borscht is prepared not only on pork broth, it can be prepared from:

• mutton;
• geese;
• hams;
• ducklings;
• sausages;
• beef;
• chicken.

This soup can also be made with bone broth.

What is borscht made from?

Every tourist visiting Ukraine will definitely try this national dish, which is the hallmark of the country.

It contains the following ingredients:

• red beets;
• carrot;
• cabbage;
• potato;
• bow;
• sour cream he wears.

It is also customary to add meat and beans to it. Despite the fact that there are quite a few recipes for its preparation, the composition of the dish always remains complete, he althy and very tasty.

Detailed breakdown of ingredients

This dish is famous not only for its taste, but also for its weight loss benefits. Borscht helps improve overall he alth. This is due to the fact that it contains a large amount of vitamins, antioxidants, and pectins. Let's analyze each ingredient of the soup in more detail to understand how borscht is useful for the human body.

Useful properties of each product

Each of its components has a number of useful properties, which together form a real source of vitamins.

1. Red beet - it is thanks to it that the characteristic red color of borscht is obtained. It is very beneficial for the intestines. Buryak removes from the body all the excess that has accumulated in it. Beetroot also lowers blood pressure and gives a charge.energy.
2. Carrots are a very he althy product, which contains beta-carotene, which has a beneficial effect on vision. However, it is well absorbed only if it was combined with vegetable oil, so oil must be present in borscht.
3. Potato - this product contains a large amount of potassium, which improves heart function. In addition, it is very nutritious, which is why it was called the "second bread". However, potatoes, like previous products, have a very high glycemic index. For this reason, people who have any problems with blood sugar are advised to be careful with this vegetable.
4. Cabbage - with its help, the metabolism in the human body is normalized. It is good for constipation because it cleanses the intestines. In addition, it contains tartronic acid, which prevents the formation of fat. That is why cabbage is very useful in losing weight.
5. Beans - thanks to this product, the nutritional value of the soup is increased. What is useful borscht with beans? The fact that it contains a lot of fiber and vegetable protein. Dietary fiber saturates the body well, and protein acts as a building material. Beans provide energy that is consumed gradually, so these calories do not lead to weight gain.
6. Tomatoes - instead of tomato paste, it is better to add them to borscht. Tomatoes are high in antioxidants that are effective in fighting cancer, as well as free radicals that cause aging. Moreover, tomatoes that were subjected tocooked, are more beneficial than those consumed fresh.
7. Onions - for cooking borscht, both whole and chopped (for cooking frying) are used. Naturally, in general, this vegetable is much he althier. It contains a lot of vitamin C, which protects against colds, improves digestion, and may also prolong youth.
8. Meat is a complete protein, without which the human body cannot do, as it is the main "building material". Many recommend boiling it in advance, and then adding it to the dish. The soup itself is recommended to cook on the water, without the use of meat broth. This is due to the fact that because of the meat, extractives and saturated fats enter the broth, so the body is overloaded. But this is rarely practiced.
9. Sunflower oil - without it it is impossible to imagine frying for borscht. It contains a lot of vitamin E, which also prolongs youth.
10. Fat - many people think that it is harmful to the body, although, on the contrary, its beneficial effect has been proven. However, this applies only to the raw product. If you eat 30 grams of fat per day, then in this case there will be no harm to the body. It is not recommended to fry on it, because it will not bring any benefit.
11. Garlic is a well-known antiviral agent.

Traditional recipe

The benefits of borscht for the human body have long been justified, so consider its classic recipe for broth,so you can experience its beneficial effects for yourself.

For the broth you will need:

• two liters of water;
• 400 grams of beef or pork on the bone.

Roasting is made from:

• two medium-sized beets;
• one carrot;
• three small onions;
• two tablespoons of tomato paste;
• sunflower oil;
• a pinch of citric acid.

For the borscht itself, the following ingredients are needed:

• 300 grams white cabbage;
• four medium size potatoes;
• spices and herbs.

Borscht is usually served with sour cream and herbs.

Start cooking, which consists of the following steps:

1. First of all, you should take a three-liter pot, into which you need to pour two liters of water, then add the meat. Put the pan on the stove and make medium heat. Remember to keep an eye on the broth, as well as remove foam from it. It is best to take meat on the bone, in which case it will be tastier. When the broth boils, cover it with a lid and cook over low heat.
2. While the broth is being prepared, you can start frying. To do this, wash and peel carrots, beets and onions. After that, the ingredients need to be grated, and the onion cut into cubes.
3. Heat the pan and add sunflower oil to it. Fire should be medium. First of all, carrots and onions are fried for about 5 minutes.
4. To make your borsch a beautiful red color, you need to sprinkle the beets with lemonjuice or add a pinch of acid to it.
5. Vegetables should be fried for five minutes. Then add tomato paste to them, after which the frying must be cooked for another seven minutes.
6. When the broth is ready, you need to get the meat out of it. Leave it aside for a while to cool down. Add chopped cabbage to the broth itself, and after 10 minutes, add chopped potatoes.
7. Again we return to the meat, which must be separated from the bone and cut into cubes. Then it must be added back to the soup.
8. S alt borscht. Add roast and greens to it, then cover with a lid and wait another 5 minutes. Now your beetroot borscht, the benefits of which have been proven, is completely ready for use.

