Soups

Ukrainian Red Borscht

Good borscht is a balance of sweet beets, a sour edge, rich broth and a hit of garlic at the end. We braise the beets separately with tomato paste and a splash of vinegar, which keeps them a deep ruby red instead of fading to brown. And borscht always needs a rest under the lid — twenty minutes makes it a different soup.

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Ukrainian Red Borscht — the finished dish
Prep
30 min
Cook
2 h 30 min
Rest
20 min
Total
3 h 20 min
Servings
8
Level
Medium
Per serving
330 kcal

Ingredients

For the broth

For the borscht

Makes: about 3.5 l, 8 servings

Method

  1. Step 1: Make the broth

    Put the beef in a 5 l pot, cover with the cold water and bring to a boil. Skim off the grey foam, lower the heat to a bare simmer and add the bay leaves and allspice. Simmer, lid ajar, for 1.5–2 hours until the meat pulls easily away from the bone.

  2. Step 2: Prepare the meat

    Lift out the beef, pull it off the bone and cut into bite-sized pieces. Strain the broth — you should have about 2.5 l — season with salt and return it to the heat.

  3. Step 3: Braise the beets

    While the broth cooks, cut the beets into thin matchsticks. Heat 2 tbsp oil in a wide frying pan, fry the beets for 5 minutes, then stir in the tomato paste, vinegar and sugar and add a ladle of broth. Cover and braise over low heat for 15–20 minutes, until soft with just a hint of bite.

  4. Step 4: Fry onion and carrot

    Finely chop the onion and coarsely grate the carrot. In a second pan, cook the onion in the remaining oil for 5 minutes until translucent, then add the carrot and cook 5 minutes more, until soft and lightly golden.

  5. Step 5: Add potatoes and cabbage

    Add the potatoes, cut into cubes or batons, to the boiling broth and cook for 10 minutes. Then add the finely shredded cabbage and cook another 5–7 minutes until tender.

  6. Step 6: Bring it together

    Add the onion and carrot, braised beets and meat to the pot. Bring back to a gentle simmer for 5 minutes — don't let it boil hard from here on, or the colour will dull.

  7. Step 7: Finish with garlic

    Turn off the heat and stir in the crushed garlic and finely chopped dill. Taste: it should be sweet-sour, so adjust with salt, a pinch of sugar or a drop of vinegar, and add pepper.

  8. Step 8: Rest and serve

    Cover the pot and let it stand for 20 minutes. Serve with a spoonful of sour cream.

Tips & variations

  • Tip

    Acid is the key to colour: without vinegar or lemon juice, beets turn brownish as they cook.

  • Variation

    Make the broth with pork ribs instead of beef for a softer, slightly sweeter borscht.

  • Tip

    Borscht is at its best the next day, once the flavours have settled together.

  • Storage

    Keeps covered in the fridge for up to 4 days. Reheat only what you'll eat, and don't let it boil hard.

Nutrition

Approximate nutrition per serving and for the whole dish
1 serving Whole dish 8 servings
Energy 330 kcal 2,640 kcal
Protein 16 g 128 g
Fat 18 g 144 g
Carbohydrates 25 g 200 g

Approximate values calculated from standard ingredient data.

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