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This crazy easy Ukrainian borscht recipe is packed with tender bone-in beef, beets, potatoes, & veggies. Hearty & healthy, this soup is to-die-for!
There is truly nothing like a steaming bowl of borscht on a cold winter day. This classic borscht recipe is the way my Ukrainian grandma and mother made it. Easy to make, flavorful, and filling, this soup will have you hooked at first slurp.
What Is Borscht?
Borscht is a classic red beet soup loaded with veggies and bone-in beef with a savory, sweet and sour broth. It is typically served hot with a garnish of sour cream and dill and is a staple and comfort food in many Eastern European homes.
The most popular version of borscht is Ukrainian borscht, which is made with red beets. However, other common “borscht” soups include those made with sorrel (green borscht), rye (white borscht) and cabbage. The exact origin of the soup is unknown; however, it is commonly agreed that it does have strong Slavic roots.
How to Make Borscht Video
How to Make Borscht from Scratch
Preparing borscht is a game of layering – add in a couple ingredients, simmer the soup for a bit, then repeat the process until the soup is ready.
- Boil the meat: In a large pot, boil the water. Slice the beef and simmer it in the water for 20 minutes.
- Sauté the veggies: In a separate pan, sauté the carrots, onions, and grated beets in olive oil until they’re soft, then add them into the pot.
- Add the beans: Drain and rinse the canned kidney beans and add them into the pot. Cook the soup for another 20 minutes.
- Toss in the potatoes: Next, toss in the sliced potatoes and simmer for 15 minutes.
- Put in the rest of the ingredients: Once the potatoes are nearly finished, stir in the cabbage. Season the soup with salt, black pepper, vinegar, and ketchup. Allow the soup to simmer for 10 minutes.
- Garnish and serve: Serve the borscht with a dollop of sour cream or mayo. Ladle a big bowl up and enjoy!
Hot tip: If you’re not a fan of ketchup, substitute it with tomato paste instead! Add in a smidge more vinegar to compensate for a slightly sour flavor.
Handy Tips & Tricks
A few foolproof tips will ensure this beet soup has fall-off-the-bone meat, tender veggies, and scrumptious broth in every slurp.
- Prepare the soup in a dutch oven: If you have a dutch oven, use it! This pot maintains heat and moisture wonderfully.
- Keep the soup over medium heat: To prevent overcooking and not giving the ingredients enough time to develop their flavors, keep the soup over medium heat throughout the process.
- Season the soup to taste: For a tangier soup, add in lemon juice or more vinegar at the end of cooking. If you like it salty, add more salt.
- Add in more flavor: Optionally, add in chopped celery, bay leaves, or a couple of garlic cloves for more flavor.
- Use a mandoline slicer: Make the sliced cabbage uniform by slicing it with a mandoline slicer.
- Always use bone-in meat: When possible, always use bone-in meat for borscht. Bone-in meat adds a level of flavor that is unmatched.
What To Serve With Borscht
Serve a warm bowl of borscht alongside a hunk of no-knead bread to dip into the savory broth. Ukrainian garlic rolls would also be a perfect match for this soup. If you like a heartier bread, a rye or honey wheat will do the trick. For a hearty side, try our savory piroshky filled with ground meat, or overnight piroshky for a traditional Ukrainian meal. In terms of garnish, borscht is classically served with a dollop of sour cream or mayo, minced green onions, and fresh dill/fresh parsley. If you’re a garlic-lover, you can also add marinated chopped cloves right on top.
Storing & Reheating Leftovers
The most amazing thing about borscht is that it continues to develop its flavors as it marinates. Honestly, day #3 borscht is actually the best! Here are a few tips on how best to store it so the flavors continue to improve.
- Refrigerator: To keep borscht fresh for up to a week, store it in an airtight container in the fridge. Avoid freezing borscht, as the potatoes and beets tend to turn mushy and gritty upon thawing.
- Reheating: To reheat borscht, place it in a soup pot or saucepan over medium heat and heat until warmed through.
FAQ
What does borscht taste like?
Borscht is a hearty sweet and sour soup packed with beef and veggies. The veggies provide the sweetness and the vinegar and ketchup give a tang of sourness. It is the perfect soup to warm up to on a cold day.
Is borscht healthy?
Borscht is packed with tons of nutrients and vitamins essential in a healthy diet. It is full of protein, fiber, vitamin C, potassium, and more! Borscht is also naturally low in calories and cholesterol.
Can you can borscht?
