Red Borscht – Ukrainian Beet Soup with Beef

Ingredients:

Preparation mode:

👉 Borscht is the deep-red beet soup at the heart of Ukrainian cooking – so important that in 2022 UNESCO added the culture of Ukrainian borscht cooking to its list of intangible heritage in need of urgent safeguarding. Every family has its own version, but the classic is a rich beef broth with beets, cabbage, potato, carrot and onion, balanced sweet and sour and finished with garlic, dill and a spoonful of sour cream.

How to Make Red Borscht

1. Make the broth. Put the beef in a large pot with the cold water. Bring slowly to the boil, skimming off the foam, then add the bay leaves and peppercorns. Cover partly and simmer gently for 1½ hours, until the meat is tender.
2. Prepare the meat. Lift out the beef, discard the bones and cut the meat into small pieces. Strain the broth if you want it clear and return it with the meat to the pot. Season with salt.
3. Add potatoes and cabbage. Bring the broth back to the boil, add the potatoes and simmer for 10 minutes, then add the cabbage and cook for 5 minutes more.
4. Cook the beets. Meanwhile heat the oil in a large frying pan. Add the beets, sprinkle with the vinegar and cook for 8–10 minutes, stirring. The acid keeps them a bright ruby color.
5. Make the zazharka. Add the onion, carrot and pepper to the beets and cook for 5 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste and sugar with a ladle of broth and simmer for 5 minutes.
6. Combine. Add the beet mixture to the pot and simmer for 10 minutes, until all the vegetables are tender. Do not boil hard or the color will fade.
7. Finish and rest. Stir in the garlic and half the dill, taste for salt, sugar and sourness, then turn off the heat. Cover and let the borscht rest for 15–20 minutes.
8. Serve. Ladle into bowls and top with sour cream and dill. In Ukraine it is served with rye bread or garlic pampushky buns.

Tips for the Best Red Borscht

• Add the beets only after cooking them with acid – it is the secret to a red, not brown, borscht.
• Letting the soup rest before serving makes the flavor rounder.
• Balance is key: taste at the end and adjust with a pinch of sugar, a little more vinegar or salt.

FAQ

Is borscht Ukrainian or Russian?
Borscht is eaten across Eastern Europe, but it is most closely linked with Ukraine, where it is a national dish and part of UNESCO-listed cultural heritage.

Why did my borscht turn brown?
The beets were boiled too long without acid. Cook them with vinegar or lemon juice and add them near the end.

What is green borscht?
A spring soup made with sorrel instead of beets, usually with egg. Try our green borscht recipe.

👉 More Ukrainian cooking: varenyky, syrniki and green borscht.

Footnotes:

Vegetarian version: skip the meat, use vegetable stock and add a can of white or red beans with the potatoes.
Storage: borscht keeps 4–5 days in the fridge and freezes well for 3 months – it tastes even better on the second day.