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Ukrainian Borscht

Ukrainian Borscht

One of the most classic soup recipes, Ukrainian Borscht is loaded with great vegetables, flavor, and substance. My version is made with beef stock, but there are many variations, including vegetarian. You can't go wrong with this dish!
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Prep Time 1 hour
Cook Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Total Time 2 hours 30 minutes
Course: Main Course, Side Dish
Cuisine: Ukrainian
Ingredients Method

Ingredients
  

  • 12 cups beef stock I boil bone-in beef shank to create a broth ahead of cooking the remainder of the ingredients.
  • 1 medium-sized cabbage, sliced green or red (not sliced too big or small)
  • 1 tbsp olive oil for sauteeing onion, carrots, and beets
  • 1 large yellow onion chopped
  • 4 medium-sized carrots chopped
  • 8 small beets or 3-4 large beets
  • 4 large potatoes I use russet
  • 1 can tomato paste for umami!
  • salt to taste
  • pepper to taste
  • 1 bulb garlic reduce to a few cloves if a bulb is too much for you
  • 1/4 cup parsley dill is ideal, but I only had parsley when I made this recipe
  • 1 cup greek yogurt for serving - alternatively, you could use sour cream, but yogurt is better
  • 1 loaf rye bread for serving

Method
 

  1. In a large pot or dutch oven (I used a 5.5 quart one), add bone-in beef shank, 12 cups of water, and bring to a boil. Simmer beef for at least 1 hour before proceeding.
  2. Wash and chop cabbage, and add to the broth
  3. Simultaneously preheat a skillet with olive oil and add chopped onions and carrots - saute for 5-10 minutes until caramelized
  4. Add beets to the skillet and saute for a few more minutes
  5. Add tomato paste to the skillet and stir to incorporate fully - saute for a few minutes before transferring to the broth/cabbage
  6. Add potatoes to the broth mixture, in addition to salt and pepper, cover and bring to a boil, reducing to a simmer for 20-30 minutes (at least)
  7. Once vegetables have softened and incorporated fully into the broth, turn off the heat and add garlic and parsley (leaving some parsley for final garnishing)
  8. Stir and let the borscht sit for 20-30 minutes so all of the flavors marry each other
  9. Serve with a tablespoon of yogurt and parsley garnish, in addition to a few slices of rye bread - enjoy!