Yes, you can can borscht and depending on how it is canned, it may be stored for up to a year in a cool place. It’s best to can it in large pint jars so you can reheat enough for a couple servings at a time.
Is borscht better the next day?
Yes, borscht is nearly always better the next day. This gives the soup time to develop its flavors overnight. Borscht is edible the day-of preparation, but waiting a day is even better flavor-wise.
More Classic Slavic Soup Recipes
- Creamy Vegetarian Borscht Recipe – Savory beet soup with vegetables
- Quick Sorrel Soup – Traditional borscht made from sorrel (shchavel)
- Cabbage Roll Soup – Slavic cabbage-rolls, but in soup form.
- Dumpling (Pelmeni) Soup — Meat dumplings mixed with a few veggies in a light broth
Recipe
Classic Borscht Recipe
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Servings
8 servings
Prep Time 30 minutes mins
Cook Time 45 minutes mins
Total Time 1 hour hr 15 minutes mins
Recipe contributed by: Natalya Drozhzhin
This crazy easy Ukrainian borscht recipe is packed with tender bone-in beef, beets, potatoes, & veggies. Hearty & healthy, this soup is to-die-for!
Ingredients
- 1 lb bone-in beef
- 4 tbsp oil
- 2 medium carrots grated
- 1/2 large onion finely chopped
- 1 large beet peeled and grated or sliced thinly
- 16 oz canned kidney beans rinsed and drained
- 3 medium potatoes sliced into bite-sized pieces
- 1/4 head of medium cabbage thinly chopped
- 1 tbsp salt adjust to taste
- 1 tsp ground pepper adjust to taste
- 1 tbsp vinegar
- 2 tbsp ketchup
US Units – Metric
Instructions
In a large pot, bring 4 quarts of water to a boil. Slice the beef into 2-inch pieces and add to pot; let it simmer for about 20 minutes.
In a large skillet, sauté the carrots, onions and beets in 4 tablespoons of cooking oil. Sauté the vegetables until they are soft (7-10 minutes) and add them into the pot.
Drain and rinse beans and add them to the pot. Simmer for another 15 minutes.
Add in the sliced potatoes to the pot and cook for another 15 minutes.
When the potatoes are nearly done cooking, add the thinly chopped cabbage to the pot. Next, season with salt to taste, ground pepper, vinegar, and ketchup. Let the borscht simmer for 10 more minutes.
Serve the borscht with a dollop of sour cream or mayo. Enjoy!
Nutrition Facts
Classic Borscht Recipe
Amount Per Serving
Calories 205 Calories from Fat 108
% Daily Value*
Fat 12g18%
Saturated Fat 2g10%
Trans Fat 0.03g
Polyunsaturated Fat 2g
Monounsaturated Fat 6g
Cholesterol 24mg8%
Sodium 1102mg46%
Potassium 449mg13%
Carbohydrates 14g5%
Fiber 5g20%
Sugar 4g4%
Protein 12g24%
Vitamin A 2599IU52%
Vitamin C 13mg16%
Calcium 41mg4%
Iron 2mg11%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Posted January 4, 2024
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Christopher BirkbeckMar 5, 2023 This recipe is a thing of beauty, the oxtail broth, the low heat manifested borscht, that gets better on day 2, and best on day 3, but it's just as good 7 days later. I have never made borscht, but I have eaten it hundreds of times and this recipe competes with the best of them.
Chris
Natalya DrozhzhinMar 6, 2023 Hi Chris, thank you so much for this kind feedback! I am thrilled that you found a recipe that you love! Enjoy it! Sounds so delicious!!
NikolasNov 10, 2022 This is an awesome recipe the version a friend of mines family involves adding diced tomatoes, A LOT of garlic, and the juice of half a lemon.
Natalya DrozhzhinNov 10, 2022 Hi Nikolas, That version sounds quite tasty as well! Hope you give our recipe a try! I am sure you will love it! Enjoy!
JuliaJul 27, 2022 Hi! I wanted to ask what can I do instead if I want to make the borscht without meat? How much beef broth would I need to use instead?
Natalya DrozhzhinJul 27, 2022 Hi Julia! I actually have a vegetarian borscht recipe, here is the link: https://momsdish.com/recipe/3…
Enjoy!
PeterMay 22, 2022 I heard it goes well with Ukrainian vodka. I bought all the ingredients plus the vodka but got so pissed on the vodka that I didn’t do the recipe. I went and got a Morley’s chicken, ribs and chips instead.
I’ve learned my lesson and I am going to try again but this time without the vodka.Natalya DrozhzhinMay 23, 2022 Hey Peter, you added vodka to the borscht? I dont think thats a good idea. Hope you love it second time around. Enjoy!
