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Borscht at FoodApparel.com

Ukranian Borscht

A classic Ukranian soup using beef and beets as the main flavors.
Course Soup
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 50 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 5 minutes
Servings 6 servings
Author Christina Lakey

Ingredients

  • 1 beef soup bone
  • 2 leaves bay
  • 8-10 cups water
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 large onion diced
  • 3 cloves garlic minced
  • 1/2 pound beef medallions
  • 3 carrots or about 10 baby carrots, shredded, peeled and shredded
  • ½ small can of tomato paste
  • 3 potatoes peeled and cubed
  • 2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons beef base about 1 teaspoon for each cup of water used
  • 1/2 head of cabbage cut into strips
  • 3 beets beets stain everything, so take caution, peeled and shredded
  • 1 tablespoon sugar
  • 1 tablespoon white vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon dried dill
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • One bunch of parsley or dill for serving, chopped
  • Sour cream for serving

Instructions

  1. Boil soup bone and bay leaves in 8-10 cups of water for about 30 minutes.
  2. Meanwhile (while soup bone is boiling), heat a large skillet with 1 tablespoon olive oil to medium-low heat.
  3. Add onion, garlic, shredded carrots, and beef medallions. Cook until all starts to brown, about 3-5 minutes.
  4. Add tomato paste and about 1/4 cup of the broth that is cooking (should be thick but able to stir). Cook for an additional 7-10 minutes until tomato paste starts to turn a little darker in color.
  5. Remove soup bone from the broth.
  6. Add beef base to broth and stir until dissolved.
  7. Add tomato and beef mixture to broth.
  8. Add potatoes to broth and simmer for about 10-15 minutes or until firm, but just starting to soften.
  9. While potatoes are cooking, return to your skillet and add the shredded beets and cabbage, adding more olive oil if needed to help them fry.
  10. Add the sugar and vinegar, stirring until evenly coated, and cook until browned, about 10 minutes. (No need to clean skillet in-between uses.)
  11. Add fried cabbage and beet mixture to the broth.
  12. Add dill and salt and pepper to taste.
  13. Cook 10 more minutes, or more, as needed, to allow flavors to blend.
  14. Throw in a garnishment of fresh dill or fresh parsley right before serving to give a great colorful effect and fresh edge.
  15. Top with a dollop of sour cream, if desired.

Recipe Notes

Dress it down (simpler):
Substitute pre-made beef stock instead of using the soup bone and beef base for the basic broth.
Eliminate the beef medallions for a more veggie-ized version.