Classic Borscht Recipe (VIDEO)
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.
This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy.
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:
If you enjoy our videos, please subscribe to our Youtube Channel and click the bell icon so you’ll be the first to know when we post a new video. THANK YOU for subscribing! We love spending time with you on our Youtube Channel.
Classic Borscht Recipe (Beet Soup)
Our family's go-to recipe for Borscht (Red Beet Soup). It's best to have all of the ingredients prepped and ready to go which makes this soon super easy and care free. Serve with a dollop of sour cream or real mayo.
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.
If you make this recipe, I’d love to see pics of your creations on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter! Hashtag them #natashaskitchen
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?
Natasha Kravchuk
Hi! I'm Natasha Kravchuk. Here you'll find delicious, trusted recipes with easy step-by-step photos and videos. 
A wooden toothpick or wooden match stem in the mouth when cutting onions helps with tearing.
Hi Natasha,
Love the recipes that you post. My grandmother was from Brest and her version of borscht included beef short ribs( or stewing beef if you can’t find them), beets, beet tops, green string beans, celery, carrots, onions, parsley, garlic, pickling spices and beef stock/water. This is such a great soup for those cold winter days. Just another version without the potatoes. Of course you had to have rye bread and sour cream to go with it.
Thank you so much for sharing that with me, Terri! I have heard of this being made with short ribs. I imagine that it is so delicious! Thank you so much for sharing that with us. I hope you enjoy our version!
My husband and I went to Alyonka Russian Cuisine last night for dinner, and I tried Borscht for the first time. It was AMAZING! We found your recipe online and we’re making it as we speak! Thanks for a great recipe! From one Idahoan to another! We’re here in Eagle, Idaho, too! Side note: the restaurant was GREAT! We loved it! Definitely going back.
Hi Amy, now you can make your favorite recipe anytime at home. I hope this becomes your favorite!
Hi Natasha, I found this soup a bit on the sweet side for my taste, but my friends are wanting me to make more for them, happy to oblige. A very easy recipe to follow, thanks again for another great recipe.
Regards Jim
You’re welcome! I’m so happy you enjoyed it, Jim!
Brilliant! We just made this for our Ukranian/Russian themed Christmas lunch and it was fantastic. Great flavour and colour. We are still enjoying it reheated post-Christmas. Thank you so much, Natasha from Ipswich, Australia.
You’re welcome! I’m so happy you enjoyed it, Sean!
Microwave the onion for 20-30sec, depending on the size 😉
OMG, this borscht was absolutely DELICIOUS!!! Such great flavour and so easy to make! Thanks so much, Natasha. I grew up eating borscht and this one is exactly like my Mom made. I will use this recipe from now on. Merry Christmas to you and your family! 🎄
I forgot to give it 5 stars! It should get 10 though, lol.
Thank you, that is awesome!
You are the sweetest! Thank you for your awesome review, Corinne. We appreciate it and Merry Christmas too!
Great quick soup – we replaced water/broth without beetroot juice but otherwise did it as in the recipe. It’s tasty!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
Ok just made this tonight and well omg!!!! So good, i used your recipe with a couple of twists. It was clean out the fridge night so i went all kinds of veggies and the left over baked ham. It made a huge pot (1.5 gal) and four of us all but emptied the pot. Barley enough left for me tomorrow.
That’s so great! Don’t you love how versatile this recipe is! I’m happy you enjoyed that!
I have made this recipe a few times now and it’s SO GOOD!
Thank you so much Natasha for sharing this!!! What a gift!
I have tried it using both tomato paste and ketchup. Using ketchup adds a hint of sweetness where tomato paste keeps it very savory and earthy. Both are fantastic honestly, just depends what you are in the mood for.
I do only minor modifications to this recipe based on my taste preference for bold flavor…
1)I use cubed instead of shredded beats, this dramatically increases the cooking time but this is how I’m used to Borsht
2)Triple the garlic
3) Add the Bay leaves sooner
4) Triple the dill
The giant sour cream dollop is a must.
Thank you for sharing this with me, Christina!
OK, I did the prep according to the written recipe, then played the video as I began to cook.
First, if those beets in the video cannot be MEDIUM sized as the recipe calls for. I started with three that were about the size of a racket ball, and added two more. I think the yield might have been five cups. Can you revise this recipe to indicate the cups of shredded beets since medium is pretty inexact after watching the video.
Next. The written recipe calls for 8 cups of chicken broth, 2 cups water. Your video says 4 cups of chicken broth and 6 cups of water. Which is it?