Andrea PrendergastMar 8, 2022 My family was from Russia (no fighting, lol). We made a similar vegetarian borscht like this.
Ingredients:
Red beets, vegetable broth, onions, sour salt (to taste) and fresh dill. Combine and let simmer. We usually let it simmer all day. At the end my aunt would add heavy whipping cream to the soup. Nice and easy. Now my stomach can't handle the whipping cream so I just eat it plain (sometimes with a dollop of sour cream. Give it a try!Natalya DrozhzhinMar 8, 2022 Hi Andrea- thank you for sharing! Borscht is loved by so many! I also prefer to just eat the borscht without adding any whipping cream or sour cream to it. It's nice there are so many ways to modify this recipe to taste.
Laurance GayMar 4, 2022 Hi Natalya- I began your No Knead dough last night to bake this evening. Now this morning I am beginning your Borscht recipe. I have read through your instructions twice and am a bit confused. Sorry if I missed this but I understand simmering 1 lb. two inch pieces of bone in beef in 4 quarts water for 20 min. What do I do with the beef after that? Do I cut the meat up into smaller bite size pieces without the bones? Is the water used to simmer the beef the “beef broth” or do I use a heartier beef broth in place of the water that the beef simmered in. Thank you. Laurance
Natalya DrozhzhinMar 4, 2022 Hi Laurance- thanks for reaching out. You'll let the beef simmer in the 4 quarts of water for 20 minutes and after that you just leave the meat in there as you begin to add the rest of the ingredients into the pot. It'll get more tender as the borscht keeps cooking. Hope this helps!
BenMar 2, 2022 Just found out about this dish from reading a story of a Ukrainian store owner, who’s business was just affected by a Russian missile, saying that “The two most important things a Ukrainian woman needs to know is how to make borscht and Molotovs”. I check in and pray everyday for the brave Ukrainian people, in their fight against authoritarianism and evil. I will be making this dish in honor and prayer during these dark times. Glory and Strenght To Ukraine!!!🇺🇦🙏🏼
Natalya DrozhzhinMar 2, 2022 Hi Ben- thank you for your kind words and support. Borscht indeed is a CLASSIC Ukrainian dish and is loved by many. I hope you love it, too!
Lou WietingFeb 18, 2022 I haven't eaten breakfast yet & I can hardly wait to make some borscht tonight thanks so much
Natalya DrozhzhinFeb 18, 2022 Hi Lou - You have to share how it turns out! I think I'm craving a bowl of borscht myself this weekend. Appreciate your kind words.
AndriaJan 16, 2022 4 quarts of water? is that correct?
Natalya DrozhzhinJan 16, 2022 Hi Andria - Yes, that's correct! Some of the water will evaporate out, but we like a good amount of broth for this soup. Thanks for the questions and hope this helps!
PaymeJan 11, 2022 Have you ever home-canned this recipe? It would be great to have a few jars of it in the cold cellar/pantry. For a really quick version of this recipe, I used home-canned beef with home-canned broth, home-canned potatoes and home-canned beets. I'd rather make the whole thing then home-can the recipe in its "completeness" except for the sour cream and sprigs of fresh dill. Thoughts?
Natalya DrozhzhinJan 11, 2022 Hi Payme - You could totally home-can this soup! My mom used to do it all the tip. Smart move on leaving out the sour cream and dill - those are best added fresh.
Andrea PrendergastMar 8, 2022 Hot home canned (pressure cooker) or can you cold can? Can it then be frozen?
Natalya DrozhzhinMar 8, 2022 Hi there- I haven't tried freezing it so I'm not sure, but you can definitely can it!
Elena JollyJan 4, 2022 What kind of cabbage, onion and vinegar is best?
Natalya DrozhzhinJan 5, 2022 Hi Elena - Green cabbage, white onion, and classic white vinegar will do. Thanks for the question and Happy New Year!
MortJan 2, 2022 Does the recipe have fresh dill in it? The picture looks like it but it's not in your ingredients list.
Natalya DrozhzhinJan 3, 2022 Hi Mort - Yes, we like to garnish the soup with fresh dill. We love the extra flavor it adds, but it's not a must. Hope you enjoy and Happy New Year!
NevaehSep 29, 2021 thank you for this recipe! I can't have sodium but this is a great starting point for me to modify and make sodium free 🙂
Natalya DrozhzhinSep 29, 2021 Hello, I am so glad you found this recipe as a helpful blueprint and that you could customize it for yourself. Thank you for your feedback!
