Hogweed Borsch Recipe

In Russia Hogweed?s (Heracleum sphondylium) old name was ?borschevnic?. The soup was originally made using lacto-fermented hogweed. In Poland both the soup and plant are called ?barscz? and by the end of the nineteenth century this had evolved to mean a soup with beetroot as the main ingredient. In Romania the sharp lacto-fermented liquid is called borsch and is used like stock and added to soups.

Ingredients for Fermented Hogweed Borsch

Gather Hogweed leaves and stalks so the balance is 50% leaf to thick shiny stalk. Wash and chop them and pack them into a large Kilner jar. Add salt to taste and pour over boiling water to cover. Seal the lid but do not include the rubber seal, it should not be air-tight as you need to allow the air bubbles that form to escape. Leave the jar in an ambient room temperature and after 2-3 days it will become sour and you will see bubbles in the brew. After three days it will become too sour and acidic.

In spring the leaves and juice can be used but in autumn the leaves and stalks are too tough and only the liquid is consumed

500g tomatoes
4 medium sized beetroot
1 red onion, peeled and finely chopped
2 tablespoons oil
1 clove garlic, peeled and sliced
500ml/g fermented hogweed liquid
1 tablespoon tomato puree
Pepper

To finish:

2 tablespoons plain yogurt
2 teaspoons creamed hot horseradish
Fresh parsley and/or chives to garnish.

Suggested Instructions

Halve the tomatoes, dribble with a little oil and pop under a hot grill to char and soften for about 10 minutes. Blitz in a food processor and push through a sieve to remove the seeds and skin, reserving the liquid.
Grate the beetroot coarsely
Sweat the onion in the oil for 5 minutes, to soften but not brown. Add the garlic and beetroot and fry for a few minutes longer. Add the hogweed liqueur and sieved tomatoes. Simmer for 15 minutes or so, when the beetroot should be cooked. Add a little water if the soup is too dry. Add the tomato puree and blend
Season with pepper and taste to check salt levels, you may not need any as the hogweed juice is quite salty. Reheat the soup until it is hot
Blend the yogurt and horseradish and add a generous swirl to the soup just before serving accompanied with a little fresh herbs for contrast.

Serves 4.