Traditional Borscht Recipe: Classic Beet Soup

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Thank you! This recipe is worth all the effort. Delicious! ~Tamara

borscht soup in a stock pot with a metal ladle scooping some of the soup out.

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. After more than 20 years of making it, my family recipe comes down to a few small techniques that make a big difference. The biggest one: how and when you add the beets, so your borscht stays vibrant ruby red.

What I Love About My Borscht Recipe

This soup tastes like my childhood, and it’s still the pot I make when I want real comfort food.

It’s the recipe my mom taught me. She passed down so many Eastern European traditions to me, and this one has stayed in my kitchen for decades.
The broth is completely homemade. I sear beef and marrow bones, then simmer them low and slow with bay leaves, coriander, and peppercorns to create the best rich, savory broth.
The color stays bright. I cook the beets whole and grate them in at the very end to finish the soup, so every bowl comes out that signature deep red.
It feeds a crowd. One pot makes 10 servings, and I love having leftovers because the flavor gets even better the next day.
It’s naturally gluten free. Everything in the pot is simple, whole ingredients.

Table of Contents

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.

Is Borscht Russian or Ukrainian?

Borscht originated in Ukraine, and in 2022 UNESCO recognized Ukrainian borscht cooking as part of the country’s cultural heritage. It’s also a beloved staple all across Russia and Eastern Europe. I grew up in Russia, where borscht was a household staple, and every family I knew had their own version.

How Do You Pronounce Borscht?

In Russian and Ukrainian, the word is борщ, which sounds closer to “borsch” or “borshch.” There’s no “t” sound at the end. You’ll see it spelled borscht, borsch, and borshch, and they all mean the same soup.

labeled ingredients to make the beef stock for the soup of wooden background.

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.
Beets: Choose medium beets, about 1.5 pounds total. Look for firm beets with smooth skin.
Cabbage: Use a small to medium head of green cabbage. If you can only find a large one, use the leftovers to make fried cabbage or colcannon.
Potatoes: Idaho potatoes, also called russet or baking potatoes, cook up soft and fluffy in the soup.
Tomato paste: Use paste, not tomato sauce. You want that concentrated, rich flavor.
Vinegar: Stir in a tablespoon of white vinegar right after the beets to lock in the bright red color and add a light, balancing tang.

Labeled ingredients to make borscht soup on a wood surface.

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.

White vinegar (optional): Stir in a tablespoon right after the beets if you’d like a little extra help keeping the color bright. It won’t affect the flavor. I often skip it these days since adding cooked beets at the end preserves the color of the soup.

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 with beets: 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 or right into the soup pot for easiest clean up.

How to Make Borscht Soup

collage of four photos of steps of making borscht beef broth.

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.

Collage of four photos of steps of cooking vegetables for borscht soup.

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.

collage of four photos of steps to cook soup and adding the beets.

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.

Borscht in a pot with a metal spoon on a wood surface.

Making Borscht Ahead of Time

I love making borscht a day ahead, since the flavors have time to come together overnight and the broth tastes even deeper on day two. And to simplify the process and save time, I always break down the borscht recipe into two days:

On the first day, prepare the beef broth and cook the beets. Once done, refrigerate the strained broth in one container, the meat and the cooked beets in separate containers.
The next day is when I make the soup. And when broth and meat is done, preparing the soup will take less than an hour.

Storing and Reheating Borscht Soup

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.

borscht soup in a pot with a ladle scoop of soup being lifted out.

Ways to Serve Borscht

My favorite way to serve borscht is with a dollop of sour cream stirred into the bowl and a sprinkle of fresh dill.

Hard boiled eggs: Slice them and add a few pieces to each bowl.
Bread: Dark rye bread is the classic pairing. Rub a slice with a cut garlic clove for the most traditional bite, or serve a warm baguette or my potato dinner rolls on the side.
Make it a full meal: Borscht traditionally comes to the table as a first course, followed by a main dish. Serve it with crispy potato pancakes or my creamy Russian mushroom julienne for a true Eastern European dinner.

What are Some Variations of Borscht Soup 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. For a cabbage-forward soup with a lighter, golden broth, make my beef and cabbage soup (shchi).
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.
Sauerkraut: Swap some of the fresh cabbage for sauerkraut to add extra tang.
Beans: Stir in a can of drained white or kidney beans with the potatoes for more heartiness.

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.

Borscht soup in a bowl with a dollop of sour cream on top and herbs as garnish.

Borscht Recipe FAQs

What does borscht taste like?

Borscht tastes savory, earthy, and slightly sweet. Expect a rich beef broth, a subtle sweetness from the beets, and depth from the tomato paste. Finish each bowl with fresh dill and a spoonful of sour cream.

Is borscht healthy?

My borscht is packed with vegetables and protein from the beef and it’s very lean. Beets are high in fiber and an excellent source of folate and vitamins A and K, according to University of Missouri Extension.

Is borscht served hot or cold?

Both, depending on the version. Serve this beef borscht hot. Cold borscht is a separate, vegetable-based soup.

Why did my borscht turn brown or orange?

Beets lose their color when they cook too long in the soup. Cook them whole first and grate them in at the very end to keep the color bright red.

Can I use store-bought broth?

Yes but beef still needs to be cooked for a long time, until tender, and it will cost ALOT more since you will need to buy the broth. So you are creating your own free broth by simmering beef until very tender with some spices and herb. Plus cooking beets in it will flavor the broth further.

Can I use canned or precooked beets?

Yes, in a pinch. Precooked, vacuum-packed beets or drained canned beets both work. Grate or dice them and add them at the very end. You will miss out on more flavor though, since the beets cook in broth and favor the broth in my recipe.

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Originally published on Will Cook For Smiles in March 2012.

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All images and text ©Lyubov Brooke for ©Will Cook For Smiles. Please do not use my images without prior permission. If using my posts in collections and features, please link back to this post for the recipe.
Disclaimer: Nutrition information shown is not guaranteed to be 100% accurate as most ingredients and brands have variations.

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43 Comments

Roksolana says:

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Hi, you have one mistake. Borscht is a Ukrainian traditional dish, not russian

Marina says:

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It looks good on the picture, but Russians make it different way.
Although everyone has its own way to make. We usually boil potatoes and cabbage.
But beets better to sauté with onion and carrots, and tomato paste.

Charissa Walters says:

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We love borscht and this looks like a very good recipe. I am growing red sorrel for the first time this year. When should I put it in the soup?

Ihor says:

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Good recepie!

1. lyuba says:
  
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  Thank you! 🙂
  
Ihor says:

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Please check your information about this dish!
Actually it is ukrainian dish.
I would be pleased if you edit this.

1. lyuba says:
  
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  Hi Ihor,
  Borsch did originate in Ukraine, but I named my recipe based on the one I learned from my mom and where I grew up. There are many, many versions of borscht now that differ in one ingredient or another and they all have a specific name. Rather that get technical, this is the recipe that I make at home and that I learned from my family, that’s why I name it this way.
  
Jennifer Bell says:

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Should the coriander be ground or whole?

1. lyuba says:
  
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  HI Jennifer! I’m so sorry that I missed your questions. Coriander is actually whole while preparing the broth.
  
April says:

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So good! Thanks for the amazing recipe!

1. lyuba says:
  
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  Thank you, April!