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.
Ingredients
- 500 gbeef on the bone
- 2.5 lwater
- 1-2 mediumbeets
- 3-4 mediumpotatoes
- 1 largecarrot
- 1 largeonion
- 200 gwhite cabbage
- 2-3 clovesgarlic
- 2 tbsptomato paste
- 1 tbspvinegar
- 1 tspsugar
- for fryingvegetable oil
- to tastesalt and pepper
- 2 bay leaf
- 6 black peppercorns
- 1 small bunch, for servingfresh dill
- 4 tbsp, for servingsour cream
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, cut into small pieces and set the meat aside. 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 for 25-30 minutes 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, tomato paste and the cut meat. Cook for 10-15 minutes until the vegetables are ready.
- 5 minutes before the end, add salt, pepper, sugar (optional) and finely chopped garlic. Let the borscht stand under a lid for about 10 minutes before serving. Serve with sour cream and fresh dill.
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 end, 10–15 minutes before the end of cooking. Roasting the beets in foil beforehand is optional, but it also helps lock in that deep ruby color.
Yes — replace the beef broth with a rich mushroom broth (dried porcini work best) or a vegetable broth with a piece of smoked paprika for depth. Skip the meat entirely or add a handful of white beans for protein. The rest of the recipe stays the same.
The classic pairing is a dollop of sour cream, garlic pampushky (Ukrainian garlic buns), and a slice of dark rye bread. Cured lard (salo) on bread is the traditional Ukrainian accompaniment. Fresh dill on top is not optional — it's part of the flavor. If you want another Ukrainian soup on the table, try the lighter spring green borscht made with sorrel.
Yes, borscht freezes very well for up to 3 months. Freeze it without the sour cream — add that fresh when reheating. Thaw overnight in the fridge and reheat gently on the stove. The flavor actually deepens after freezing.
Borscht needs a careful balance of sweet, sour, and salt. Add a teaspoon of sugar if it tastes too sharp, a splash of vinegar or a squeeze of lemon if it tastes dull. Taste at the very end and adjust. Also make sure the broth was cooked long enough — a thin broth is the most common reason borscht lacks depth.
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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.