My Ukrainian Borscht is hearty, healthy and so good! Picky kids approved recipe that feeds the family 2-3 days in a row. It's a comfort soup I never get bored of eating.
Also try delicious Slow Cooker Borsht, Cold Borscht (Holodnik), Quick Cauliflower Borscht and Green Borscht With Spinach.
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Ukrainian Borscht Recipe
Let me get this straight.
If you hear someone saying they make an authentic Borsch recipe, don't believe that person and walk away.
Well, I'm kidding of course, but do you know that every respectable Ukrainian homemaker will claim her Borsch is authentic?
It always makes me laugh when I read cooking community boards where all these ladies fight till they prove their Borscht is the most authentic one.
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Here, I'm not going to claim my Borscht is authentic. Because the truth is - no one knows a truly authentic recipe.
There are certain ingredients that you must absolutely use in order to call it Borscht, but other than that every homemaker has her own spin on this hearty and delicious classic.
Is my Borsch recipe a delicious one?
You betcha. In fact, this is seriously the only recipe you need.
Believe me if I say I tried countless of Borsch recipes and I many of these recipes at home.
But the version that I'm giving you today is my favorite.
I've been making it for years and I never get bored of eating it. It's hearty, full of veggies, healthy and so so good.
Need more proof?
My super picky 5 year old is one of the biggest fans of my Borscht. She even requests for me to make it which surprises me most since she rarely orders something except for pasta with the pesto sauce.
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Now, here are a few things worth mentioning about Ukrainian Borscht Soup.
First, I strongly recommend you making a big pot of it. It is so good, you want to eat today, tomorrow and perhaps even the day after tomorrow.
A good, heavy-duty Dutch Oven is your friend.
In Ukraine, homemakers usually make huge pot of Borsch and eat it the whole week and I'm not kidding.
Second, Borscht always - always tastes even better on the second day.
Since it has many ingredients, over night they meld and merry together to create an ultimate Ukrainian comfort dish, full of flavor and taste.
That's the truth my friend, which brings us to the first point - make a big pot of it so that you can enjoy this flavorful Ukrainian Borsch or Cabbage Borscht with Smetana (sour cream in Ukrainian) several days in a row.
A few final thoughts...
1. Although, most of the Borscht recipes call for beef or chicken broth, I've been really enjoying making a vegetarian Borscht.
I usually start with making my own vegetable broth which takes me no more than 30 minutes and use it as a base for my recipe.
If you make your own chicken or beef broth, you can shred the cooked meat and add it into Borscht as well.
2. What makes Ukrainian Borscht Soup a true feast is the addition of Salo (cured pork fat) mixed with raw garlic.
If you've ever tried Salo and you like it, go ahead and add it at the end of the preparation process. You'll love the additional flavor and heartiness of this Borscht.
3. You can also make Borscht in your crockpot. Here's my Slow-Cooker Borscht recipe that I make very often. It's a tad different from this recipe but still very delicious.
More traditional Eastern European Recipes you'll love...
- Russian Meat Soup (Solyanka) - tradition Russian soup with chicken, bacon, salami and sausage.
- Russian Sauerkraut Soup - hearty beef soup is bound to become a family's favorite.
- Russian Pozharsky Cutlets - you'll never try chicken cutlets cuter than these!
- Georgian Khachapuri - cheese filled flatbread that is a staple in Georgian cuisine.
- Georgian Satsivi (Chicken In A Walut-Garlic Sauce) - dairy free chicken dish with the best sauce in the world.
If you like this recipe for Beet Borscht, please share it on Pinterest. I'd greatly appreciate this!
Ukrainian Borscht (Hearty And Delicious)
Ingredients
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- 6 cups vegetable broth if not vegan, you can use chicken or beef broth
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 medium onion finely minced
- 1 large carrot peeled shredded
- 1 ½ c cabbage shredded
- 5 tbsp tomato sauce
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 1 tsp Balsamic or Apple Cider Vinegar
- 3 medium potatoes peeled and cubed
- 2 medium beets
- 1 can kidney beans undrained
- 5 cloves garlic
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 tsp salt
- ¼ tsp pepper
- 3 tsp parsley chopped
- vegan sour cream for serving
Instructions
- Wash and cut beets in half. Place a steamer basket over a pot of boiling water and steam beets on a medium-low heat for about 15-20 minutes or until tender. Remove beets with the tongs and cool down.* (See the notes about the alternative method)Using a paper towel peel the skin and shred the beets on a large hole grater.
- Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a large Dutch Oven and over medium heat. Add onion and carrot and cook stirring occasionally until softened, about 5-7 minutes.
- Add cabbage, sugar, vinegar, tomato sauce and 1 cup of chicken broth. Reduce the heat to simmer, cover with a lid and cook for 20 minutes.
- Increase heat to medium, add cubed potatoes and the remaining 7 cups of chicken broth. Stir, bring to a boil and cook for 10 minutes.
- Add shredded beets, kidney beans with all their liquid, bay leaf, salt and pepper. Cook until potatoes are soft, about 5 more minutes.
- Turn off the heat, adjust the seasoning and add garlic pushed through a garlic press and parsley.
- Serve with a dollop of sour cream.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
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Philip lee says
I’d like to know how to include beef into this recipe.. I’m vegetarian but sometimes I’ll include meat.. call me a hypocritarian rather than a vegetarian haha.
Iryna says
Hi Philip! That's all right, you can make it with beef. You can do few things here. First, I would saute the vegetables (onion, carrot, cabbage) in a separate skillet and set aside while you cook the potatoes. Second, I would use a beef stock. Preferably choose meat with a bone. Cook meat for about 1 hour in 6 cups of water, making sure to remove the foam from time to time. Then, remove meat from the water, shred it or cut into small chunks and set aside. Add potatoes to a beef stock and cook for 10 minutes. Add sauteed veggies, cooked beets, beens and meat back to the pot and cook for 5 more minutes or until the potatoes are cooked. Hope this helps:)
Cindy says
Great recipe! My only addition that I think borscht needs is dill, fresh dill is best.