I used 4 cups chicken broth, 2 cups of vegetable broth and 2 cups water.
Otherwise a good recipe. I was a bit weary about vinegar but it was good.
Next time…more beets, more salt, a wee bit more vinegar
Hi Ron, we changed it to 8 cups chicken broth for a richer flavor. 8 cups are correct. A racket ball size would be more like a small beat. I didn’t measure them that way so I can’t say exactly how much of grated beats there were. I will try to keep that in mind next time. I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe!
To prevent tearing when cutting an onion, put a piece of bread in your mouth. Don’t chew, just let sit in your mouth
Thanks for the tip, Ron!
To prevent tearing, work under the hood of the stove, blow the aromatic oils up to the ceiling.
If you are preparing lots of onions eg for a party, putting a fan on the counter might be the worth the effort.
Hi Natasha, I spent two weeks in the Ukraine a few years back and got acquainted with Borscht, it was so delicious. I am getting ready to fix it and will add the cabbage, can I or should I use red or white cabbage. I would like to use red to more match the color of Borscht.
I hope you love this recipe, Roswitha! We have another recipe with cabbage in it. We used a small green cabbage for this recipe.
I am third-generation Canadian ofUkrainian heritage! I’ve just made a HUGE pot of borscht to have with our Christmas dinner and to put in the freezer. When I’m rushed I actually use shredded coleslaw mix (don’t judge me lol); it doesn’t matter if you use red or white cabbage, as it all turns red anyway! Also I use an immersion blender to thicken it up a bit (not to blend it smooth). We really love borscht and I probably don’t make it often enough.
Thank you so much for sharing that with me, Sharon! I’m so glad you enjoyed this recipe!
Making this today! And I’m definitely more of a team sour cream (smetana), or just plain! Have never used chicken broth, usually just tomato juice.
I hope you love this recipe!
love this recipe
I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
Love this borscht soup. All your recipes are great. I wear contact lenses and have no problem cutting onions.
Oh, that’s good! I’m glad you enjoyed this recipe, Andrea.
Ooops, another question.
Can I substitute vegetable broth for the chick broth? And if I do, is the Zazharka still needed?
Hi Ron, a vegetable broth would work well, but I would keep everything else the same.
Question, the dill should be fresh or dried??
Hi Ron, we always use either fresh or frozen which have the best flavor. If using dried, you would need less.
Amazing recipe!! I wish I could add photos because it is gorgeous and delicious.
I added 1/2 shredded cabbage to mine and pretty much all the additional things. BUT forgot celery. A reason to make it again! Lol
Thank you for sharing your wonderful review, J! I hope you love it even more with celery!
Hi there, just wondering if the soup would be ok to freeze?
Hi Jess, yes, borscht freezes very well. I would leave out the garnish (sour cream or mayo) until serving.
Ok thank you so much!
This isn’t “meatless” if it uses chicken stock.
It is meatless…it’s just not vegetarian
Made it tonight. Very good but next time I’ll start it a little earlier in the day to have it for dinner.
Hint when cutting an onion.
Breath with your mouth instead.
This is my first time ever cooking with beets! I was wondering, if I used beef broth do you think this will still be good?
Hi Alix, I imagine that will still work! If you experiment please let me know how you like that!
Hi! This is my first time ever making this or even cooking with beets! I am making this for my boyfriend who lived in Russia for sixth months. His girlfriend at the time made it for him and he LOVED it so i decided to try! I was wondering, I used beef broth, do you think this will still be good?
Love your blog and recipes btw!!
Hi Alix, the color will be a little different with beef broth but it will be very tasty.
Wow I love this! The vinegar and dill are great in here! I have a recipe from a Polish friend for a beet soup that uses the beet stems, leaves and lots of lemon, and I’m excited to now have this version! I’m going to try the sauerkraut and meatball soups next!
That’s awesome Angela! I’m so glad you enjoyed this recipe!
Oh, one more thing. I would like to make a bunch of this up, and can it in the winter. That way it would be so handy to have whenever we get a craving for it!
Hi Christa, my mom does that where she cans and preserves it for winter. I haven’t it myself though so I don’t have that recipe to share yet.
I had this in the Ukraine, and I have wanted to make it ever sense having it there. I made it, and loved it. But my husband had a fit about it—this is not normal because he is really picky, and doesn’t often even like 5 star dishes!!! He was even telling people about this dish. So I am making it again today. This is one way I can get my husband to eat carrots too. Thank you so much!!!