It can be eaten right away, but it usually tastes better after a day's rest.

Borscht is considered a peasant dish, so in those days it was eaten with bacon and donuts, but only on holidays.

Before serving, the soup should be poured into deep bowls. It is customary to add sour cream, black pepper, herbs and lemon slices to it if you like it sour. Borscht is usually eaten with rye bread. It is also very tasty in combination with garlic donuts.

What is the use of borscht?

Borscht is useful because it is very balanced. It contains the optimal amount of vitamins, enzymes, proteins, fats, minerals and carbohydrates. This gives an answer to the question of how borscht is useful for the body. After all, whenvegetable and animal fats are in perfect balance, it has a good effect on the liver, and also a mild choleretic effect is obtained. The work of the digestive system improves markedly.

Thanks to spices and vegetables, the soup contains many useful minerals and vitamins. For example:

• vitamins B, C and K;
• pantothenic and folic acids;
• amino acids;
• organic acids;
• mineral s alts;
• carotenoids.

If you are wondering what beetroot soup is good for and why, then you should know that thanks to its broth, digestion is activated, and the condition of blood vessels improves.

We should not forget about proteins, which are very abundant in it. Thanks to this composition, you will have a lot of energy, and performance will improve markedly. After eating borscht, you will not feel hungry for a long time.

Another advantage of this dish is that thanks to it the body is cleansed of toxins.

Can children eat borscht?

Children are not only allowed to eat this soup, but even recommended. How useful is borscht for children? The same vitamins.

If you don't know if the children's stomach can cope with such fatty foods, it is best not to add fatty meats and beans to the broth. After all, this can lead to increased gas formation.

Is the food harmful?

We figured out what the benefits of borscht are. It can also bring harm to he alth. However, this can only happen if the soup has beenimproperly prepared or poorly stored. It also depends on your personality. In order for borscht to bring only benefits, you should follow some recommendations.

Cook the broth properly

When cooking meat borscht, it is best to drain the first broth. Today, meat contains many toxins, which are removed from it during cooking. This is optional, but recommended.

Handle vegetables carefully

Another danger of borscht is associated with the fact that vegetables contain nitrates. It is true that even if carrots or beets were grown in clean ecological conditions, they accumulate dangerous nitrates. But heat treatment of vegetables helps to fight them. After it, fiber will not let harmful substances into the human body. The same cannot be said for raw fruits and vegetables.

Vegetarian borscht

It's easy to guess how useful vegetarian borscht is. Of course, the fact that its basis is vegetable broth. Consider the recommendations for its consumption, as well as the recipe for making soup.

When is it useful?

Vegetarian borscht is recommended for people who have:

• obesity;
• liver disease;
• atherosclerosis;
• diabetes mellitus (just need to exclude potatoes from the soup);
• chronic cholecystitis;
• biliary dyskinesia.

Contraindications for use

There are andcontraindications to the use of borscht, including vegetarian.

Those who have an exacerbation of gastritis and pancreatitis should refuse borscht.

Vegetarian borscht recipe

To prepare it you will need the following ingredients:

• one medium beet;
• 60 grams white cabbage;
• 5 grams of wheat flour;
• 5 grams of tomato paste;
• 400 grams of vegetable broth;
• 30 grams of carrots;
• vegetable oil;
• s alt;
• sugar;
• low-fat sour cream.

Cooking technique:

1. Chop the cabbage and prepare the potatoes. Then they need to be put to boil in vegetable broth. You can also just add vegetables to hot boiled water. We put the pan on medium heat.
2. Meanwhile, sauté carrots and beets in a pan, add wheat flour to them. After 15 minutes, throw the ingredients into the pan.
3. We make a weak fire and continue to cook borscht.
4. When all the products are cooked, add s alt, sugar and butter to the finished soup. You can also decorate the dish with herbs.

Red borscht is a popular Ukrainian dish that many have heard of. But for some reason, few people know how useful borscht is. It contains a large number of substances necessary for the human body. In addition, it is very tasty and satisfying, and is prepared from ordinary products. So it's understandable why he's so popular. We hope this articlehelped you, and now you know everything about the benefits of borscht for the body.