Iryna says
Hi Cindy! You are right, dill pairs wonderfully with Borscht. I'm glad you liked this recipe.
Natalia says
Yummy soup but I would leave out the kidney beans, they dont go well with the soup.
Iryna says
You can definitely make Borscht without beans. My mom doesn't always add them. I personally love Borscht with beans because it tastes more satisfying especially if I'm making a vegetarian version:)
Kelsey says
I don’t have kidney beans. Could I use black beans? Or omit beans altogether? Or do you suggest another substitute?
Iryna says
Kelsey, you can use any beans you have on hand (black, navy beans). You can omit them if you want, but in my opinion Borscht is more delicious with beans in it:)
Suzy says
I've not tried this before! But the flavors sound amazing.
Iryna says
Thanks Suzy!
Adriana Lopez Martin says
I have never tried Borsch before but looks so colorful and a great soup to offer during this time of the year. when warmer soups are a must have. I will include this recipe in my list to make at home.
Iryna says
Thanks Adriana!
Jacque Hastert says
I am always looking for fun ethnic dishes to try. This one will be getting pinned for later.
Iryna says
Thank you!
Vira says
Don’t delay making it! It is very good, and you always can twist/develop/change recipe, adjusting it to your taste/mood/ingredients-on-hand.
Lauren Vavala says
I've seen this soup before and thought it was all beets. Now that I can see all the different flavors, I think I'm going to give it a try!
Iryna says
Thanks Lauren! Borscht is packed with veggies and so good for fall:)
Monica | Nourish + Fete says
It's so true that there are just certain recipes that everyone has their own way of making it, and everyone seems to be convinced that their way is the only way! 🙂 I agree with you - what matters in the end is that you and your family love it, and if your picky kiddo eats up something this healthy, well, that is a win no matter what!!
Iryna says
Thank you Monica!
Irene Hearn says
My borsch recipe is an attempt to replicate my mother’s version. But each of the above seems to have some version of mama’s. On a recent trip to Ukraine, our welcome dinner included a wonderful homemade borsch made by my cousin. I asked her about “the best borsch recipe”and the entire table erupts in laughter. “There are as many borsch recipes as there are Ukrainians,” she replied. So there you go, if it tastes good, you got the right recipe. One comment I totally agree with is, Borsch always tastes better the next day......mmmmmm!
Iryna says
Ha-ha, that's right. There are so many borsch recipes, it's hard to find the best version of it.
Both of my grandmas and my mom have their own borsch recipe and all of those recipes taste amazing.
joan clanton says
i was curious when i saw your post. this is very different from what i grew up with! my Ukrianian grandma, Tekla Shwaykoski, started with pork ribs and an onion to make a stock. after the ribs were tender, she added the raw beets that were cut in match strips. when those were tender, the soup was thickened with flour mixed with heavy cream, then seasoned with vinegar and dill. the meat was reserved for my grandfather-- if we got a bit, that was a bonus. my 94 year old mom and i made this for family last weekend along with kielbasa and saurkraut and homemade pierogies with onions steeped in butter and sour cream. horseradish for the kielbasa, of course!
Iryna says
Hi Joan!
I used to make Borsch similar to how your grandma made it. It's delicious that way.
Both of my grandmas have different Borsch recipes and my mom makes it differently too. And it's an interesting thing about Borsch. Regardless of the way you make, it will still taste great. I've tried so many different Borsch recipes and all of them very good.
Seems like you had a really good meal and now I'm craving pierogis:)
Anna says
Omg! I love borsch and I make it pretty much the same except instead of fresh cabbage and vinegar I use half fresh and half sour crout and I put it in the very end because I don't like it too soft. Thanks for the recipe. I'll make it today ?
Iryna says
Hi Anna! I love souerkrout and often make it during cold winter months. I'm sure Borsch will be delicious with sauerkraut in it.
Anyways, I hope you'll like my recipe too;)
Diane says
Wow. This was amazing. We had it with potato latkes on the side and you were really right. We will be eating this for some days. Utterly delicious and a big hit with my two vegetarians (used veggie stock).
Iryna says
Hi Diane!
I'm so glad you liked my Borsch recipe. Potato latkes on the side seem like a great addition.
Sometimes I also use vegetarian stock and Borsch still tastes amazing.
Tatyana says
Walking away as my borsh is better, ha... Just kidding, of course!!! 🙂 Yes, yes, yes -- everybody has their own version. However, I grew up in Ukraine and can assure anybody who reads this blog that the list of ingredients is very authentic. Having made borsh since middle school, I can tell from the ingredients and process that you will get a very yummy result. Thank you, Iryna, for sharing your delicious version. I will definitely give it a try -- and soon!
PS: Another hint when evaluating borsh recipes. It's pronounced "borsh" so any recipes for "borsht" are probably fake... just saying... 🙂
Iryna says
Thank you for the kind words Tatyana! Indeed, all people I know have their own twist on this recipe and their borsch always tastes great too.
I know, for us, Ukrainians a name "borsch" sounds unnatural, but I figured that's how people search it on Google, that's why I named it borsch.
Tatyana says
You actually spelled it like I would! 🙂 Borsch sounds how we would pronounce it. People who don't know how to pronounce, usually add a "t" to the end, which does not belong there. 🙂 Keep up the good work!
Iryna says
Oh, we're definitely not adding "t" to the end:) That would be too much.
Thank you Tatyana!