Borscht Recipe with Meat
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Finally, a borscht recipe with meat! I’m a borsch lover. To prove it, here’s my first borscht, my second borscht (an easier/quicker version of the first one), my superfood borscht and now this beef borscht for those of you who love a good piece of tender meat in your spoon :).
Borscht is originally Ukrainian but it is made by most Slavic people and is a very common food in Russia. If you didn’t make it to the Olympics in Sochi this year, you’ll still get a taste of Russia when you try this borscht. It will also help you to loosen up those tense shoulders as you watch the Olympics (it makes me so anxious to watch! You?). By the way, Borscht, Borsch, Borshch… potatoes, patawtos). 😉
Ingredients for Borscht with Meat:
(This list looks lengthy but the ingredients are simple)
1 lb Beef: sirloin, stew meat, or whatever kind of beef you like, really (bone-in or boneless *see note)
14 cups cold water
1 Tbsp salt + more to taste
2 large or 3 medium beets, washed, peeled and grated
4 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp vinegar
1 Tbsp sugar
2 Tbsp tomato sauce, or paste (or 3 Tbsp ketchup)
1 Tbsp butter
1 medium onion, finely diced
2 carrots, grated
2 large or 3 medium potatoes, peeled and sliced into bite-sized pieces
1/2 head of small cabbage, sliced
2 tomatoes, peeled and diced (**see note)
2 bay leaves
1/4 tsp freshly ground pepper
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley + more for garnish
2 cloves garlic, pressed
Garnish: Sour cream and fresh sprigs of parsley or dill.
How To Make Borscht with Meat:
1. Wash meat in cold water, cut into 1″ pieces and and place in a large soup pot with 14 cups cold water and 1 Tbsp salt. Bring it to a boil and remove the foam as soon as it boils (if you wait, it will be hard to get rid of the foam as it integrates into the broth and you’d have to strain it).
Lower the heat, partially cover and cook at a low boil 45 minutes – 1 hr, periodically skimming off any foam that rises to the top. Sorry, I forgot to take a picture of the foam. Maybe we’re better off??
2. Grate beets on the large grater holes (the food processor works amazingly well). Place them in a large heavy-bottom skillet with 4 Tbsp olive oil and 1 Tbsp vinegar and saute for 5 minutes, then reduce heat to med/low and add 1 Tbsp sugar and 2 Tbsp tomato sauce Mix thoroughly and saute until starting to soften, stirring occasionally (about 10 min). Remove from pan and set aside.
3. In the same skillet (no need to wash it), Saute onion in 1 Tbsp butter for 2 min. Add grated carrot and sautee another 5 min or until softened, adding more oil if it seems too dry.
4. Once the meat has been cooking at least 45 min, place sliced potatoes into the soup pot and cook 10 min, then add cabbage, sauteed beets, onion & carrot, and chopped tomatoes. Cook another 10 minutes or until potatoes can be easily pierced with a fork.
5. Add 2 bay leaves, 1/4 tsp pepper, and more salt to taste (I added another 1/2 tsp salt).
6. Chop parsley and pressed garlic then stir them into the soup pot, immediately cover and remove from heat. Let the pot rest covered for 20 minutes for the flavors to meld.
Serve hot with fresh sprigs of parsley or dill and a dollop of sour cream if desired. Sometimes I do, sometimes I don’t. 🙂
NOTES:
*P.S. Pork can be used also. And if your meat has a bone in it, place it in the water whole. After it boils for 45 min to 1 hour, remove it from soup, cut away and discard the bone and cut meat into 1″ pieces).
**To peel whole tomatoes, blanch them in boiling hot water for 30-45 seconds, then transfer to cold water and the skin should peel right off.
Borscht Recipe with Meat

Ingredients
- 1 lb Beef: sirloin, stew meat, or whatever kind of beef you like, really (bone-in or boneless *see note)
- 14 cups cold water
- 1 Tbsp salt + more to taste
- 2 large or 3 medium beets, washed, peeled and grated
- 4 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 Tbsp vinegar
- 1 Tbsp sugar
- 2 Tbsp tomato sauce, or paste (or 3 Tbsp ketchup)
- 1 Tbsp unsalted butter
- 1 medium onion, finely diced
- 2 carrots, grated
- 2 large or 3 medium potatoes, peeled and sliced into bite-sized pieces
- 1/2 head of small cabbage, sliced
- 2 tomatoes, peeled and diced (**see note)
- 2 bay leaves
- 1/4 tsp freshly ground pepper
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley + more for garnish
- 2 cloves garlic, pressed
- Garnish: Sour cream and fresh sprigs of parsley or dill.
