Borscht according to the classic recipe
4 servings
130 minutes
Borscht is not just a soup but a culinary heritage of Ukrainian cuisine, a symbol of home comfort and hospitality. Its history spans hundreds of years and remains an unchanged attribute of family gatherings. Classic borscht has a rich red color from beets and a deep, rich flavor from the combination of meat, vegetables, and tomato paste. Each spoonful is a harmony of beet sweetness, tomato acidity, and herb spiciness. Borscht is served hot with a spoonful of sour cream that softens its taste and fresh herbs for added freshness. It is eaten with black bread or garlic pampushky, making the meal especially cozy. This soup is not only nourishing but also warming, perfect for cold days when you want to feel the warmth of home.
1
Take a 3-liter pot. Pour 1.5–2 liters of water into it, add meat. Place it on medium heat. Watch the broth and remove the foam before boiling.
- Water: 2 l
- Bone-in beef: 400 g
2
When it boils, cover the pot with a lid and simmer for one to one and a half hours.
3
While the broth is boiling, fry the vegetables. Wash and peel the beetroot, carrot, and onion. Grate the beetroot on a coarse grater and the carrot on a medium one. Dice the onion. Sprinkle the beetroot with citric acid or drizzle with fresh lemon juice. This will make the borscht truly red.
- Beetroot: 2 pieces
- Carrot: 1 piece
- Onion: 3 pieces
- Citric acid: pinch
4
Pour sunflower oil into the pan and turn on medium heat. First, fry the onion and carrot (5 minutes), then add the beet.
- Sunflower oil: 4 tablespoons
- Onion: 3 pieces
- Carrot: 1 piece
- Beetroot: 2 pieces
5
Fry the vegetables for another 5 minutes. After that, add the tomato paste, mix it, and leave it on the heat for another 5-7 minutes.
- Tomato paste: 2 tablespoons
6
When the broth is ready, remove the meat. While the meat cools, add the chopped cabbage to the broth. After 5-10 minutes, add the sliced potatoes.
- White cabbage: 300 g
- Potato: 4 pieces
7
While the potatoes are boiling, separate the meat from the bone and cut it into cubes. Return the meat to the soup.
- Bone-in beef: 400 g
8
Salt to taste.
- Salt: to taste
9
Add the sauté. Stir. Add bay leaf and finely chopped greens. Cover the pot with a lid and cook for another 5-7 minutes. The borscht is ready.
- Bay leaf: to taste
- Fresh herbs: to taste
10
Pour the borscht into deep plates. Add sour cream and fresh herbs.
- Sour cream: to taste
- Fresh herbs: to taste
