
Ukraine · Soups · Gluten-free
Borscht
Borscht is a traditional Ukrainian soup made from beets, cabbage, potatoes, carrots and meat. Its deep red color and rich taste make it popular not only in Ukraine, but also in many other countries.
125 min 280 kcal 4 serves Advanced🌾Gluten-free🇺🇦Ukraine★★★★★4.5· 6 reviews
Ingredients
ServingsMetric
- 500 gbeef on the bone
- 2.5 lwater
- 1 mediumbeets
- 3 mediumpotatoes
- 1 largecarrot
- 1 largeonion
- 200 gwhite cabbage
- 2 clovesgarlic
- 2 tbsptomato paste
- 1 tbspvinegar
- 1 tspsugar
- for fryingvegetable oil
- to tastesalt and pepper
Method
- Wash the meat, pour cold water over it and bring to a boil. Remove the foam, reduce the heat, add a bay leaf and a few black peppercorns, and cook on low heat for 1.5-2 hours. Remove the meat, separate from bones and cut into small pieces. Strain the broth.

- Cut the beet into slices and fry in a pan with vegetable oil, vinegar and a little broth. Stew under a lid on low heat until soft. Cut carrots and onions into small cubes and fry in vegetable oil until golden. Cut potatoes into cubes and cabbage into thin strips.
- Add potatoes to the boiling broth and cook for 10 minutes.
- Add fried carrots and onions, stewed beets, cabbage and tomato paste. Cook for 10-15 minutes until the vegetables are ready.
- 5 minutes before the end, add salt, pepper, sugar (optional), finely chopped garlic and bay leaf. Let the borscht stand under a lid for about 10 minutes before serving.

FAQ
Beets lose their color when cooked too long or without acid. Add a splash of vinegar or lemon juice to the beets while braising them, and add them to the pot only at the very end — 7–12 minutes before serving. Roasting the beets in foil beforehand also helps lock in that deep ruby color.
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Comments (3)
Свёклу обязательно тушить отдельно с уксусом, иначе цвет будет бурый а не красный. Бабушка всегда так делала и борщ был яркий. Тут всё правильно написано
Я видел рецепты борща с кетчупом. С кетчупом! Свёклу надо тушить отдельно с лимонным соком, иначе цвет уйдёт в бурый. И да, борщ на второй день вкуснее — если у вас хватит силы воли не съесть всё сразу. Этот рецепт хотя бы не позорит блюдо.
The beets for borscht should be grated on a box grater and added with a splash of vinegar early in the cooking — the acid preserves that deep ruby color. Without it, the borscht turns a dull brownish-purple. I also add a small whole beet to the pot and fish it out at the end for color insurance.