Instructions
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Wash meat in cold water, cut into 1" pieces and place in a large soup pot with 14 cups cold water and 1 Tbsp salt. Bring it to a boil and remove the foam as soon as it boils (if you wait, it will be hard to get rid of foam as it integrates into the broth and you'd have to strain it later). Reduce heat, partially cover and simmer 45 minutes - 1 hr, periodically skimming off any foam that rises to the top.
-
Grate beets on the large grater holes (a food processor works amazingly well). Place them in a large heavy-bottom skillet with 4 Tbsp olive oil and 1 Tbsp vinegar and saute for 5 minutes, then reduce heat to med/low and add 1 Tbsp sugar and 2 Tbsp tomato sauce Mix thoroughly and saute until starting to soften, stirring occasionally (about 10 min). Remove from pan and set aside.
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In the same skillet (no need to wash it), Saute onion in 1 Tbsp butter for 2 min. Add grated carrot and sautee another 5 min or until softened, adding more oil if it seems too dry.
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Once the meat has been cooking at least 45 min, place sliced potatoes into
-
the soup pot and cook 10 min, then add cabbage, sauteed beets, onion & carrot, and chopped tomatoes. Cook another 10 minutes or until potatoes can be easily pierced with a fork.
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Add 2 bay leaves, 1/4 tsp pepper, and more salt to taste (I added another 1/2 tsp salt).
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Chop parsley and pressed garlic then stir them into the soup pot, immediately cover and remove from heat. Let the pot rest covered for 20 minutes for the flavors to meld.
Recipe Notes
*Pork can be used also. And if your meat has a bone in it, place it in the water whole. After it boils for 45 min to 1 hour, remove it from soup, cut away and discard the bone and cut meat into 1" pieces).
**To peel whole tomatoes, blanch them in boiling hot water for 30-45 seconds, then transfer to cold water and the skin should peel right off.
Could I use venison in place of the beef? I’ve made this a bunch of times with beef and it’s always delicious.. I have some venison that I’m trying to use up.
Hi Lidiya, I haven’t tried this with venison, but that should work great. If you experiment, let me know how you liked the recipe.
Hi Natasha, do you know if the borscht freezes well for meal make ahead? Thanks!
Hi Alina! Yes, Borscht freezes very well if you wanted to try that. I would leave out the garnish (sour cream or mayo) until serving.
Needed to cook this way longer for the cabbage and meat to soften. Put it in my slow cooker on high for 3 hours. Also instead of salt, I used beef broth, otherwise it was flavourless. People I know who make borscht tend to simmer it for hours, so this recipe doesn’t make sense to me.
Hi Tarushka, if using a good homemade chicken stock then simmering for hours isn’t necessary unless you are making the stock first in the pot and extracting flavor from beef bones. Also the type of meat used and the size it is cut can make a difference.
Just made a huge pot of it in honor of Ukraine! Love ALL your recipes and sense of humor. Merry Christmas to you and your family!
The perfect recipe to make this time of year, especially in honor of Ukraine! Merry Christmas, John!
This is my go to borscht recipe every time! I usually add just a bit more vinegar but that is all. An excellent recipe I would give it 10 stars if I could!
Thank you for the review! So glad you love it.
Hi…. Not sure if this has been asked before since I have not been able to look through the other comments. Can you use ground beef instead? Thanks.
Hi Flor, I haven’t tried this with ground beef to advise; it will result in a different outcome. If you experiment, let me know how you liked the recipe.
Hi Natasha,
Thank you for your delicious recipe. My Ukrainian, Australian raised, husband absolutely loved it! Cooking has always been a challenge for me. It was so rewarding to put the time into preparing it and have it turn out truly five stars.
That’s just awesome! Thank you for sharing your wonderful review, Terri!
I read all the comments going back to 2018, and can’t find anyone who asked what kind of vinegar. There’s red wine, apple cider, white, balsamic, and God knows what else. Each has a distinctive flavor. I really want to make this, but I don’t know which vinegar to use. Please help. 🙂
Hello Jojo, you can use white vinegar.
I have made your Borscht soup so many times I have lost count. It is so so Delicious. I have also made your Chebureki and OMG THEY ARE SO SO YUMMY!!!!
