I am going to start this by saying borscht is one of my favourite soups. For me, borscht is a comforting sweet and savory red beet soup, often with beef simmered until falling apart tender but there are many variations and I didn’t even realize how many variations until I was researching for this post. Many recipes are vegetarian, some contain beef while others contain pork, some use only light beets while others are deep red or purple and some are green with sorrel or other greens! There are still more variations using tomato, sometimes fermented, others no tomato, likewise with potatoes or even turnips and it can be served warm or cold. Borscht is originally Ukrainian but has long been traditional in Russia and most other Eastern European countries and it’s no wonder with how much borders changed throughout the last 1000 years in that area. My great grandparents home was sometimes called Poland and other times called Ukraine. I found a really cool video on YouTube with a time lapse of the borders changing which helped me put the stories in perspective. Check it out here if you’re interested.
Initially I did not set out to post a borscht recipe because I felt it was so basic and not really “my own recipe” but then I opened the boxes of my Grandmother’s china. I was immediately transported to her kitchen with the smells of her delicious soup, cabbage rolls and pierogies in the dishes she served them in, my memories of her lovingly making the Ukrainian food she grew up with and serving to us at large family gatherings felt surprisingly fresh. I have regrets of not spending more time with her learning the recipes better. I have thankfulness that my mom did spend some time learning these special and meaningful recipes and that she has shared the recipes with me and sometimes makes them for our family gatherings now.
My grandma usually made her borscht vegetarian, likely borne of necessity during her parents time during war and their subsequent immigration to Canada which was not as easy as they likely had hoped, but this borscht recipe is based on my mom’s version which includes beef. Meaty, rich, sweet, sour and savory, full of healthy vegetables and at the same time warm and comforting. It is not a difficult soup, it just needs time to simmer and although my favourite version is this one with beef, it is very easy and tasty to make it vegetarian (omit beef and substitute veggie stock) and I have made it multiple times that way too. It is a great use for beets (and beet greens if you have them), carrots, onions and cabbage from the garden, all the vegetables that keep well into winter, sometimes I will even add a diced apple for extra sweetness. Served with a dollop of sour cream or plain yogurt and garnished with dill, this is gorgeous, rich and comforting fall food at it’s best.
Beet and Beef Borscht
A great way to use winter vegetables and if your beets have their tops, use them in this soup too. This is warm, hearty, sweet, savory and a touch sour, quick to prepare but needs to simmer for a few hours for the meat to become tender. Alternatively you could make this in a slow cooker or in a Instant Pot pressure cooker. If you omit the beef, this only needs to simmer for 45 minutes and this is soup gets better with time so feel free to make it up to 3 days ahead.
Ingredients
- 1-1 1/2 lb Stewing Beef, Cubed Short ribs work well too, but skim the fat during simmering
- 1 tbsp Olive Oil
- 1 Onion, Coarsely Chopped (1 Cup)
- 2 Carrots, Diced 1/2" (1 Cup)
- 1/2 c Tomato Sauce
- 1 tbsp Red Wine Vinegar
- 6 c Beef Stock If you are using a store bought stock that is salty, use 4 c of stock and 2 c of water.
- 2 c Beets, Diced 1/2", (Green Tops Coarsely Chopped Optional) About 3 medium beets
- 2 c Cabbage, Shredded
- Salt And Pepper To Taste
Garnish
- 3/4 c Sour Cream
- 1 Small Bunch Dill, chopped
Instructions
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Preheat a large, wide heavy bottomed pot on medium-high. Once hot, add oil and then beef in one layer without crowding. Let it brown without stirring until it is well caramelized, then flip and brown other sides.
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Once beef is well browned, add onion and carrot, stirring gently. This will create a bit of moisture and steam and will help loosen the brown bits on the bottom of the pan.
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Add in tomato sauce, vinegar and stock, bring to a boil and then reduce heat to low and simmer 2 hours.
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Add in beets, beet tops if using and cabbage and simmer 1 more hour. If the soup is reducing too much, put lid on for last hour.
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Season with salt and pepper and then serve adding a dollop of sour cream and a sprinkling of dill to each bowl.
Love the family story inspiration behind this recipe – just lovely! Recipe looks so simple & comforting!
Thank you Jessica, it is simple and easy but such a rich flavour. 💕
I am a soup lover, so reading about your Ukrainian Borscht soup is so appealing to me, Sabrina. So hearty and chock full of vegetables – my kind of soup. I am looking forward to trying it. Many thanks for sharing.
Thank you so much Denise! It is super healthy and even better if you make it ahead 🙂
Sabrina, I love your version of borscht. It’ s such a great hearty soup, perfect for the weather.
Thank you and yes! I totally agree, it is warm, comforting and full of umami goodness ❤️🧡💚
I’ve been wanting to make beet borscht! This recipe looks perfect and will accommodate our family’s allergies. Thank you!
Corinna | Friendly Pantry
That’s excellent, I’m so glad 🙂 thank you!
I love your story Sabrina, it reminded me of my own memories of family gatherings at my Ukrainian grandparent’s home … everyone enjoying Grandma’s borscht … except for me. Grandma putting a bowl in front of me while telling me, “Eat borscht. It is good, ” and me saying, “I don’t like Borscht Grandma.” Well I sure love it now! It is one of my favourite soups; I will have to try your version 🙂 ps: I love your Grandma’s china; so pretty. I bet it makes you smile each time you serve food in them while remembering your Grandma.
Awww, thank so much for the kind words and funny story lol. I’m glad you like borscht now and ps. this is even better a day or two after you make it 💕
It’s so lovely that this recipe was inspired by your grandmother’s china! I love how kitchen time and food can conjure up the loveliest memories! Thanks for sharing Sabrina!
Yes I so agree! Thank you so much 😊
Such a hearty and comforting soup especially for winter. I have never tried making borscht and your version looks healthy and delicious. Memories of grandma’s food last forever. It was really interesting to see how the borders kept changing all through the last 1000 years.
Thank you 😊 It’s such a fabulous soup and very delicious vegetarian as well by omitting the beef and using veggie stock as my grandma and great grandparents did. I sure agree, the changing borders were so interesting to see, really eye opening 😊
Growing up in the Kootenays, I was used to eating the Doukhobor borscht, which is delicious, but very different from this one. It wasn’t until I moved to the coast that I learned about the Ukranian version. Yours looks every bit as delicious, & I’m excited to try it!
Thanks Colleen! Now I’m curious, wat is the difference in the Doukhobor version? I know the Ukrainian one sometimes doesn’t include meat likely because of a lack of it during war time.