That’s so great Christa! I’m so glad you enjoyed this recipe!
I made this for my husband, who has had puréed borscht many times but never had it chunky like your recipe… delicious! He says it’s the best he’s ever had 🙂 Thanks so much for sharing your delicious recipe!
Aaw that is so sweet of him, thanks to you both for trying out my recipes!
With all respect – it’s not the Borscht… It’s some sort of weird variation or interpretation of the Borscht.. but defiantly not Classic Borscht, no way I can agree with this
Totally understand your feedback but this is our version and this is how we like it.
My mom used to make the best borscht but unfortunately as a kid I was never interested in watching her make it. She used to put meat in it. How would I change up this recipe to include red meat?
Hi Anna, we have a Borscht recipe with meat HERE.
This was really good! My whole family loved it.
It was my first time making borsht (or even tasting it for that matter) and I had preconceived notions that it would be gross. But this was delicious! Thanks!
Yay, so happy that you enjoyed this recipe! Thank you for your wonderful review.
This version of borscht is absolutely delicious! Thank you for sharing!
You’re welcome! I’m happy you enjoyed this recipe!
When we were in Lithuania we were served borscht with mashed potatoes rather than sour cream or mayo. Have you heard of that?
That’s interesting! I have not heard of that served with! How did you like it with mashed?
I loved this recipe! It was so tasty. The vinegar and dill make for great flavor. I made this for my girlfriend and my roommates and everyone loved it. Thank you!
I’m so happy to hear that Niko! Thank you for sharing that awesome review with me!
Mayo?? Never! Sour cream only. My Ukranian grandmother made borscht for us all the time, and it was also homemade stock. There was never mayonnaise involved (yuck). That being said, thank you for your video and it looks good.
Thank you, Margaret, it is preference-based! I hope you try our borscht recipe and try it soon.
I no longer buy sour cream, havent for years, but I usually have plain greek yogurt, I just had the archived traditional version of this recipe with the yogurt and it was delicious!
This is a wonderful recipe, perfect for the Seattle rainy season. In the event that we might want to freeze part of it, I grated the potato (since potato chunks don’t freeze well.) The beans are a great addition. Thanks, Natasha!
Great idea! Thank you for sharing that with me!
You mentioned wanting a tip for tear-free onion cutting. Keep your onions in the refrigerator. It works for me.
Thank you for that great tip Theresa!
I love love Russian food. I was an exchange student in Russia 10 years ago and could not get enough of the food! Hot borscht was my favorite. This took me back and it was so simple to make! My hubby loved it!!!
Awww that’s the best! Thank you so much for sharing that with me! I’m all smiles
Hello
Am from India , made it for the first time . With vegetable broth . And it was fantastic. The taste was further elevated by the dollop of sour cream .
First tym tasting a Russian/Ukrainian dish and its a 5 star ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Thank u
Awesome! Thanks for your perfect feedback, so glad you loved this recipe.
best way to remove beets stains is make a paste using baking soda and a small amount of water
Hi Natasha, I’m looking forward to making your borscht! Two questions: would dried dill work? I use it in soups often and never have a problem. Also, why is the mire poix sautéed separately? I am tempted to sautée everything with the beets in the beginning, to save work and an extra dirty pan! Normally I would go ahead and not ask, but you seem so thorough in your recipe and comments that I thought I’d ask. Thank you so much!!
Hi Shannon, dried dill should work great! I haven’t tried sauteeing it all in the beginning but that may work. If you experiment I would love to know how you like that!
Hello! I am making this as I type … making ahead for Saturday to celebrate Canadian Thanksgiving … how long can the Borscht keep in the fridge and can the leftovers (if any) be frozen!
Hi Linda, this will keep well in a jar/bowl refrigerated up to 5 days. It should only be stored in the refrigerator though and not at room temperature.
OK, so I cut my ginormous beet in two. After peeling and trimming, half was 1 pound. Grated it was nearly 4 C. I then made the recipe as is except for only using 4 cups of water instead of 6. It could have used a bit more beet…I’d say 1.25-1.5 pounds or a generous 4 Cups grated if you need to measure another way because your beet is a mutant! Very good…thank you.
I’m so happy you enjoyed that Francie!
I have one one really enormous beet. It’s probably more than three medium beets. Can you tell me in weight how much beet you use in this recipe?
Hi Francie, I wish I had measured it that way! I recommend taking a look at the images in our recipe post, there you can see the size for reference compared to a can. I hope this is helpful!
