After several requests for my borscht recipe, here it is. Ukrainian Borscht… everyone knows what it is and many people around the world have fallen in love with this iconic beet soup.
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I love the deep ruby color of this borsch! It’s so healthy and nutritious; packed with beans (protein), beets (iron), carrots (carotene), potatoes (vit C, potassium, Vit B6), oftentimes cabbage is added (vit K, vit C, fiber, etc…). It feels so good serving this to my family.
Our Family’s Borscht Recipe (Beet Soup)
This is our family’s version of classic borsch and it’s one of the two soups my children absolutely love (Mom’s Meatball Soup being the second). Borscht is definitely on the regular rotation at our house!
This version keeps better because it is a meatless version but doesn’t lack in flavor because it uses good quality chicken broth.
Ingredients for Classic Ukrainian Borsch:
It’s best to have all of the ingredients prepped and ready to go which makes this soup super easy and care free. Start by peeling, grating, chopping, slicing and dicing all of the vegetables for borscht.
Once your potatoes are peeled and sliced, transfer them to a bowl of cold water to keep them from discoloring until ready for use.
Note on Using Cabbage:
We used to add cabbage but our children prefer it without so for years now we’ve been making it just like this without cabbage. If you prefer cabbage, add 1/4 to 1/2 small head of cabbage, thinly shredded, adding it when the potatoes are halfway cooked.
How to Peel and Cut Beets:
- Use gloves when handling beets or your fingertips will stain red for a couple of days.
- To peel beets, use a simple potato peeler like this one.
- You can slice the beets into matchsticks but it is way way easier to grate and children don’t mind the texture of grated beets. We love our food processor for this task as it grates more coarsely than on a hand grater so the beets still have some texture. It also keeps the counter and your hands clean (beat juice can be a pain to get out of clothing and porous surfaces).
How to Remove Beet Stains:
When you eat borscht often, you learn quickly to pace a napkin in your lap and bibs on children. If you do get beet juice on your clothes, address the stain right away.
- Use a paper-towel to blot off any excess juice.
- Run cold water over the opposite/under side of the fabric to push the stain out.
- If the stain persists, apply a stain removing agent (I have found that dish soap works well in a pinch) and launder clothing as usual.
Watch Natasha Make Classic Borscht:
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Classic Borscht Recipe (Beet Soup)
Ingredients
For Borscht:
- 3 medium beets, peeled and grated
- 4 Tbsp olive oil, divided
- 8 cups chicken broth , + 2 cups water
- 3 medium yukon potatoes, peeled and sliced into bite-sized pieces
- 2 carrots, peeled and thinly sliced
For Zazharka (Mirepoix):
- 2 celery ribs, trimmed and finely chopped
- 1 small red bell pepper, finely chopped, optional
- 1 medium onion, finely chopped
- 4 Tbsp ketchup or 3 Tbsp tomato sauce
Additional Flavorings:
- 1 can white cannelini beans with their juice
- 2 bay leaves
- 2-3 Tbsp white vinegar, or to taste
- 1 tsp sea salt, or to taste
- 1/4 tsp black pepper, freshly ground
- 1 large garlic clove, pressed
- 3 Tbsp chopped dill
Instructions
- Peel, grate and/or slice all vegetables (keeping sliced potatoes in cold water to prevent browning until ready to use then drain).
- Heat a large soup pot (5 1/2 Qt or larger) over medium/high heat and add 2 Tbsp olive oil. Add grated beets and sauté 10 minutes, stirring occasionally until beets are softened.
- Add 8 cups broth and 2 cups water. Add sliced potatoes and sliced carrots then cook for 10-15 minutes or until easily pierced with a fork.
- While potatoes are cooking, place a large skillet over medium/high heat and add 2 Tbsp oil. Add chopped onion, celery and bell pepper. Saute stirring occasionally until softened and lightly golden (7-8 minutes). Add 4 Tbsp Ketchup and stir fry 30 seconds then transfer to the soup pot to continue cooking with the potatoes.
- When potatoes and carrots reach desired softness, add 1 can of beans with their juice, 2 bay leaves, 2-3 Tbsp white vinegar, 1 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp black pepper, 1 pressed garlic clove, and 3 Tbsp chopped dill. Simmer for an additional 2-3 minutes and add more salt and vinegar to taste.