Happy to know that you enjoyed those recipes, Allison!
What can I use as substitutes for the vinegar, sugar, tomato sauce (or paste or ketchup), and tomatoes? I’m about to start an elimination/AIP/Paleo diet (I believe I have a nightshade sensitivity and possibly autoimmunity problem).
I figured ACV for the vinegar, and possibly “notmato” as a substitute (at least for the paste, ketchup or tomato sauce part) found here. http://savorynature.com/2014/02/14/notmato-paste-nightshade-free/
Hi Raegan, those might work. However, I have not personally tested those substitute ingredients yet to advise. If you do an experiment, please share with us how it goes.
Try fermenting the beets. It will add requisite acidity in place of tomatoes or paste/sauce. Sautéing beets with some ACV also works but fermenting is the original and the best way for this.
Thank you so much for sharing that with us!
Fermenting the beets as suggested by Andrew sounds like an awesome idea.
Personally, I make this soup usually with sauerkraut instead of cabbage which has kind of the same effect.
Can canned beets be used in the borsch recipe? Both your vegetarian and meat borscht recipes sound delicious. I am looking forward to making them.
Hi Helen, I imagine that should work. But if using canned, I would suggest 2 (15 oz each) cans of beets.
My grandmother’s parents were from Odessa, Ukrain, but my grandmother and two of her younger siblings were born in Scotland as her parents fled from the pogroms and they eventually sailed to America in 1913. As a little girl I remember my grandmother making borscht. I remember her borscht had chunks of beets and potatoes, Lima beans, and meat. I don’t remember what else was in the soup. I have never seen a recipe for borscht that included Lima beans. Do you think I could add them to your recipe? Could I cube the beets instead of grating them? Also, what do you think about using canned diced tomatoes instead of fresh to make it easier?
Hi Susan, you can add beans! Beans go great in soup! We prefer shredded beats but cubbed will work also! Canned diced tomatoes work great in this recipe! Thank you for sharing your family in Ukraine and Scotland – isn’t it so special to have ties to those countries? I’m glad this borscht brought those memories back for you, Susan! Many blessings!
I’m going to make this tomorrow! Thinking of you all in Ukraine xxx
This was my first time trying Borscht, let alone cooking it. I absolutely love the color and flavor of this dish. I had thought that the beetroot would overpower other flavors but, of course, this well-tuned recipe delivered a great balance. Can’t wait to make it again! God bless Ukraine.
Hello Geoff, thank you for your good comments and feedback. I’m happy to know that you enjoyed this recipe, thank you for thinking of us.
My Ukraine grandfather came to the US in 1910. I had Borsch with meat many times at his farmhouse, he made it when I visited because he and I were the only people that would eat it other than my mother and her sister. I don’t know why because I thought it was gourmet food. The only difference is he always added a tablespoon of bacon fat also.
Thank you so much for sharing that with me, Jim! I love how much history comes with classic recipes.
Can you speed up the process by cooking the meat in a pressure cooker before transferring to a pot and continue with recipe?
Hi Lena! I have not tested this to advise. If you experiment, please let us know how it turns out.
Hi, Lena
I have done exactly that- used pressure cooker to get the meat tender, then continued with the recipe. I have also replaced one tbsp of tomatoe paste with red pepper paste (home made) and it worked perfectly. Great recipe, easy to make!
Thank you so much for sharing that with us, Renata!
I cook this recipe at about twice a month! I use my instant pot. Now that I’ve got it down I’m more loose with method and measurements but my goodness, it NEVER FAILS. This is a phenomenal recipe and soup. Thank you so much for sharing!! 🙏🙏
You are so very welcome! Thank you for sharing. I am happy you enjoy this recipe. It really is delicious.
Hi! There are carrots in the picture but not in the recipe. Should it be made with or without carrots?
Hi Myrtle it is actually in step 3.
Hello Natasha, as a very young girl I was taught how to make Borscht by a Russian woman who immigrated to the US somewhere between WW 1 and WW 2. Her name was Mary Miskow, if she were still alive she would be well over 100 years old. Your recipe is great and pretty much close to hers. I love your page and all your recipes. I have been cooking in the kitchen for close to 65 years and I continue to learn new food things.
Aww, that’s the best! Thank you so much for sharing that with me. I’m all smiles
I always use this recipe during the cold Kansas winters and my husband is never disappointed. It’s a great recipe for Americans who want to try something authentic.
