After several requests for my borscht recipe, here it is. Ukrainian Borscht… everyone knows what it is and many people around the world have fallen in love with this iconic beet soup.
I love the deep ruby color of this borsch! It’s so healthy and nutritious; packed with beans (protein), beets (iron), carrots (carotene), potatoes (vit C, potassium, Vit B6), oftentimes cabbage is added (vit K, vit C, fiber, etc…). It feels so good serving this to my family.
This is our family’s version of classic borsch and it’s one of the two soups my children absolutely love (Mom’s Meatball Soup being the second). Borscht is definitely on the regular rotation at our house!
This version keeps better because it is a meatless version but doesn’t lack in flavor because it uses good quality chicken broth.
Classic Borscht Recipe (Beet Soup)
Our family’s go-to recipe for Borscht (Red Beet Soup). It’s best to have all of the ingredients prepped and ready to go which makes this soon super easy and care free. Serve with a dollop of sour cream or real mayo.
Prep: 30min
Total: 70min
Ingredients:
- 3 medium beets (peeled and grated)
- 4 Tbsp olive oil (divided)
- 8 cups chicken broth (+ 2 cups water)
- 3 medium yukon potatoes (peeled and sliced into bite-sized pieces)
- 2 carrots (peeled and thinly sliced)
- 2 celery ribs (trimmed and finely chopped)
- 1 small red bell pepper (finely chopped, optional)
- 1 medium onion (finely chopped)
- 4 Tbsp ketchup or 3 Tbsp tomato sauce
- 1 can white cannelini beans with their juice
- 2 bay leaves
- 2-3 Tbsp white vinegar (or to taste)
- 1 tsp sea salt (or to taste)
- 1/4 tsp black pepper (freshly ground)
- 1 large garlic clove (pressed)
- 3 Tbsp chopped dill
Instruction:
- Peel, grate and/or slice all vegetables (keeping sliced potatoes in cold water to prevent browning until ready to use then drain).
- Heat a large soup pot (5 1/2 Qt or larger) over medium/high heat and add 2 Tbsp olive oil. Add grated beets and sauté 10 minutes, stirring occasionally until beets are softened.
- Add 8 cups broth and 2 cups water. Add sliced potatoes and sliced carrots then cook for 10-15 minutes or until easily pierced with a fork.
- While potatoes are cooking, place a large skillet over medium/high heat and add 2 Tbsp oil. Add chopped onion, celery and bell pepper. Saute stirring occasionally until softened and lightly golden (7-8 minutes). Add 4 Tbsp Ketchup and stir fry 30 seconds then transfer to the soup pot to continue cooking with the potatoes.
- When potatoes and carrots reach desired softness, add 1 can of beans with their juice, 2 bay leaves, 2-3 Tbsp white vinegar, 1 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp black pepper, 1 pressed garlic clove, and 3 Tbsp chopped dill. Simmer for an additional 2-3 minutes and add more salt and vinegar to taste.
Russian Borscht
I immigrated to the United States from western Russia in 1998. When I made friends, I found that many people had heard of Borscht, a traditional soup made with fresh beets, but few knew how to cook it. So I prepared this recipe from my grandmother, and everyone seemed to like it.—Svetlana Chriscaden, Falconer, New York
Prep: 15min
Total: 02h25min
Yield: 8 servings.
Nutrition Facts: calories , Fat , Cholesterol , Sodium , Carbohydrate , Fiber , Protein
Ingredients:
- 8 cups water
- 1 pound beef shanks
- 5 whole peppercorns
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon dill weed
- 3 medium uncooked beets, peeled and shredded
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
- 2 teaspoons white vinegar
- 2 medium potatoes, peeled and cubed
- 2 medium carrots, sliced
- 1 cup shredded cabbage
- 2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- 2 medium tomatoes, chopped
- 1/2 cup sour cream
Instruction:
Place the first six ingredients in a large soup kettle or Dutch oven; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 1-1/2 hours or until beef is tender. Meanwhile, in a skillet, saute beets in 1 tablespoon oil for 3 minutes. stir in vinegar; set aside. Remove beef with a slotted spoon; cool. Remove meat from the bones; discard bones. Cut meat into chunks; set aside. strain broth, discarding peppercorns and bay leaves. Skim fat. Add enough water to broth to measure 6 cups; return to kettle. Add potatoes, carrots, cabbage, parsley and beets. Bring to a boil., In a skillet, saute onion in remaining oil for 5-7 minutes or until tender. Sprinkle with flour; stir until blended. Whisk into soup. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 30 minutes or until vegetables are tender. add tomatoes. process soup in small batches in a blender or food processor; pour into a large saucepan. Add beef; heat through. Garnish with sour cream.
Ukrainian Borscht Recipe (Beet Soup)
Sharing my grandma’s Borscht Recipe I grew up on in Ukraine. This iconic beet soup is served with a dollop of sour cream and rye bread.
Prep: 20min
Total: 85min
Yield: 8
Serving Size: 2 cups
Nutrition Facts: servingSize 2 cups, calories 174 kcal, Sugar 8 g, Sodium 647 mg, Fat 4 g, Saturated Fat 1 g, Carbohydrate 32 g, Fiber 6 g, Protein 4 g
Ingredients:
- 12 cups beef or vegetable broth or stock (low sodium)
- 5 cups green or red cabbage (thinly sliced)
- 1 large onion (chopped)
- 3 medium carrots (chopped)
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 3 large beets (peeled and cut into matchsticks)
- 4 large potatoes (peeled and cubed)
- 6 oz can tomato paste (low sodium)
- 2 tsp salt
- 3 bay leaves
- 1 tbsp white vinegar
- Pinch of sugar or maple syrup
- 3 large garlic cloves (grated)
- Ground black pepper (to taste)
- 1/4 cup dill or parsley (finely chopped)
- Yogurt (sour cream and rye bread, for serving)
Instruction:
- In a large pot (I use 6 quart Dutch oven), add broth, bay leaves and bring to a boil. In the meanwhile, wash, peel and cut vegetables.
- Once broth is boiling, add cabbage, cover and bring to a boil. Then reduce heat to low and cook for 20 minutes.
- In the meanwhile, preheat large skillet on medium heat and swirl 1 tbsp of oil to coat. Add onion, carrots and saute for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add beets, remaining 1 tbsp of oil and cook for another 3-4 minutes.
- Transfer sauteed veggies to a pot along with potatoes, tomato paste and salt. Cover, bring to a boil and cook on low heat for 20 minutes.
- Turn off heat. Add vinegar, sugar, garlic and pepper. Stir and let borscht sit for 10 minutes to allow flavours to marry each other. Add dill, stir and adjust any seasonings to taste.
- Serve hot with a dollop of yogurt or sour cream, bread and garlic clove on the side (this is not for everyone).
The BEST Classic Beef Borscht Recipe (Борщ) – Ukrainian Beet Soup w/ Beef! Family Recipe!!
FAQ
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