Ukrainian Borscht
Ukrainian borshch is a vegetable soup with beetroots as its characteristic ingredient. It is an everyday and ritual dish, known since at least the early Kyiv Rus times. Borshch is very nourishing, especially if you cook it with meat, so it is normally eaten for dinner. Ukrainians are known for eating this hearty vegetable soup with pork as a morning pick-me-up and then again three times throughout the day! A plate of hot Borscht in winter will warm you up and in summer it will be very refreshing
- Prep
- 40 min
- Cook
- 1 hr 34 min
- Total
- 2 hr 14 min
- Servings
- As written in source
- Difficulty
- Advanced
Timings are approximate — worked out from the method, not measured in a test kitchen.
Ingredients
Quantities are retained as written by the source and do not scale automatically. Tap an ingredient to check it off as you go.
Cooking instructions
Procedure
Drain the soaked beans and put aside.
Procedure
Place the meat in a large pot, and add 3 cups of cold water.
Procedure
Bring to a boil slowly and remove scum.
Procedure
Add half of the onion and 2 carrots.
Procedure
Reduce to a simmer, partially cover the pot, and cook for about 1 hour.
Procedure
When done, add the beets and beans, and bring to a boil. Lower the heat, cover, and simmer until the beans are tender.
Procedure
In the vegetable oil, sweat half of the onion, carrots, and green pepper over low heat until the onions are yellow.
Procedure
Scrape into the pot, and simmer for a few minutes. Scrape in tomatoes, potatoes, and spices, and simmer until the potatoes are tender.
Procedure
Add the cabbage and simmer until it has the consistency you like.
Procedure
In the meantime, chop the garlic, dill, and pork fat (or bacon) in the food processor, whisking in the yoghurt at the end.
Procedure
When the cabbage is the way you like it, add tomato paste and the garlic-dill-fat mixture.
Procedure
Return the pot to a simmer, then cover the pot, turn the heat off, and let the flavors mingle for at least 30 minutes.
Procedure
When ready to serve, ladle into bowls and top the soup with a dollop of sour cream on top.
Notes, tips, and variations
Use clean filtered or natural water.
Notes, tips, and variations
Cook all vegetables over low heat in a covered pot.
Notes, tips, and variations
Beets can be stewed separately with a little amount of beet kvass and vegetable oil before adding the broth. Then add them to all other ingredients 10 minutes before the end of cooking.
Notes, tips, and variations
The best meat for borshch is fat beef with bones.
Notes, tips, and variations
Often dried white mushrooms are added, but you can use any other dried mushrooms.
Notes, tips, and variations
Garlic can also be mashed with a slice of fat bacon and added to the prepared borshch.
Notes, tips, and variations
Do not be afraid of putting too much cabbage into the pot. Beside the beetroot, it is the main ingredient of Borscht and it makes the soup thick, which is characteristic of good Borscht.
Notes, tips, and variations
Use a large pot for your borscht.
Notes, tips, and variations
If you have leftovers, simply eat them the next day. Your soup will even taste better than the day before.
Notes, tips, and variations
If you are short of time, buy tinned beans instead of soaking the dried ones overnight. They do not need to be cooked; just add them when your borshch is ready.
Photo: Borshch at English Wikibooks · Public domain · · Photo source and licence
Wikibooks contributors · CC BY-SA 4.0 · https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/ · Adapted; quantities retained as written. · Original source
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Scale it
Use the quantities listed in the original recipe. Adjust them manually if making a different batch size.
Storage
Cool completely, then keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to three days.
Reheating
Reheat gently with a splash of water in a covered pan, rather than blasting it, so nothing dries out.
Approximate values per serving. Worked out from the ingredient list — treat them as a guide, not a measurement.
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