Hello Clair, totally agree. The recipe is perfect for that type of weather, I’m glad your husband enjoyed it!
This was the perfect dish to eat on a snowy day with some warm sourdough bread. I had never tried borscht before but something about the snowfall compelled me to try this recipe. It was absolutely perfect and I will definitely be making this again.
We love this on a snowy day! No better way to warm up!
I make this all the time. I make it with meat. I have never used beans so will try that some time. I use potatoes, beets, carrots barley, tomato soup. onion, bay leaf, salt and pepper and vinegar. If i have celery I will use it but mostly make it without.
Sounds good! I hope you’ll love all the recipes that you will try.
I just have to leave a comment. As an American who did NOT grow up eating this, it is a very special recipe to me for a different reason. I married into a Russian family, and started to learn to cook when I first got married. I greatly impressed my husband and his family by learning to make this dish. It meant so much to them that I learned to cook Slavic-style foods. So you really helped me by making recipes like these readily available and easy to follow. From the bottom of my heart I thank you. I always like to leave reviews as-is, and I have to say I made it 2 days ago exactly as written, and I give 5 stars with zero changes. Today, I noticed it’s disappearing quickly so I’m going to try and make it again with some time-saving adjustments. (I’m pregnant with our 3rd and it’s hard for me to stand and cook for hours). I’m going to peel/wash whole beets, potatoes, and cook them together at a simmer for 30+ minutes with the meat, then set aside. I hope this will help retain some more of the beets’ nutrients and save me just a little time. Also, I like to leave my soup pot out until it cools before I put it in my fridge, and in that time, the potatoes turned to mush from the residual heat alone. I hope cooking them to almost doneness and adding later at the end will help prevent this.
Aww, that’s the best! Thank you so much for sharing that with me. I’m so glad you gave this recipe a try!
I loved your vegetarian borscht recipe so I can’t wait to give this one a try! I am on the AIP diet and can’t eat tomato or bell pepper. Do you think this would still be good without tomatoes or tomato paste?
Hi Samaza, we love it with the tomatoes, it truly helps the flavor, but one of our readers mentioned that they “omitted chopped tomatoes and simmered the veggies a little longer in the broth.” I hope that helps.
I just made this tonight and it is delicious! I was a little skeptical about adding the raw garlic at the end but followed your instructions and the soup was perfect. Once the 20 minutes was up after the garlic add and it was ready to try, there was no pungent garlic flavor. And I can’t believe how tender the beef got! The most tender beef I have ever had in a soup or stew (I used sirloin steak). Thank you for a delicious recipe!
Hi Jennifer, thanks for your awesome comments and feedback. I’m happy to know that you loved this recipe!
I love this recipe. The only other recipe I had was a vegetarian Borscht. I like adding sliced seared kielbasa to ours. Since there is only 2 of us, I end up freezing most of this. Instead of potatoes, I use barley. The barley holds up a little better after freezing for us. Now that the temperature is dropping here in North Dakota, I think it’s time to make a big batch of this awesome borscht! I love your recipes and videos 🙂
Glad you loved this recipe, Nick! Thank you for sharing that with us.
Delicious! Needs more meat though. I would double the meat. I also used mushroom broth seasoning…took out some of the tang.
Thank you for your review and suggestion, glad you enjoyed the recipe!
Thank you for your recipe. I can finally taste russian/ukranian food. Interesting thing is the sour cream (i use yogurt) balance the taste of beet real well. So sour cream is a must to make it 5 star *****
I actually don’t like the soup but dunno.. i keep adding it to my bowl.. hahaha
I definitely love it with sour cream. Thank you for your review!
Hi Natasha,
I was wondering how would the cook time be adjusted if I used an instant pot. I’ve cooked this recipe before and I love it.
Thanks,
Leon
Hi Leon, that is a great question! Honestly, I have only made this on a stovetop so I can’t really recommend a method of using the Instant pot for this. If you experiment I would love to know how you like it!
use the steps from a high rated instant pot recipe online using this one instead.
Great recipe. First time I’ve made borscht and it was fantastic. Shared it with our neighbours and they also loved it. Made a few minor changes to suit my personal taste, but will definitely make this again.
Great to hear that you enjoyed the first time that you tried borscht! Glad you chose this recipe to try.
