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?
This is my go-to borshch recipe! I grew up in a belarusian-Ukrainian household, and this is almost as good as my baba made it (of course, nothing will ever top hers ;)). This recipe is fantastic! Thank you for sharing!
You’re very welcome, Jill! Thank you for the review.
I am learning to cook and this recipe was absolutely delicious, god bless you for sharing your recipes. I can’t wait to try more of your stuff.
So glad to hear that. Thank you for the review. God bless.
I hate Borscht…with a passion. With all of my being, honestly. But husband loves it. He grew up with Ukrainian Borscht, I grew up with German, so my idea of Borscht compared to his differs (and to be perfectly honest, I don’t actually know if there is a difference, I am just assuming!). However, I made this for him as we had all the ingredients, and I knew he’d be happy. Imagine my surprise when I took a bite and liked it, and then I ate an entire bowl. Great recipe, super healthy, have made it twice now. Used homemade broth in it. First time I made it, I used some dried navy beans instead of canned Cannellini beans, and I must admit, it was better with the dried beans (rehydrated first, of course!). I also didn’t use the ketchup/tomato sauce in the recipe, and instead, just blended up some grape tomatoes, and it was fine. I love that this recipe uses up so many healthy items, and it tastes amazing! Topped with additional fresh dill from my garden and of course, a LARGE spoonful of sour cream. Thanks for converting me!
So glad to hear that, Joline!
I’m sorry Natasha, the only thing that saved the soup was the sour cream. Recipe is missing something that pulls it all together. Canned beans and ketchup?
Hi Natasha,
My Lithuanian mother made borsch in the summertime served with boiled potatoes smothered in caramelized onions. The beets were pre-cooked and cut into small pieces and the liquid from the cooked beets was cooled and used as the main broth. The soup was served cold with small cucumber chunks, sliced scallions, cut up hard boiled eggs with sour cream stirred in to make it a bright pink. Try it sometime for a cool summer meal!
Thank you so much for that suggestion, Richard! That sounds delicious!
Richard that is Šaltibarščiai (shal-tee-bars-chai) not borscht! Lithuanian cold beet soup. Similar but different. Both are delicious.
Sour cream, all the way! My father was Russian and we put it on everything. Including pancakes!
Sour cream is definitely the classic with this recipe.
Hi Natasha,
I put my onions in the fridge for 2-4 hours before I chopped them. It is not 100 percent tear proof but quite effective. I make Turkish yogurt which is made from milk and a couple tablespoon yogurt and strained well; and use it in place of sourcream.
Kind regards
Ness
Sounds delicious!
Hello Natasha, I am on a low carb diet and am wondering what I can substitute for potatoes and beans?
Thank you.
Hi Galina, it’s a preference! You’re welcome to make it without the tail, but it helps the look and flavor.
Hi Galina,
I have the same issue and I have substituted potatoes with zucchini.
Skip the potatoes as they have a high glycemic impact. The beans are a good source of protein and fiber (lowers glycemic impact) and 1 can in a pot doesn’t add that much per serving.
Can’t wait to make your Borscht soup!!! Love love love beets and all the other ingredients.
I’ll take my soup with sour cream!
I hope you love it, Cheryl!
Thanks Natasha for this amazing borscht recipe. Its my go to now, and have made it five or so times and am about to make a big batch again! I think without the cabbage is a nice touch – my parents love it as well! Pretty sure I’ve made your recipe with cabbage in it and it was great too but I prefer this one.
That’s wonderful, Dave. I’m happy you found this recipe. Thank you for the wonderful feedback.
Take a big gulp of water but don’t swallow. Then holding the water in your mouth, cut your onions! No tears!
Thanks for the tip!
In the video you add 4 cups low sodium chicken broth & six cups of water. In the recipe it calls for 8 cups broth and 2 cups water!?!?
Which is correct?
Hi Jullia, sorry for any confusion. We updated the recipe to add more broth and less water for a richer flavor.
I am also interested in clarification on your broth/water amounts.
Hi can I use sweet potatoes instead of white potatoes. Love your recipes
Hi Jim! I haven’t tested it but here is what one of my other readers said, “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.”
I don’t really understand the order of cooking the ingredients for this recipe and tbh the written order seems like a waste of time. IMO it makes more sense to do the following:
Sauté the sofrito
Add beets and carrots
Add seasonings
Add potato/broth
Boil until soft
Add beans/cabbage if using and adjust salt level if needed
This allows you to use one pot as well as allowing the seasonings to fully develop (a dry bay leaf absolutely has to be heated for longer than 2-3 minutes to infuse flavor)
Using these adjustments the recipe was fine. I am not Ukrainian so I cannot attest to the authenticity but it was still delicious!
Hi Natasha
I’ve never seen a recipe that asks for bay leaf to be added at the end of cooking. I’m accustomed to adding bay leaves at the beginning then taking out at the end after imparting flavour through slow simmering. Why is it out in so late in your recipe?
Thanks, Nathan
Hi Nathan, it just adds flavor to the whole recipe so I add it in the end but if you prefer it to be more flavorful you may also do it in the beginning.
How do you think this would be using canned beets? I’ve never cooked fresh beets.
Hi Marsha, canned won’t have the same depth of flavor or color that fresh beats give. It will work but it’s not ideal.
cooking beets is no problem, boil the beets till fork tender, remove from water, when cool enough to handle the skin will slide out easily.
yes…boil and slip right out of the skins…it maintains color
I have done a side by side taste test. Fresh beets are much more yummy than canned. If you try it yourself, you may never go back to canned.
I follow your recipe blog on Facebook…I prepare lots of your various recipes at least every other day…I love making your recipes…
Thank you, Jeanne! So happy to hear that.
This is so traditional. I made it today for Easter (Orthodox). I adapted it for Instant Pot by reducing the water.
A beautiful recipe for your family, which you can make very quickly in the Instant Pot. I added some spring vegetables, such as blanched fava beans, which are not tradiional, rather than just putting in the old frozen peas. I think that my Babushka would have approved. She always had a beautiful and bountiful garden. The dill is totally a must, to give that real Ukrainian taste. Slava Ukraini!
Hello Jane, thanks for the wonderful review! I’m happy to hear that you enjoyed this recipe.
Hi Natasha!
My name is Natalya and my Ukrainian work friends call me Natasha! Today was the second time I made your Borscht and I love it! Thank you so much for sharing.
-Natalya
You’re welcome, Natalya. Great to hear that you loved this recipe!
Hi Natasha, my husband and I love beets, one question I have is that if adding cabbage, would red or green cabbage be better
Hi Pam, we have always used green cabbage. I hope you love this recipe!
The cabbage always takes on the reddish colour of the beets. I use white. Today I tried some red swiss chard also. Let`s see what happens!
xo,
Jane
Sounds good, please update us on how it goes!