I think there are as many variations of Borsch recipes as there are Slavic cooks, because everyone likes to add their special touch. I grew up eating it regularly and have always loved it. This soup is so full of nutrients; you can just feel the vitamins as you eat each delicious spoonful.
I grew up in Central New York, where my parents have a beautiful property. Every year they plant a garden and grow all kinds of vegetables. During summer vacation I would stroll through the dewy grass and pull out beets, carrots, onions, and garlic out of the rich soil.
Today, I walk through the aisles of the farmer’s market, loading my basket and dreaming of one day once again breathing the fresh air and enjoying my own garden. Although it’s not the same, the Borsch is still a great connection to think of the roots of our food. Not only is it fantastic during the summer when all the produce is amazingly fresh, but it’s such a comforting dish to enjoy in the cold winter months, whether you live in snowy New York or sunny Florida.
Video Recipe of How To Cook Borsch
What Type of Beef Is Used For Borsch?
You can use beef short ribs, beef shank or oxtails, which all are on the bone, but I also like to use beef chuck or beef top sirloin too.
Cut the beef chuck or top sirloin into bite-sized pieces and place it in a small pot with just enough water to cover the beef by about an inch. I love using my Instant Pot (an electric pressure cooker) for cooking the beef while I am cooking the rest of the Borsch. If you’re using the Instant Pot, cook the beef ribs, shank, oxtail or chuck on Manual mode, High Pressure for 45-65 minutes and the beef top sirloin only needs 20 minutes to cook.
If you’re cooking the beef on the stovetop, bring the water to a boil, reduce heat to low and cook at a simmer for 1 – 1 ½ hours, until fork tender, while cooking the borsch. You can also add some black peppercorns and bay leaves to flavor the broth. Skim off the foam from the top of the beef broth as it is cooking.
Chicken Broth
I usually make chicken broth in large batches and store it in my freezer. You can use store bought chicken broth if you don’t want to use homemade broth.
You can certainly omit the chicken broth and just use beef broth that you’ll get when cooking the beef, just make more broth. You can also add some beef bones and add 11 cups of water to the pot. Strain the broth when the beef is falling apart and fork-tender. Return the broth to the pot and continue with the recipe.
However, I prefer using chicken broth and cooking a bit of beef in a small pot on the side, while I am making the Borsch in a big pot. I think the flavor of Borsch based on a chicken broth is the best, at least in my opinion.
Vegetarian or Vegan Borsch
It is very easy to make Borsch without meat. Use vegetable broth instead of chicken broth and use oil for sautéing the vegetables, not butter and garnish the soup with vegan sour cream or don’t use sour cream at all.
Instead of meat, you can add beans or dry mushrooms. Dry porcini mushrooms are my favorite.
Cooking the Vegetables
While the beef is cooking, prepare the rest of the Borsch in a large pot or Dutch oven.
Heat the butter or oil and add the onion, carrot, and celery. Season with salt and ground black pepper. Cook on medium-low heat for 6-8 minutes.
Pour in the water and chicken broth. Add the potatoes and cabbage to the Borsch.
If you are using really young green cabbage, you may want to add it after the potatoes are halfway done cooking, since they don’t take as long to cook as older, more white cabbage.
Bring to a boil, season with salt and keep cooking, at a simmer until the potatoes are cooked through, 15-20 minutes.
Meanwhile, place the beets in a large skillet with the tomato sauce, water, lemon juice and sugar. Season with salt and ground black pepper.
The lemon juice will keep the beets a beautiful, vibrant red and also give it a slight tang to the Borsch. The sugar balances out the acidity of the lemon juice.
I prefer using roasted beets for Borsch, but you can also cook the beets in a pot with water or even use raw beets, but you will have to cook them much longer on the skillet. I usually roast the beets in advance. Here’s how to roast beets:
Cover the skillet, bring the water to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer on medium heat for about 15 minutes, until most of the water and tomato sauce is absorbed. 
Clear a space in the center of the skillet and add the minced garlic to the beets, cooking for another minute or two, just until the garlic is cooked through. 