JulieSep 13, 2021 Hi Natalya,
I made this recipe today and it turned out good.
I wanted to ask why the meet was not tender but very hard to bite through. I cooked it as directed with one bone piece and other 1 inch pieces for 45 mi.Natalya DrozhzhinSep 15, 2021 Hey Julie, I am happy to hear that you enjoyed it. I think a few things could cause the meat not to be tender. Maybe the cut was too large and didn't cook through. Another reason would be the cut of meat you used. If you can provide us with more details, we can try to help. Thank you!
Mark SidApr 19, 2021 Barszcz (borscht), traditionally and most importantly, starts with fermented beets & resultant sour juice... That is the source of sourness & color.
Added cooked fresh beets will provide the sweetness + the usual hearty veggie-rich stock, either pork or beef-based, or both will take care of the rest. Throw in some beans, cabbage, and potatos to make it a perfect winter soup ..
Think of barszcz as a sweet & sour soup.
Vinegar is never used for acidity control in traditionally cooked barszcz.Polish, Ukrainian, and eastern/central Europe's cuisines are very rich in fermented vegetables or grains-based soups.
The white barszcz and żurek are based on fermented grains (wheat and/or rye)... There is also an 'ogórkowa' (fermented cucumber, not dills) and kapuśniak (fermented cabbage).Just like the Japanese miso ramens are based on fermented soybeans.
See AlsoGrandma's Dinner Rolls RecipeThere is a lot of interest nowadays in fermented vegetables... because we've learned so much about their positive influence on our intestinal microbiome.
Hope that helps clear the Ukrainian-Russian borsch (barszcz) dispute ...
Natalya DrozhzhinApr 19, 2021 Mark, thank you very much for sharing your knowledge, this was so interesting to learn!
Mark SidApr 25, 2021 Like the viruses .. foods don't need visas or passports ..to cross the borders.. sort of like .. kapustniak/kapuśniak/saurkrautsuppe/choucroute garnis ..from Kyiv via Warsaw via Berlin to Paris .. nothing .. other than slightly mutated culinary ideas ..
Same planet .. same air .. same water .. same life .. same foods ..sometimes variants ..Natalya DrozhzhinApr 26, 2021 Yes, similar recipes with slight variations, and they are all delicious!
GeorgeApr 7, 2021 I have tried many various borscht recipes over the years to find what I like best, and your recipe is very similar to what I arrived at. Biggest difference is one recipe I tried had you boil the beets whole for about 45 minutes before cooling and cutting them, and I like the texture better that way. I use the purple beets water for part of the liquid as well. I have also found that while stew beef is best, when I am in a hurry or being cheap, it tastes pretty good with ground beef as well.
Natalya DrozhzhinApr 7, 2021 I'm so glad you enjoyed this recipe, thank you for taking the time to comment your feedback!
Philip KochMar 25, 2021 Beets are high in iron.
Natalya DrozhzhinMar 25, 2021 Yes!! Really good for you!
Paige BrownDec 9, 2020 I really love sauerkraut so I think I would prefer that over the vinegar and ketchup. How much would you suggest putting in?
Natalya DrozhzhinDec 9, 2020 I would do half of the fresh cabbage and replace the other half with sauerkraut.
GeorgeApr 7, 2021 I have made mine with half a can of sauerkraut before and it tasted great, as well as being cheaper and faster than chopping a head of cabbage.
Natalya DrozhzhinApr 7, 2021 Thank you for the tip, George! That is a great idea!
Philip.Nov 11, 2020 In the first step you say "Cut beet into 2-inch pieces and let it simmer" but the picture looks like meat. Is it beet or beef?
Natalya DrozhzhinNov 11, 2020 Oh my, yes beef 🙂 thank you!
ShariOct 31, 2020 If I use chicken in the borscht, what’s the process for that? Do I boil it, bake it, or just what?
Natalya DrozhzhinNov 1, 2020 You would follow the same process as you would with beef. You may just need to cook it for a shorter time!
graceOct 2, 2020 this is INCREDIBLE! thank you for sharing this classic, true-to-form recipe. a few substitutions for V/VG that i did:
i put in vegan sausage (1 pack) and simmered it in veg broth for the first step.
i used 1 jar of quartered beets brined in a red vinaigrette (Trader Joe's) because they were out of beets-- and it was perfect! this meant i skipped the vinegar at the end.
added a dash of sriracha instead of ketchup-- nice color, nice little kick.
i added a dollop of no-fat greek yogurt (my non-VG cheat) instead of sour cream to let the Borscht bring the sour-ness.
will definitely be making this again (and again).