Nutrition Per Serving
Filed Under
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So, which camp are you in? Do you love that dollop of sour cream at the end or the flavor that real mayo adds to borscht?
Just made this tonight for my family for supper. My first time making borscht and I am so glad I found this recipe. Took me right back to my Great Grandmother’s place. So good and very authentic. I was sceptical about the ketchup and almost left it out but I wouldn’t change a thing! Thank you for the great recipe!
You’re welcome Candice! I’m so glad you love it! Thanks for sharing 😀
Thank you Natasha..my hubby is Polish and really like to make this soup in memory of his mother I added speck to it as I remember babcia did, also loved your baked piroshki , keep those recipes coming 😊
Brigitte, you are very welcome and thank you for the encouragement 😬
I have made your recipe many times and it is fantastic, delicious, and hearty. I am about to make yet another pot full of this delicious yummy healthy goodness.
Yes, I’m so glad to hear that Bridgette! Thanks for sharing your wonderful review!
Very good! I used vegetable broth and skipped adding beans because I didn’t have any.
I thought there wouldn’t be enough dill and almost added extra without tasting – but it was great just as the recipe suggested!
I’m happy to hear you enjoy the recipe Emily! Thanks for sharing your review!
this recipe was the best! I added alittle garlic to mine. I was just curious though if you knew how many calories is in this soup????
I’m happy to hear how much you enjoy the soup Sherry!
Due to time constraints, I don’t typically include nutritional info, but check out this nutrition analyzer – you can plug in the ingredients from any recipe, select the serving size and it will give you nutritional info, calories, etc. I hope that is helpful to you!
Kidney beans and ketchup???? Must be an American version of the soup.
Hi Manuela, we add the beans to give the soup some protein and the ketchup really enhances the flavor. We do adapt our traditional dishes to the ingredients we have available and I do think these 2 add-ins definitely improve on the flavor of the soup. If you’ve never tried them, I hope you give them a whirl! 😉
16 cups of liquid sounds scary! There’s just me & I don’t necessarily want an entire freezer full of leftover borscht. Suggestions?
Hi Sara 🙂 We’re used to making this and enjoying it throughout the week so I always make a big pot. You could cut the recipe in half or if you wanted a heartier borsch, you could start with 6 cups water and 6 cups broth, totaling 12 cups and then season with salt to taste. You’ll probably need a little less lemon juice and ketchup as well.
Thank you for the prompt reply!!! This was my first time making “borscht” & your recipe was the one I used the most as my, well, experiment! I used vegetable stock, chickpeas, & apple cider vinegar instead. And also used red cabbage rather than green. Added a tiny bit of sugar, too. I also put horseradish & dill in my sour cream topping.
Not entirely sure what traditional Borsht is supposed to taste like, but mine tuned out pretty dang good! 🤘
Still had MORE than enough and ended up with a little over 32 oz to freeze and at least a weeks worth in the fridge.
Thank you so much Natasha for your simple guide & prompt advice!!!
Oh, also no ketchup, used 1 tiny can of tomato paste (hence the need for sugar…).
Yum! That sounds great! I’m happy to help and to hear how much you enjoy the recipe Sara. 🙂
We’ve never had any left to freeze or throw away. I suggest you do the recipe first and improve it later. Likely will work better.
Nice one but wait…no meat(pieces of beef)?
No worries! My meat version has it 🙂 https://natashaskitchen.com/2014/02/08/borscht-recipe-with-meat/
Natasha, loved this quicker version of borscht after making these changes: add garlic! Borscht isn’t authentic without it! Also I used beef stock or broth for a deeper flavor. One question too: 1/2 a head of cabbage? This is too vague as my cabbage head was large so I ended up with too much.
Best regards from a fellow Ukrainian
Fellow Ukrainian
I absolutely love that suggestion!! Lately, my Mom has been squeezing in a clove of garlic into every soup in the last 5 minutes of cooking and it completely improves it! Next time I make this, I’ll have to add that 😉
My mother (from Poland) made this all the time and I loved it, .. Unfortunately never wrote the recipe down. All I remember in the soup was shredded beets, red cabbage, potatoes .. AND the soup was PINK which she mixed in sourcream. Anyone ever had the soup pink? And maybe lemon with a lot of College Inn chicken broth. Any suggestions?