My wife and I made this soup with pork and 6 cups of homemade chicken broth added after it became apparent we needed more liquid (We used more cabbage and beets than perhaps called for. I have a hard time with “medium” and other non specific measurement quantities. No criticism intended. Clearly experience is important in these matters.) The soup is beyond wonderful, both on the first day and later when thawed out and reheated. We make soups in bulk and freeze the leftovers. This is a huge addition to our mainstay recipes perhaps even eclipsing the bratwurst and kale. I’ll be back to try more of your creations. You have a gift! Thank you.
Thank you so much for sharing that feedback with me, Dave. I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
This Borscht has become a staple in our Russian/American home! Your wonderful recipes have become a part of our family 🙂 Thank you Natasha and team!
Aww, that’s the best! Thank you so much for sharing that with me, Bree.
It’s just perfect.
I loved borscht as a child and now I’m so glad that I can make the best version of it myself.
Need to save this recipe, for my children maybe.
I’m glad you loved this recipe! I hope you just found your new go-to recipe for Borscht.
Hi Natasha. I love your classic borsch recipe. Is there a way I can just make the meat separately then add it so I can just cook the borsch using the classic recipe?
Hi Zory, if you cooked the meat separately, you would lose a lot of the flavor trying to add it to a different pot later. I would just start with cooking the meat and then add the other ingredients per the classic recipe.
FWIW, I have this issue when I make this recipe for my Russian mother in law. She is sensitive to the fat in the beef broth, but doesn’t mind the meat in the borsch. I have found that if I make the meat separately, this particular recipe loses some of its richness; however, I gain a lot of it back if I substitute some vegetable cooking stock for a portion of the water.
I’m Armenian and I grew up eating Borscht. It’s one of my all time favorite comfort soups. My mom never got a chance to show me how she’d make it and when I saw your recipe, it looked similar to hers so I decided to give it a try and it is sooo amazing! Brought back many memories from my childhood. Absolutely delicious!! Thank you for sharing!
Perfect! I’m so happy that you were able to recreate your mom’s recipe, Rose. Good food indeed brings back good memories!
I’ve made this many times ans it is delicious! I am wondering if you ever tried freezing it? Would it freeze well?
I’m so glad you enjoyed that! Yes, borscht does freeze well. I hope you love it!
Was getting ready to make this recipe for the 12th or 14th time since I found it; it is excellent!( I use a bone in pork chop) Would like to suggest you replace the work “crud” with “foam”in the recipe…a little less graphic word when cooking, and it implies something not good, when foam is just the liquid from the meat as it cooks. “Crud” is somewhat off-putting. lol. Thank you again for this excellent recipe!
Thank you for the tip. I have made that change.
If I saw that “foam” on my beer I’d definitely wonder where all the crud came from.
Easy to make (after all that vegetable prep😅) and very tasty. Thanks for teaching me how to peel a tomato that trick is awesome!
You are very welcome! I’m glad you’re learning a lot from my content.
Hi: I made your borscht today!! Delicious!! My husband and I truly enjoyed it!!
Quick question? Can I freeze some of the soup?? That would be great – but, we’ll just use up the rest!!
Thanks for a great recipe!!
Patti
Hi Patti, yes, borscht does freeze well. I hope you love it!
I want to make this, but 14 cups of water sounds like it would make a ton of soup and pretty watery at that. Is there a reason why you don’t use cut up stew meat, brown it, and simmer with beef broth? That’s how other soup recipes I have made are done (like beef barley).
Hi Angela, you can use less water or even replace it with broth for a richer flavor. You need to cook the beef for a long time to tenderize it which is why we use this cooking method.
Why don’t you start your own soup blog…so many good ideas.
Trying to stay away from potatoes so I used turnip in its place and was excellent substitute
Also added cooked hot Italian sausage for a bit of zip and dill instead of parsley .
Will be a favorite Borsch for sure 😁
Wonderful! Thanks for sharing the substitute ingredients that you used, so helpful, Debra!
My go to borscht recipe. Comes out perfect every single time. I’m not sure how some readers come out with a flavorless or watery finale, this recipe always renders a hearty and quite flavorful end product if you follow the instructions. Sautéing the veggies is quite important, veggie proportion and of course adding cabbage is a must. Thank you for this recipe.
You’re welcome! I’m so happy you enjoyed it, Inga!
Thank you. My family and I love this recipe. It was a big hit.
