Pisnyi borshch

The story

Meatless borsch, beet soup prepared without meat or dairy, is one of the twelve dishes served at the Holy Supper on the eve of Ukrainian Christmas; twelve, by one interpretation, in honor of the twelve apostles. Unlike the better-known meat-based borsch, the Lenten version relies on vegetable stock and mushrooms for depth of flavor, while the vivid red of the beets stays the same, almost a visual reminder of the solemnity of the moment. In many families the soup is served with small dumplings filled with mushrooms, similar to the Polish tradition of uszki. The whole supper begins when the first star appears in the sky, a symbol of the Star of Bethlehem, and until that moment the family fasts. The tradition of the twelve-dish Holy Supper is considered one of the oldest continuously preserved holiday practices in Europe, probably older than Christianity itself and adopted from the Slavic rites of the winter solstice. For Ukrainian families in the diaspora, this Lenten borsch is often the first dish children learn to recognize as the start of Christmas Eve.