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?
Hi Natasha!
I love your recipes, and plan to try this borscht recipe soon. I used to have a neighbor from Poland who made her own borscht and served it cold. Do you ever eat it that way?
Thanks,
Susan
Hi Susan, I prefer it warmed up, but I have tried it cold, and it is still so tasty! It’ll be good served cold in the summer months!
Dear Natasha,
Thank you for sharing your recipe! This was my first visit to your blog-we are having a “Celebration of Ukraine” potluck at my workplace tomorrow and I wanted to bring something authentic. I think this may become a family favorite. Delicious!
Peace to you and your family during this difficult time!
Aww, That’s just awesome! Thank you for sharing that with me! THis is the perfect dish to make for an authentic Ukraine potluck! I hope everyone loves it!
Hi Natasha, I made your borscht and brought it to work cuz my husband and I cannot eat that much. Everyone loved it, but I was wondering if people ever puree the veggies so that it is a smooth soup?
Hi Lynn, I’m so happy you all loved it! While I haven’t done that, I have hear of people pureeing this soup for kids to eat. If you experiment, let me know how you liked the recipe.
I’ve made this soup several times and sometimes puree the leftovers, especially if I’m rewarming it from frozen. It’s just as delicious!
So glad you love this recipe, Yolanda!
Pampered Chef food chopper dices your onions so small with no tears I’ve used mine all the time
Yes, a very helpful tool indeed!
I made this today and it is so good! I know it will taste even better tomorrow! I used vegetable broth to keep it vegan, and added some cabbage, near the end. It seemed to difficult to shred the beets, and I was making a mess, so I diced it into small pieces. Otherwise I followed your recipe exactly. Thank you for the recipe!
I’m so glad you loved it! I love it, even more, the next day also! Thank you for your feedback and review, Ali!
I made this 100% vegetarian by using my own veggie stock, and some Bragg Liquid Soy Seasoning. I added broccoli, and sweet potatoes, along with all the other ingredients. No dill on hand, so I finely minced up a dill pickle, and threw it in.
смачно!!!😃
Wonderful! Thank you for sharing with us.
Tried this tonight. My husband Is of Ukrainian descent and found the recipe. I used golden beets, and it was delicious. I personally love beets but if you don’t try the golden beets, they are much less assertive and you can’t tell there are beets in the soup. Either way just delicious.
Hi Sandy, thank you for trying out this recipe. Good to know that you both enjoyed it!
Hi Natasha,
I keep my onions in the fridge and never have any problem tearing up. So, the secret is to chill your onions!
Thank you for sharing that great tip!
In the video you said ” 4 cups of chicken broth,6 cups of water” in the recipe you said 8 cups of chicken broth ,2 cups of water, which is correct
Hi Myra, sorry for the confusion. We updated the recipe to add more broth and less water for a richer flavor.
Made this today after recently having it for the first time at a Ukranian restaurant in PA. Love how easy this is, and I really enjoyed it. I didn’t have cabbage so I made it without, but will absolutely add cabbage the next time. Very good soup – can’t wait for the rest of the family to try it tonight!
That is great! So glad it turned out. Definitely make it again and add the cabbage. It takes it to the next level. Thank you for sharing, and for the wonderful review.
My first time making Borscht! Loved it! I made the bean version. Thank you for the easy to follow directions, will definitely make again!
I’m so happy you enjoyed that. Thank you for sharing that with us, Dawn!
My Mother was a fabulous cook and I am not talking gourmet, but just regular foods in her Houston, Texas kitchen. I wish she had seen this recipe. She would have loved the result and so would we. I grew up associating this with Russian and so turned off. I will prepare the dish now thanks to your detail. Best of luck.
She would have loved this recipe. Please give it a try, we would love hear your feedback!
The recipe is similar to what I’ve been making for years. One question though, is there a reason you stir fry onions, celery separately and add to the soup? I do it in the same pot, and after stir frying onion garlic, celery, add beats, carrots, etc. Just wondering if there is a reason for doing it separately? Thank you
Hi, it is because beets take longer to cook than the aromatics which I sautee separately.
I’ve made a lot of borscht and I was impressed with the flavour and simplicity of this recipe. Left the beans out tho.
To prevent “onion tearing” cut onion without cutting into the root…Tuh… dah!!
Thank you so much for sharing that with me!
Got to go old school and add chorni Xleb. I love white bread but black one i think has way more flavor.
That sure is a classic combination!
My husband spent a couple weeks in Ukraine years ago and was craving this. I totally thought I would not enjoy it but was pleasantly surprised. The sour cream is a game changer.
I am making it again today to share with friends and am curious about how to store it until I’m ready to serve it. Do I simmer on the stove all day OR keep warm in my crackpot OR cool and keep it in the fridge?
I’m so glad you loved it, Jill! Once it cools, I would keep it in the fridge to keep it safe (meat). You can then reheat it either on your stovetop or in the microwave. If you continue simmering it, the water will evaporate, and the potatoes will turn to mush. I hope this helps!
Making right now and it smells wonderful (I’ve had some sample tastes too!). I’ve decided to serve it to my guests who are coming tomorrow instead of eating it today. Should I finish making the soup and then refrigerate it to reheat tomorrow? Thank you, Natasha. I’ll be making your lazy cabbage rolls next!
I’m so glad you loved them, Yolanda! Thank you so much for sharing that with me.
Love all your recipes Natasha. Can the white beans be swapped with anything else?
Hi there, I have not tried another substitute but one of our readers shared this “Omitted the beans and added chopped green beans, peas, and extra carrots in their place. Serve with crusty bread. Great healthy warming soup.” I hope that helps.
I made this tonight. Delicious and earthy tasting. My husband and I are serving it to guests tomorrow night as a first course.
That’s just awesome! Thank you for sharing your wonderful review, Lynne!