Very nice, Natalia. Thanks for sharing your good comments and feedback with us!
Can this be made in an instant pot? If so, any changes you’d make or recommendations? Love all your recipes!
Hi Brandy, That is a great question! Honestly, I have only made this on a stovetop so I can’t really recommend a method of using the Instant pot for this. If you experiment I would love to know how you like it!
I saved this recipe a while ago hoping to try it. Do you think canned beets would work?
Hi Bethany, I imagine that should work. But if using canned, I would suggest 2 (15 oz each) cans of beets.
Thanks, Natasha! I used one and it wasn’t enough. I’ll know for next time.
This was an excellent recipe! Thank you for sharing. It’s hard to find good authentic recipes. This is a winner.
Hi Cindy! I’m so glad you enjoyed that! That’s so great!
Thanks so much for this recipe, I have been making it since I last visited Kiev and it is outstanding. Only change is I also chop an equal amount of fresh dill to parsley (it needs dill!) The cabbage I use 50/50 fresh cabbage to sourkraut. Instead of water I always use a good homemade chicken stock that has simmered for 24 hours and I use 12 cups and then add 2 cups of beet kvass. I also prefer beef ribs on the bone. This has now become by perfect borscht! Thanks for sharing!
Awesome! You are most welcome and it’s my pleasure, Russell. I’m so glad you enjoyed this recipe!
We chopped the carrots and beets Since that’s how we prefer it, and used red cabbage as my grandmother did.
Also mixed some horseradish into the sour cream.
It was delicious ! Thanks.
You’re welcome, Beth! Thank you for sharing this awesome review with us!
The recipe seem daunting at first however it was super easy and absolutely delicious and quick. I will definitely be making this again thank you
I’m so happy you enjoyed this recipe, Deborah!
Super tasty! Loved it
I’m so glad you enjoyed that Jana!
Great recipe Natasha! So yum!
Was fun to make, didn’t realize how easy it was to make. I love my borscht extra tangy, so I added in sauerkraut + juice 🙂
Wow that sounds super yummy with sauerkraut. Thank you for sharing!
Bland and watery. I even had my Ukrainian friend check behind me and the recipe. Why? The reviews are good. I followed the recipe, grated the beets, and the only thing I did on my own was use 4 cups of beef broth to replace four of the cups of water. That should have helped with some flavor.
Hi Bonnie, this is normally supposed to be hearty and very flavorful. You might re-read the recipe to see if any of the seasonings were missed and that correct proportions were used.
I agree. Was missing some more flavor
Come out very good, but little bit sour, next time i will use much less vinegar.
Sounds good! I hope it becomes perfect for you next time, Lyuba. Thanks for trying this recipe!
Hello Natasha
Well I did not have any luck on that website. Didn’t you use to have an archives website? I am pretty sure that is where I found it
Mary Ann, are you pasting “https://natashaskitchen.com/borscht-recipe-with-meat/” into the search window?
Delicious! Very clear instructions. I did use a bit less water as I like a thicker soup, and added 1T dried dill at the end with the bay leaves. So happy to have discovered your blog!
I’m so happy you enjoyed that Liz! Thank you for this wonderful review!
Hi Natasha
Where can I find your original recipe for borscht that you saute the carrots and cabbage and add red kidney beans?
Hi Mary Ann, the new borscht recipe is the only one we have on the site. We updated it because we felt it was a significant improvement. You can search for sites like this: https://web.archive.org/ and plug in the URL to view the old version of the recipe. I hope that helps!
This Borscht With Meat recipe was an excellent experience
My husband was really impressed and ate two large bowls. Thank you so much Natasha for this recipe and every recipe I’ve tried
on your site
Blessings and gratitude to you.
You’re welcome! I’m so happy you found our blog and are enjoying our recipes! Blessings to you Karen!
Sorry – forgot to add one thing. Our cat loved the beef foam I skimmed off the top of the pot. (She’d have eaten it all if we’d let her!)
Amazingly happy with how this turned out. I was pretty faithful with your recipe, with my own alterations being apple cider vinegar and brown sugar. Complicated recipe, but definitely well worth it. Ate it hot for dinner, then had a bowl cold before bed. Excellent both times. Thanks again!
So great to hear that, Joshua. I’m so glad that you loved this recipe, thank you for giving it a wonderful feedback!
