Borscht Pizza

We often express ourselves through the food we make. We use it to embrace our mood, to let people know that we love them, and sometimes when words just fail us. In this case, we are abhorred by the evil being unleashed in Ukraine, and struggling to express just how deeply saddened we are for the victims of the Hell that was brought to them. We’ve sent supplies to help where we can, but we found ourselves left with an overwhelmingly helpless feeling.

We know that this post means nothing in the broad scheme of things, and it doesn’t do anything to help the victims. Despite that, we felt we needed to say something beyond our prayers to show our support for them in their desperate pursuit of life and the eventual return to some semblance of normalcy and freedom.

We felt the best statement was to fuse the quintessential Ukrainian food (Borscht) with an iconic European food (Pizza). We are happy to report that it worked very well, which feels like a great metaphor for what should be happening outside the kitchen.

We used a Classic Pizza Crust, but if you want to go all out with Beets, try making this on Beet Pizza Crust.

Time: 45 Minutes (plus time to boil your beets and make your dough)

Ingredients:

• Pizza Crust/Dough. Use premade, or Make Your Own (Classic, Sourdough, or Beet Infused)!
• For your Borscht Sauce:
  • 2 Medium Beets
  • Shredded Cabbage
  • Shredded Carrot
  • 1/2 an Onion
  • Garlic
  • Vegetable Stock
• Pork Sausage of your choice. We used a mushroom infused variety.
• 1/2 Onion
• Cheese. We used a sheep cheese along with some shredded mozzarella…but goat gouda would also be fantastic!

Method:

• Make Your Borscht Sauce:
  • Wash and boil your beets with the skin on until soft enough to easily pierce with a fork. Then, remove from the water, and allow to cool (cold water bath helps expedite this), and use your thumbs to press and peel the beets.
  • Melt a little butter in a saucepan.
  • Dice and add your beets, half of an onion, and some garlic to the saucepan, and cook for a few minutes.
  • Add in your shredded cabbage, and allow everything to cook down and for your cabbage to soften.
  • Pour in your Vegetable Stock to just cover your veggies, and bring to a simmer.
  • Use a blender or immersion blender to puree your sauce, and then bring it back to a simmer in your pot to thicken.
• Prep the Rest of Your Toppings:
  • As your sauce finishes, melt some butter in a large frying pan.
  • Dice the rest of your onion (first half was already used in the sauce), and add it to your pan.
  • Crumble your sausage into the pan as well, and sauté with your onion until fully cooked.
  • Move the meat/onion to a bowl, and set aside.
  • Slice or shred your cheese.
• Make your Pizza:
  • Preheat your oven to 425 degrees F.
  • Shape your pizza dough. We placed some parchment paper down and then used a French Rolling Pin to create a somewhat rectangular shape.
  • Transfer your dough onto your baking pan or pizza stone. If you used parchment paper, just transfer the paper to your pan and bake with the paper. This will reduce cleanup and prevent sticking.
  • Scoop and spread your beet sauce across your pizza.
  • Add your sausage and onion topping evenly.
  • Arrange your sheep cheese over everything, and stash in the oven for about 10-15 minutes.
  • Sprinkle your shredded mozzarella on your (mostly) cooked pizza, and cook for another 5-10 minutes until your cheese melts, and your crust reaches your desired level of crispiness.
• Slice, plate, devour, and enjoy!

To Make Your Sauce:

Prep your Toppings, and Make Your Pie: