Ukrainian Borscht is unique for its sweet and sour flavor
Generations have enjoyed this Traditional Ukrainian Borscht. This hearty and nutritious soup is made from a combination of meat or bone stock, sautéed vegetables, and beet sour, creating a delicious and satisfying meal. In this blog post, we’ll explore the history and origins of borscht, as well as share some of our favorite recipes for this classic dish.
You may also be interested in Cold Beet Soup or Green Borscht.
You can also check out our other Soup recipes.
Traditional Ukrainian Borscht
Ingredients
For the broth:
- 1½ lbs. large marrow bone beef from the leg or 2 lbs. bone-in brisket
- 1 pc small onion
- 1 pc medium carrot
- 1 buch parsley
- 1 pc bay leaf
- salt and pepper
For filling:
- 2 pcs small beets
- 1 pc large onion
- 2 pcs medium carrots
- 3 pcs medium potatoes
- 1 pc medium red bell pepper
- 1 pc small head of cabbage
- 4 pcs medium ripe tomatoes
- 3 cloves garlic
- 2 tbsp apple vinegar
- lard
- sour cream
Instructions
Step one:
- Put the meat in a large pot, and fill it with water to cover the meat by 5 fingers.
- Bring to a boil and skim off the foam.
- Reduce heat to low.
- Wash and peel onions, and carrots, cut into small cubes, and fry in a dry frying pan until brown marks.
- Add vegetables, pepper, and finely chopped parsley stalks to the meat (save the leaves).
- Simmer 2½ hours.
- For 15 min. before the end, add salt and bay leaf.
Step two:
- Strain the broth. Remove the meat from the bones in small pieces.
- Peel all the vegetables.
- Finely chop the onion. Grate the carrot and beet on a coarse grater. Chop pepper into small cubes. Potatoes – medium slices. Grate the cabbage. Grate the tomatoes.
- Place 2 pans over medium heat, melt lard in each.
- Put onions in one, and beets in the other. Fry, stirring, for 5 minutes.
- Add carrots and peppers to onions, and vinegar to beets. Cook for another 5 minutes.
- Remove beets from heat, and add tomatoes to onions with carrots. Cook for another 5 minutes.
- Bring the borsch broth to a boil, add the potatoes, and cook for 10 minutes.
- Put in cabbage, and cook for 5 minutes.
- Add beets and onion with carrots, bring to a boil, and cook for 10 minutes.
Notes
For more density and saturation, the potatoes cannot be diced, as indicated in the recipe but grated on a coarse grater. The tomatoes can be replaced by a good tomato paste.