Chop an onion with no tears. Hold the onion under cool running water as you peel. Then cut onion almost all the way through, both ways for a checkerboard pattern that falls apart into a dice. (keep that cool water running while you do all this. A variation: peel, slice and dice the onion holding it under cool water in a large bowl. The water gets rid of those noxious fumes.
Love it! Thanks for your tip.
I love this recipe. I make it almost every week. Kids and husband love it! They always get excited when I make it! Also, I’ve tried a lot of your recipes. You’re definitely my go to when I look for something to make.
Thank you!
Awww that’s the best! Thank you so much for sharing that with me! I’m all smiles!
Hello Natasha,
I am a complete amateur in the kitchen but love this recipe so much; definitely reminds me of my mother’s and grandmother’s cooking.
Can you clarify one thing for me —
After I add the potatoes do I turn the heat up from a simmer? I’ve been finding that if I leave the heat low, the potatoes don’t cook but when I turned it up the meat overcooked. Also am I cooking the potatoes and veggies uncovered or covered?
Thanks so much!
Alex
Hi Alex, we make sure itas lightly simmering when we add the potatoes. I’m so glad you enjoyed this recipe!
At what point do you add the meat into the soup? Do you discard or use the meat broth? These 2 things are not in the steps.
Hi Linda, the meat is the first item in the soup. We never took it out. That’s what cooks and makes the broth. I hope that helps.
Hi Natasha, Love your recipes and your videos. Love making borsht, but don’t know why my borsht looses it’s beautiful red colour. Any ideas why?
Hi Arlene, thank you for that awesome feedback! It could be either the preparation method or the type of beets – some beets give off a pink color while others give a deep ruby red.
Delicious! Perfect recipe! My family is from Moldova. All of the recipes are “a little bit of this, a few fingers of that…” Thanks for being so clear here!
You’re welcome! I’m so glad this recipe is helpful!
I can’t find your borscht recipe #1. It’s my favorite and you removed it from your site… :-((((
Hi Liliya, we have the original link posted in the comments or archived here. We updated the original borscht here to what we feel is even better than the original.
I used this and you classic borsht recipe as my base. The major change I made is that I made a bone broth with neck and marrow bones (pork) and used the meat from that. I love the richness of homemade bone both, though it is a pain to cook for 10-12 hours. Also, I added beans with the meat– like your classic recipe. But I used fresh cranberry beans for the beans, not canned. Even my husband, who is not a soup fan, loved it. Thank you. This is a keeper.
Sounds like you found a new favorite, Layla! Thank you for that awesome review.
While not quite the same as what I had living in Russia, damn Nastya, this was a delicious recipe and gave me all the feels!!!
I’m so glad you enjoyed that!
Perfect
Thank you! I’m so glad you enjoyed that!
I don’t like beets. We had all the items to make the borscht. I have never tasted this soup nor made it before. Stellar soup the broth was so tasty. Thank you for the veggie and bean version. I suffer from gout so red meat is out. I was really impressed.
What is summer borscht? How is it different from the recipe I made today?
Hi Dina, I’m so glad you enjoyed that. Summer Borscht is served cold.
I am absolutely in love with this soup! It was the first borscht recipe I tried and I will stick with it. Just made it and my Mom’s waiting on me to bring her a bowl. DELICIOUS!!!
That’s just awesome!! Thank you for sharing your wonderful review, Krystal!
My mother-in-law is from Ukraine. This is almost identical to her borsch (There’s no” T”. That was an American addition to the name.). Hers does not call for meat, vinegar, bay leaf or parsley. She also does not use fresh tomatoes, but does use a 1/2 red bell pepper instead, which adds sweetness. Just like the recipe above, she adds about a 4 oz. can of tomato sauce and the carrots, cabbage, and potatoes.
Thank you so much for sharing that with me.
A question…Would it spoil the soup if I used a ham hock AND stew meat? That’s what I have on hand but don’t want to mess up the taste.
HI Iris, my Mother often changes up the meat and that sounds like it would work well.
Hi, thanks for your reply…you mean she adds different types of meat in same batch? Like beef and pork together?
Usually not in the same batch.
Thank you!
Hi, love this recipe! I just got back from a 3 month visit in Yuzhne, 30 minutes from Kharkiv. I think I tried over 20 different versions and this is the best hands down, don’t tell mother in law, lol. Anyway, question is can you freeze the leftovers? Making a big pot a don’t want to loose it. Thank you, Alicia
That’s so awesome Alicia! Thank you for that amazing feedback and yes, I think this would freeze well.