When the potatoes are tender, add the beets to the soup and take Borsch off the heat. By this time, the beef should be fork-tender. 
If you like the consistency of the soup, drain the beef, if you like the soup to be thinner, drain the beef through a fine mesh sieve and add the beef liquid to the soup as well. If you used beef shank, remove the meat from the bone and cut it into bite-sized pieces. Add the beef to the Borsch as well. 
Season with salt and pepper, if needed. Garnish with finely chopped fresh dill and green onions. We Russians like to add a dollop of sour cream to our bowl of Borsch.
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Borsch is one of the most well-known Slavic foods. It is a beet soup made with many other vegetables. This version is made with beef, potatoes, cabbage, lots of aromatic vegetables and is served with fresh herbs and sour cream. I share all my tips for a vibrantly bright red borsch that has so much incredible flavor.
Ingredients
- 8 oz boneless chuck beef, cut into bite-sized pieces or 1 lb bone-in beef shank
- water to cook the beef
- 12 cups chicken broth
- 1 Tablespoon butter or oil
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 1 carrot, shredded
- 1 celery stalk, finely chopped
- 2 cups, 2-3 gold potatoes, cut into ½ in cubes
- 2–3 cups, cabbage
- 2–3 medium beets, roasted, peeled and shredded or thinly julienned
- 1 cup water
- 1 cup crushed tomatoes or tomato sauce
- 1 Tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 3–5 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 1/2 Tablespoons each fresh dill and green onion, to garnish
Instructions
- Cut the beef chuck into bite-sized pieces and place it into a small pot with just enough water to cover the beef by about an inch.You can also use a bone in beef shank instead of the chuck.
- Bring the water to a boil, reduce heat to low and cook at a simmer for 1 – 1 ½ hours, until fork tender, while cooking the Borsch. You can also add some black peppercorns and bay leaves to flavor the broth. Skim off the foam from the top of the beef broth as it is cooking.
- While the beef is cooking, prepare the rest of the Borsch in a large pot or Dutch oven.
- Heat the butter or oil and add the onion, carrot, and celery. Season with salt and ground black pepper. Cook on medium-low heat for 6-8 minutes.
- Pour in the water and chicken broth. Add the potatoes and cabbage to the Borsch. Bring to a boil, season with salt and keep cooking, at a simmer until the potatoes are cooked through, 15-20 minutes.
- Meanwhile, place the beets in a large skillet with the tomato sauce, 1 cup water, lemon juice and sugar. Season with salt and ground black pepper. The lemon juice will keep the beets a beautiful, vibrant red and also give it a slight tang to the Borsch. The sugar balances out the acidity of the lemon juice.
- I prefer using roasted beets for Borsch, but you can also cook the beets in a pot with water or even use raw beets, but you will have to cook them much longer on the skillet. If you’re sautéing raw beets, you will need to add more water to the skillet and cook the beets longer until they are completely cooked through and tender.
- Cover the skillet, bring the water to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer on medium heat for about 15 minutes, until most of the water and tomato sauce is absorbed into the beets.
- Clear a space in the center of the skillet and add the minced garlic to the beets, cooking for another minute or two, just until the garlic is cooked through.
- When the potatoes are tender, add the beets to the soup and take Borsch off the heat. By this time, the beef should be fork-tender.
- If you like the consistency of the soup, drain the beef, if you like the soup to be thinner, drain the beef through a fine mesh sieve and add the beef liquid to the soup as well. If you used beef shank, remove the meat from the bone and cut it into bite-sized pieces. Add the beef to the Borsch as well.
- Season with salt and pepper, if needed. Garnish with finely chopped fresh dill and green onions. We Russians like to add a dollop of sour cream to our bowl of Borsch.
Keywords: Borsch, Beet Soup, How To Cook Borsch, Russian Borsch Recipe
This is an updated version of the Borsch recipe that was published originally on November 21, 2011. The recipe is the same, with updated pictures and a new video.
The post Borsch – Борщ appeared first on Olga's Flavor Factory.