Traditional Borscht Recipe

As a native Russian, this authentic cabbage soup was a household staple, and it was one of the very first dishes I learned to cook. I had the unique privilege of learning this recipe directly from my mother, a professional chef, who passed down many traditions of Eastern European cuisine to me. With over 20 years of experience making this hearty soup, my unique approach and expertise ensures a rich and flavorful soup every time.

What is Borscht Soup?

Borscht soup is a traditional Ukrainian soup made with beef, cabbage, beets, and other vegetables. It’s known for the beautiful ruby-red color that comes from adding beets.

The main ingredients that always go into borscht soup are cabbage, beets, and beef. You can change up some other veggies that you put into it. Mushrooms and potatoes could be left out if you wish or just don’t like mushrooms. Try adding leek and parsnips to your soup.

Key Ingredient Notes and Tips

Beef – it’s best to use “stew beef,” also known as chuck roast. It’s inexpensive, tough, and has lots of marbling and connective tissue. Not a cut that you want to cook quickly, but it’s perfect for slow cooking and very flavorful. You can buy a whole piece and cut it yourself or get a package that’s pre-cut into about 1-inch chunks. 

Marrow Bones – Marrow bones will provide nutrients, more flavor, and richness to the beef broth. I highly recommend that you use them. Make sure to discard them once the stock is cooked.

Whole Peppercorns and Coriander – Make sure to use whole, not ground spices. If you use ground spices, you can’t strain it out and it will affect the texture of the broth and overall soup.

Cabbage – Use green cabbage that is small to medium in size. If you could only get a large cabbage, use what you need for soup and you can use the leftovers to quickly make Fried Cabbage or Colcannon. 

Potatoes – Idaho potatoes, also known as russet or baking potatoes, are the best ones to use because they cook soft and fluffy.

Tomato Paste – Make sure to use tomato paste and not tomato sauce. Tomato paste is more concentrated, thicker and richer.

Garlic – Use fresh for the best flavor, not pre-minced garlic. Pre-minced garlic often has a very different flavor and aroma from the fresh. You can easily use a garlic press to save time on mincing.

See the recipe card below for the full list of ingredients and instructions.

My Secret To Bright Red Borscht

There are a couple of tricks you can do to keep the signature bright color of the soup.

• The first one is never to add raw grated beets to the soup. They have to be cooked whole and in skin first. If you try to peel, grate and add uncooked beets to the soup, they will lose their color very quickly. Make sure to add the beets, whole and not peeled, to the pot as you are cooking the stock.
• Once the beets are fully cooked through, they are super easy to peel and you can grate them and add to the soup at the end. Make sure to add them at the very end of cooking.
• Another trick to keep the color of the beets is also to stir in about a tablespoon of white vinegar into the soup right after you add the beets. The acidity will help preserve the color as well.
• To prevent beet stained hands: after years of working with beets, I’ve learned to always wear disposable gloves when handling them, this will prevent your hands from staining red. If you did get your hands stained, make a slurry of baking soda and water and scrub your hands. Plastic and wood cutting boards will stain easily, so if you care about how they look, grate them into ceramic plate for the easiest clean up.

How to Make Borscht Soup

Make the Beef Stock

PRO TIP: If you don’t want to deal with straining and picking the whole spices out of the meat and stock later, you can always tie the spices in cheesecloth so you can easily discard it after. 

Before cooking the meat, I like to go through the pieces and cut out large chunks of fat. They will be very unpleasant to eat in soup. If some chunks are too bug, you can also chop them into smaller, bite-sized pieces. Add the beef and marrow bones to the pre-heated pot with some oil and sear for a few minutes. Remember, that getting a golden sear on the meat will infuse more flavor into the both.

Next, pour in the water, add bay leaves, coriander and peppercorns, bring to boil and lower the heat to low. Loosely cover the pot with a lid so that steam can escape. Cook on low for 3-4 hours.

WHEN is the time to add the beets? About halfway through cooking the broth, add the beets to the pot. Cook until done, then take out and set aside.