My mom and grandma always made the soup for us, I really missed the soup since we moved state side and couldn’t master my moms because she could never really tell me the exact amounts and I kept messing something up! Then I found your your recipe and made it today and got it right and I am crying because I love it so much, a taste of home was so much needed, thank you for this delicious recipe! I would give 10 stars if I could
Wow! Thank you so much for the TEN STARS!!! You just made my day! I’m so happy you enjoyed this recipe Vika!
Hello, Natasha! Thank you for posting this lovely recipe! We had a lovely neighbor who was Moldovan and would bring us big pots of Borscht every couple of months or so!
If you don’t mind I’m going to link to your recipe in my upcoming post on my blog 🙂 the post is about gardening and I find that many Americans don’t like beets, but I think they would like them more if they made your borscht! 😉 Thanks again for a great recipe!
Hi Hannah, that would be wonderful if you linked back and thank you so much! 🙂
I’ve made Borscht before, but never with this recipe. In the past I had the beets and carrots in chunks, not grated, and only the onions was sauteed. I really like the way flavor of this Borscht and will use this recipe again! It was also very clear and easy to follow. I am definitely going to look at more of your recipes!
I’m so happy you enjoyed this recipe, Scott! Thank you for sharing that awesome feedback with me!
Delicious!
I’m so happy you enjoyed that, Tom!
Hi Natasha,
Another great recipe! You have helped me so much with learning how to cook Russian food! My fiancé, and his family (who are Russian) are always so impressed!! I have you to thank for that ☺️
This Borsch was AMAZING!! We ate it all in 2 days and now I am craving more! The perfect meal for the cold winters in Minnesota! Your meals are always so good, and I make over and over again!
Awww that’s the best, Katie! Thank you so much for sharing that with me :). I’m all smiles!
Natasha, I’ve never commented on a recipe site before, but I have to tell you–this borscht is superb. I grew up with the clear vegetarian Ukrainian borscht. This takes it to a whole other level. Thank you.
I had some home-made vegetable stock that had some beet peelings in it which added another layer of complexity.
That’s just awesome!! Thank you for sharing your wonderful review 🙂
Tried this recipe the only thing I did different, added a cup of Georgian Saperavi wine, I have had Borscht in Ukraine and home made in Georgia, and from a Ukrainian restaurant in Tbilisi . What I cooked was as good or better than those, and my hardest critic my Dad, said it was very delicious, we ate it for three days.
I’m so happy you enjoyed that. Thank you for sharing that with us!
I made this soup with chicken thighs (bought too much by accident for a different recipe) and although it does have a somewhat different taste, it still turned out good! Also, in our family, we use homemade tomato sauce (with garlic) in the onion/carrot mix, adding quite a bit into there instead of adding tomatoes into the soup. My dad also looooves spicy things so mom always added a hot chili pepper at the very very end for all those spicy-loving people! Make sure to take it out before serving, otherwise, someone may end up with a very hot surprise!
Thank you so much for sharing that with us, Liana!
This recipe and website got me started on Russian and Ukrainian food.
I’m so inspired reading your review. Thank you!
I make this soup very often since it reminds me of my moms cooking. My husband and toddler say it’s their favorite!
I do change the tomatoes up though- I add a can of diced tomatoes instead of fresh- it was a happy accident since I ran out of tomatoes but had canned and we liked it more this way. I also use pork instead of beef.
Thanks for the recipe!
I’m so happy you enjoyed that. Thank you for sharing your changes with us!
I usually make a different type of borscht that my father taught me to make. This one is very different and very delicious! I had to add a little more salt and garlic but wow the flavors were amazing!
Thank you for that wonderful review!!! 🙂
This was a great recipe and sautéing the vegetables ahead of time heightens their sweetness. Will definitely make again.
That’s so great! vI’m so happy you enjoyed that. Thank you for sharing that with us!
Having been to Ukraine and Russia numerous times in the last few years I have become addicted to all types of traditional foods. Borsch, however, holds a very close place in my heart. This soup recipe is amazing, almost as good as the first bowl I had of my girlfriends family soup in Kiev. I like to use homemade chicken stock, beef ribs, and I replace a cup or two of the water/stock with beet kvass which in my opinion is the secret ingredient that made my girlfriends fanily soup the best. Thanks for sharing this amazing recipe!
Thank you for sharing this with us Russell!!