Hi Franny, it does turn pink when you stir the sour cream in. It sounds alot like this recipe 🙂
yes! My grandmother used to beat in an egg yolk just before serving. The soup turned pink. I do that now and it is delish. I also strain in chopped canned tomatoes for extra taste.
This is the best recipe I have ever tried!!!
I make it again & again! Thank you so much! The fresh lemon is key) I replace the ketchup with a can of tomato paste…
That’s great Kim! I’m glad you love the recipe!
Can I use canned beets? Should I strain them or use the “juice”? & how many cans?
Hi Sara, I still think it’s best with fresh beats but if you wish to substitute, use 2 cans with their juice 🙂
I made this pretty much the way it was described. I pressure cooked the beets which took way less time and saved the broth for the potatoes, etc. Also I didn’t have a lemon but I did have a lime😬Hope that wasn’t too sacreligious. And had to use dried dill. Here’s the thing. I wanted more “heavyiness” so I threw in some meatballs, cause it was easy:/ And it was to die for!
I’ll send a picture if I can figure out where to do it:)
lol sacreligious. That made me laugh. I’m so happy you sent a picture! Thanks again for sharing that with me! 🙂
What about salt and pepper? To taste?
Hi Joy, You can definitely season to taste with salt and pepper. I usually don’t have to add any unless I use low sodium broth. I added that note at the end of the recipe. Great question!
Hello, I just made this soup which looks and tastes great, and I have enough to feed the army! Two questions – can it be eaten cold, or is that an entirely different endeavour. And can it be frozen?
Ha ha, that’s usually how our soups go – army size! lol. Yes, it can be frozen. Since it’s liquid, leave a little room for expansion in the freezer container you’re using.
Nice receipt but I do in different way
I’d love to hear how you make yours! 🙂
Made this on Christmas Eve for my Polish friend (who doesn’t like Polish Barzcz – “red water” >:-))
Only made 2 changes – we were having duck for Christmas dinner, so the legs and wings went in to make the stock for this first of all, which gave a lovely, rich base. Also used Savoy cabbage, simply because we like it.
Everything else was followed to the letter, and I have to say, I really enjoyed making this; the various stages and chop-chop-chop preparation were SO relaxing!
I let my Polish friend try it first – three large bowls later he said that was the best barszcz he’d ever tasted (and not to tell his mom that).
A beautifully “compiled” dish, and I’m pretty sure I could feel it doing me good as I was eating it.
Only thing I will change next time is half the amounts for the ingredients – this filled my terracotta soup pot, and he’s a giant!
Thank YOU for this fantastic recipe – this is my go-to recipe for beet soup now.
What a wonderful review Donna! Thank you for sharing!! 🙂
I add a lb of beef. Your recipe is very very good tasting. Everyone loves it even the Moldovians.
Gordon, thank you for the wonderful review 😁…we just made another pot of borsch today!
Just love your recipes and authentic Ukrainian food.
Do you have a favourite prune pierogi (pedaha) re ipe? Would so appreciate it.
My Mom made it all the time but I failed to get it before she passed away! Really should have recorded everything she and my Dad did.
Thank you!
Are you searching for something like this recipe? These are my plum pirogi: https://natashaskitchen.com/2013/07/07/plum-vareniki-plum-pierogies/
Making the Classic recipe today. I had prepared a pork loin roast for dinner recently. Do you thinking it wôuld be good cubed into this along with the beans, or would you do it differently?
Hi Denny, I think that could work well 🙂
I’ve gotten to the cabbage step and am not certain which pot to put it in and have already done the previous step all the way. If the cabbage was supposed to be added half way through the potatoe and carrot step it should have been half way through the instructions or in the same step.
Hi Ben, Add it to the soup pot with the potatoes. While the carrots are sautéing, you shred cabbage and it to the soup pot. I wrote out the steps in the way that I would make the soup. I hope that makes sense! 🙂
Do u add meat for this recipe?
Francis, in this particular recipe I used beans instead of meat but you can find Borscht recipe with meat by clicking here.