Ukrainian · Soups & Salads

Ukrainian Borscht

Борщ

Serves 6 · Prep: about 30 minutes · Cook: 45–50 minutes · Rest: 10 minutes · Total: about 1½ hours

If you're only used to cold beets in a salad, I really want you to try them in borscht. The hot beef broth gets sweet from the beets, with a little vinegar to sharpen it and garlic that goes in right at the end. Stir in a spoonful of sour cream and it becomes rich and tangy enough that you'll want bread to mop it up.

There's a good amount of potato and cabbage in here too. Keep the potato pieces small and the cabbage thin so you can get them on the spoon with the beets. You want a bit of everything together, especially with some of that sour cream still melting into the broth.

Ingredients

Instructions

1. 1

   Cut the vegetables

   Cut the peeled beets in half and rest each half on its flat side. Slice about ⅛ inch thick, then cut the slices into narrow strips about 1 inch long. Cut the carrot into similar strips. They don't need to match exactly; keep them thin so they soften evenly. If you have a grater and prefer to use it, coarsely grate the beets and carrot instead.

2. 2

   Simmer the potatoes

   Put the broth, potatoes, and bay leaves in a 5- to 6-quart pot. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 12–15 minutes. Check a potato cube with the tip of a knife; it should go through without resistance. Turn off the heat if the potatoes are ready before the beet mixture.

3. 3

   Cook the beets

   While the broth heats, warm the oil in a large, deep skillet over medium heat. Cook the onion for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until it has softened. Stir in the carrot and beets and cook for about 8 minutes, stirring often. Add the tomato paste and stir for another minute to spread it through the vegetables. Ladle ½ cup of broth from the soup pot into the skillet. Cover and cook over low heat for 15–20 minutes, checking after 10 minutes if you grated the vegetables. Taste a beet strip: it should be tender, without a raw crunch. Thicker pieces may need a few extra minutes. Add a splash of broth if the pan is getting dry.

4. 4

   Add the beets and cabbage

   Scrape the beet mixture and any liquid in the skillet into the pot with the cooked potatoes. Add the cabbage, salt, and pepper. Bring back to a gentle simmer and cook for 8–12 minutes, until the cabbage is tender but hasn't gone limp. Taste a strip to check.

5. 5

   Taste for salt and vinegar

   Stir in the garlic and 1 tablespoon of vinegar. Simmer for 2 minutes, then let a spoonful cool enough to taste. Add more salt if needed. If the soup tastes too sweet, stir in another teaspoon of vinegar and taste again. You can also put a dab of sour cream in your tasting spoon to see how you'll like it served.

6. 6

   Rest and serve

   Turn off the heat, stir in the herbs, and let the soup sit covered for 10 minutes. Remove the bay leaves. Ladle into bowls. Add a spoonful of sour cream and a little more dill or parsley to each, or pass them separately. Serve with rye bread.

More recipes to try

American · Soups

Loaded Baked Potato Soup

Korean · Soups

Easy Korean Army Soup

Taiwanese · Soups

Taiwanese Beef Noodle Soup with Beef Balls