Natalya DrozhzhinOct 3, 2020 Hey Grace, I am loving all the tips. So happy to hear that you loved it! Thank you for sharing.
Kristie BarrettAug 4, 2020 What is the green herb in the picture of the cabbage going into the pot? I don't see it listed on the ingredients...
SarahOct 4, 2020 Many traditional Borscht recipes do add fresh chopped dill before serving.
Natalya DrozhzhinOct 4, 2020 Hey Sarah, yes, it is very common. But every household still did it a bit different.
Natalya DrozhzhinAug 4, 2020 Hey Kristie, its fresh parsley, it adds a bit more color to the photo. I don't add it to the soup.
wordsaremyworldJun 23, 2020 To answer your question .... there are a hundred different types of borscht - all made with beets but all different - and it is a common soup not just in Russia and Ukraine, but in Belarus, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Poland, Chech Republic, Slovakia... maybe other countries as well. My favorite is the cool borscht made with beet greens and kefir served on warm June days - when i visited Vilnius in June of 1992 it was a stole in every restaurant.
Natalya DrozhzhinJun 23, 2020 Thank you for sharing!
NinaMay 4, 2020 Hi Natalya! I have made this borscht! But i must say it didn't turn out as red as expected! I have omitted the vinegar and ketchup though. Could it be the reason ? Many thanks.
Carol BoykoOct 6, 2020 The carrots leach the red dye from the beets...you can add a small can of tomato paste and it will redden up again.
Natalya DrozhzhinOct 7, 2020 Hey Carol, thank you for this awesome tip!
AnnetteSep 11, 2020 Vinegar or lemon juice or pickle brine help keep the red colour.
Natalya DrozhzhinSep 12, 2020 Anette, such a great tip! Thanks for sharing!
Natalya DrozhzhinMay 4, 2020 Hey Nina, the redness comes from the beets. Some beets have a deeper color and some don't. The taste is probably very similar though.
NinaMay 4, 2020 Thank you for your reply! 🙂
AnyaApr 17, 2020 Hey! Could you give us some tips if we wanted to make it vegetarian? I’m assuming just using veggie broth and cooking the veggies in there?
Natalya DrozhzhinApr 18, 2020 Hey Anya, yes, sue veggie broth and skip the meat part altogether. Definitely add beans, it will be really good. We make it vegetarian as well sometimes and the beans add so much flavor.
Mary SalterApr 5, 2020 Hi Natalya,
I grew up on borsch, so I'm on the hunt for a genuine recipe. My mum never wrote down her recipes, and now she's gone, I have nothing to go by.
I found your site on the Ukrainian Recipes FB page, it looks great, so I'm giving it a go.
Can you give me some thoughts of cooking this in a slow cooker. Would you reduce the liquids slightly?
MarikaNatalya DrozhzhinApr 5, 2020 Hey Marika, I have never made it in an instant pot. I think it could make cabbage a bit soggy so I prefer cooking it on a stovetop. This is the way my mom and grandma made it and it's the closest in flavor to their borscht. Keep me posted, I really hope you love this recipe!
AnnMar 24, 2020 Hi, quick question do the beets have to be cooked prior to using in the recipe?
Natalya DrozhzhinMar 25, 2020 Hey Ann, they don't need to be precooked. They cook in the borscht and add so much flavor.
NataFeb 13, 2020 Do you have to take out the bones?
Natalya DrozhzhinFeb 13, 2020 Hey Nata, we leave the bones while the borscht is cooking. At the end, I remove the large bone.
NatalkaFeb 12, 2020 Borscht is Ukrainian (not Russian).
saraJan 30, 2024 Considering the historical fact the Kiev is the birthplace unified Rus, I think it's fair to say that borsch is also Russian. There are many countries with beet soup with regional variations. Beet soup predates the modern divide between Ukraine and Russia. Maybe the beans make it more Ukranian but I live in Russia and I honestly haven't seen a big difference in the recipes.
Natalya DrozhzhinFeb 13, 2020 Natalka, thats what I was thinking! 🙂
KieraFeb 12, 2020 Your website is the best! Just love how pretty and simple the dishes are. I feel so comfortable cooking them. I like this recipe too. Will try making it tonight!
Natalya DrozhzhinFeb 12, 2020 Kiera, wow! Your compliment is so sweet! I am glad you found the blog. Let me know what you think of this recipe. 🙂
