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?
Oh my goodness this soup is sooo delicious. I left it to cool for 4 hours after cooking and then reheated and the flavour seemed more intense after letting it stand for a bit. My husband loved it!!! We had a little fun with how we ate it too. The first half of the bowl was piping hot and had great intensity of flavour. To the last half bowl we added the sour cream for a delicate softness. It took me right back to my childhood having barscz with my grandma in Poland. I love this version since its full of veggies.
That’s so awesome! Thank you for sharing that awesome review with me Alicja!
I just made this soup and it’s amazing! It tastes exactly what I remember it as child sitting down to lunch with a piping bowl of my baba’s soup. I made a small amendment in that I chopped up the beet greens and added them to the soup along with a handful of dill. Love this soup!
That’s just awesome! I’m so happy you enjoyed that Barb!
Hi Natasha, I am planning to make this recipe in a day or so. I am looking forward to it. I have never eaten Borscht but I hear many great things and is looking forward to trying it. A tip on the onions: Before cutting an onion, slice off the ends and peel it then soak in cold water for 30 minutes before slicing and there won’t be any tears. Onions give off a gas and the cold neutralizes it. If you put them in the refrigerator for a spell it might work as well. I have only tried the cold water. It really works. I was a cook in the Army, and that’s where I learned this trick.
Thank you so much for sharing that with me Ana!
Hi Natasha. Can you add kidney beans instead of white fanelli beans?
Thank you
Hi Tanya, yes I have used kidney beans before – you can change up the beans based on your preference and/or what you have on hand.
Instead of cabbage why not use the beets greens, finely chopped.
Hi Barb, you can use beet greens and that would work great. I have a superfood borscht where I did exactly that.
Many years ago I went to school with a guy and his parents were from the Ukraine. On one occasion after school I was offered a bowl of soup, which was delicious and I have never tasted anything like it since. Until yesterday when I made this recipe, it was so so good and took me back to happy memories all those years ago. Thank you
I love that this recipe brought back memories! It does the same for me, it is definitely a classic! Thank you for sharing this with me, Nigel!
Delicious! Does this freeze well?
Hi Jenny, I never tried freezing it but it should freeze just fine. If you experiment, let me know how you liked the recipe
Very authentic Ukrainian Borscht. It would be even more delicious if you add beetroot brew 5 minutes before the borscht is done. You can find beetroot brew recipe (and a lot of authentic Borscht recipes) in my blog.
I’m so happy you enjoyed that Oleksii! Thank you for sharing that with me!
Been making borscht from this recipe for years. I make it for health so I use low sodium stock, no salt tomato paste, add cabbage and black/red kidney beans for protein and fiber, thick greek yogurt to top. Works out great.
I’m so happy you enjoyed this recipe Rod! It is very healthy and your changes simple elevate that! Thank you for sharing your version with us!
This recipe sounds great…gonna try it tonight! I am Ukrainian and my mother always made it with stock of pork ribs! Looking forward to this one! As for chopping the onions….I always put a single slice of fresh bread in my mouth with the bread extending out till the onion is chopped. The bread absorbs the fumes…it really works! “Happy Cooking” from another lover of cooking!
I hope you love this recipe, Donna! Thank you for that bread tip! I’ll have to give that a try!
Loved the soup. I doubled it and shared it with family and friends. I did find it needed way more salt than your recipe indicated. I will be making this again. Yum!
I’m so happy you enjoyed that! Thank you for sharing that with me!
Have made this soup a few times now and just about to make it again today…just wanted to say it’s truly yummy… it looks fabulous and feels so healthy when eating it, you just know its doing you good…yes I think you learnt from the best nothing like a mum and in my case a European dad..he was a fabulous cook also… Love your recipes going to try that blackberry cake soon… I also love your enthusiasm on the videos … Thank you for this delicious go to Natasha… How about a nice Goulash soup recipe. Thanks again from Melbourne Australia Xx
Hi Dorine, I’m so happy you have enjoyed this recipe! That you for that thoughtful review and suggestion!
Roasting the beets & garlic, I find is easier. Before roasting cut top off Add salt,pepper & drizzle with oil. Put in aluminum foil,crinkle closed top. Roast 400 degrees for about 1 hour depending on size of the beets. when cooled just rub the skin off with a paper towel. Roasting veggies also brings out the flavor.
Thank you for sharing that with us Cory!
Great tip, and one that I use. After trimming off greens and root ends, I place beets in large bowl. Then drizzle with oil and season with salt and pepper, stirring to coat beets. And put and wrap in pieces of foil.
It’s amazing how easily the skin just “twists” right off into the paper toweling!!
Reno Dave
Made this tonight, so delicious! I added shredded chicken from a rotisserie chicken towards the end.
I’m so happy you enjoyed that. Thank you for sharing that with us Anastasia!
When I chop the onion , usually I hold a mouth full of water in the mouth, and I found that works good so far….
Interesting! Thank you for sharing that with me!
Great recipe Natasha. I love it!
My eyes stream like crazy when I chop onions UNLESS I have a teaspoon in my mouth smooth part upwards touching the pallet – mouth closed of course. My guess is it redirects the brains sensory attention.
Thank you for sharing that with me! I’m so happy you enjoyed this recipe!
I made up your recipe, used home-cooked beets from my freezer, and added cabbage. Tastes good so far! One comment: the directions say to add sliced carrots, and the recipe calls for grated carrots for the mirepoix. Is it one, the other, or both? I grated the carrots before I notice.
Hi Helen, you are right, it is simpler to slice them into rings and add them with the potatoes. If you sautee grated carrots with the mirepoix and then add them to the soup, it will still taste great.
This looks amazing! Thank you for the recipe! I was wondering about the food processor you had linked. Would it be good to dice onions in? Or do you have any recommendation for an onion dicer?
Hi Mellie! Yes! That should work great and it saves time!
For less tears make sure your knife is very sharp and don’t cut off the root end until you are finished chopping. That’s where most of the bad stuff is!
Thank you for sharing that tip with us, Peggy!
If I want to add cabbage, when would I do that? Thanks
Hi Cathy! If you prefer cabbage, add 1/4 to 1/2 small head of cabbage, thinly shredded, adding it when the potatoes are halfway cooked.