When done, strain the beef broth but save the meat for the soup! Discard the herbs and make sure to discard the marrow bones.

Make the Soup

You can use the same pot to cook the soup, which will make this a one-pot recipe we all love. Prep your veggies and make sure to give the beats time to cool down so you don’t burn yourself later.

Sauté onions and carrots first over medium heat and I like to make sure to sauté until golden brown. Don’t underestimate the flavor addition of seared meats and veggies, it does make a difference.

Sauté garlic until fragrant and add in potatoes and mushrooms. Cook for a few minutes, stirring occasionally and add cabbage. You want to cook the veggies until cabbage starts to soften, no need to cook it all the way because it will cook in soup.

I recommend adding the tomato paste before the stock because you can mix it with veggies and it will incorporate much easier that with broth. To make sure there are no chunks.

For a more pleasant bite, I always break apart the cooked beef pieces so that we’re not biting into large beef chunks when enjoying the soup. Add the beef and broth to the pot, make sure to add enough to cover the vegetable generously but not too much to make the soup too “watery.”

Cook the borscht soup over medium heat for about 25-30 minutes and make sure to taste the broth to check if you have enough salt and pepper to your taste.

Finish it off with beets: while the soup is cooking, peel beets and grate them into the soup using a large cheese grater. Right before the soup is done, stir in the grated beets and then a tablespoon of white vinegar.

PRO TIP: Don’t forget to garnish with sour cream and fresh dill weed for the most authentic experience.

Make Ahead Suggestions

To simplify the process and save time, you can break down the borscht recipe into two days:

• On the first day, prepare the beef broth and cook the beets. Once done, refrigerate the broth with the meat and the cooked beets in separate containers.
• The next day, preparing the soup will take less than an hour.

Storing and Reheating

Storing: Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 5 days. To preserve freshness, always use a clean ladle when serving.

Freezing: To freeze, first cool the soup completely, then pour it into freezer-safe containers, removing as much air as possible. It can be frozen for up to 2 months. For best results, thaw frozen borscht in the refrigerator overnight.

Reheating: Gently reheat individual portions on the stovetop over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally until warmed through. Alternatively, you can use a microwave.

PRO TIP: Note that potatoes do tend to break down more when frozen and thawed, so the texture will change slightly.

Serving and Pairing Suggestions

My personal favorite addition to traditional borscht is with a dollop of sour cream to make it creamy and a sprinkle of fresh dill weed.

Try adding sliced hard boiled eggs to each bowl as you serve the soup.

Another traditional way to serve it is with some bread on the side. Personally, I recommend a deli fresh baguette but you can use your favorite or freshly baked dinner rolls. 

What are Some Variations of Borscht Recipe?

While classic red borscht is famous, there are many other regional Eastern European variations:
White Borscht: This version is made without beets, giving it a more pronounced, sour flavor that highlights the cabbage.

• Green (Sorrel) Borscht: Another beet-free soup, this variety gets its signature tangy, juicy taste from sorrel, a sour herb that resembles spinach.
• Cold Borscht: This is a completely vegetarian, vegetable-based soup that can be served either cold or warm. It’s not recommended to serve meat-based borscht cold, as the chilled fat becomes unpleasant.

Can I Make This a Vegetarian or Vegan Borscht?

Yes, you can skip the step about cooking beef broth and cook the beats in vegetable broth instead until fork-tender. Make sure to add the recommended spices to the vegetable broth as well. Then, you can follow the steps and instructions for the soup and use the vegetable broth that you used to cook beets.

PIN THIS RECIPE FOR LATER

DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE? PLEASE leave a 🌟 star rating! Let me know how you liked it by leaving the 📝 comment below or share and tag me on social media @willcookforsmiles. DON’T FORGET to subscribe to my newsletter!

More Soup Recipes We Love

• Loaded Baked Potato Soup
• Creamy Chicken Enchilada Soup
• Instant Pot Vegetable Beef Soup
• Broccoli Cheese Soup
• Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup
• White Bean Soup

Originally published on Will Cook For Smiles in March 2012.