Great recipe. Is there a way to modify this for a slow cooker or instant pot?
Hi Dina, I haven’t tried this in an instant pot but now I sure want to experiment!! If I come up with something awesome, I will be sure to share it.
Made this last night for the first time and it was delicious. I followed the recipe exactly. If you are making this, be sure to include the vinegar and ketchup – I see how it completely transformed the flavour (in a good way!). I made this for a vegetarian friend so we used vegetable stock. I will make again this week and try adding some bacon and. using chicken stock. Served with home made rosemary bread it was to die for. Really happy to have found this recipe – I will be using it regularly to get more beets into my diet.
Hello, Jen. Thanks for trying out this recipe, I am glad you loved it!
The only changes I made were leaving out the red pepper (don’t like peppers), used russet potatoes (because that’s what I had) and I rinsed the beans before adding because of the sodium content. We loved it.
I have about 1/4 small cabbage which I’ll be adding this time because I need to use it up and I still have beet tops in the garden so I’ll add some. Great to make in the winter also with frozen shredded beets.
Thank you so much for sharing that with me Kathy!
hold a stick of celery or carrot between you back teeth, hold firm while chopping. No tears.
Thanks for sharing that with us, Lynn!
Partially freeze your onion before cutting. Helps me.
Great tip! Thank you for sharing that with me!
My boyfriend and I love, love, love your borscht recipe. I do continue to make the original recipe that uses cabbage, dark kidney beans and lemon juice. I do now grate the beets instead of chopping into matchsticks (so much faster) and I love the extra dill. Thank you so much for this recipe. It’s delicious, nutritious and affordable and I’m obsessed with it.
Hello Victoria, you are most welcome! That sounds awesome too, I think this recipe is versatile and it’s just up to you to decide what you can add or omit. Thanks for sharing that with us!
Our Ukrainian Beet Borscht has a couple of variants from yours: Shred Beets and cook in 6 cups water for 10 mins.
We omit red peppers because of allergies. We shred the carrots and add 2 large parsnips shredded. We braise the onions with the parsnips, 4 cloves of garlic and3 tbsp margarine. The potatoes (small cubed) and the carrots are boiled together in 3 cups water until done. Cabbage finely shredded is cooked in 3 cups of water for 20 mins. Put all ingredients in a large stock pot with 4 cups of LOW SODIUM chicken broth and spices . We use 1 tin of tomato soup, 1 tsp pepper, 3 tbsp LOW SODIUM Soy Sauce, 4 tsp chopped fresh dill, 4 tbsp sugar, 4 tbsp white vinegar, generous splash of white wine, 1 tsp each basil, thyme and rosemary. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to simmer for 2 hours. Serve hot with sour cream. We have made this for over 10 years and got the recipe from an article in a local paper. Enjoy
Thank you so much for sharing that with us Roy! I’m so glad you enjoyed this recipe!
I had the pleasure to eat this soup in Kiev when I visited last summer to see what it should like.
I made this recipe–and included the dollop of sour cream and homemade sourdough bread. It was so tasty.
I live in Washington State so I used Walla Walla sweet onions and fresh organic beets.
I slowly simmered the soup in a crock pot-perfect!
I really enjoy Slavic flavors and your blog is excellent in the way you explain and make it look easy. The videos and photos are a great way to compare the finished product!
Hello Keith, thank you so much for sharing that with us. Thank you for giving this recipe a try and I am also glad that you liked it!
Yyeeaaah giirrll YOU GOT IT! i threw in some chicken and cabbage also but altogether fantastic and just as i remember. Perfect. Fantastic. Thank you for your recipe. Tastes like home.
You’re welcome, Anastasia! I’m so glad you enjoyed this recipe!
Natasha, I also love Cold Borscht. I make it in the Summer. I am Lithuanian.
Hi Judy! Cold Borscht sounds amazing! The best way to enjoy this in the summer!
Hi Natasha,
I loved your borscht! It makes you feel warm, cosy like sitting in front of a fireplace in winter, it’s nutritious and it tastes delicious.
Vera
Isn’t it the best! I’m so glad you enjoyed this recipe Vera!
Completely bland. Not worth the time.
Hi Gina, did you possibly forget to season?
Regarding the onion, if you put your onion in the fridge and let it cool down its easier on your eyes.
Yes that works!
So good and so easy!!! Tip for cutting onions without crying, place cutting board on top of stove and turn on overhead fan and chop onions over stove!!
Thank you so much for sharing that tip with us Sarah! I’m so glad you enjoyed this recipe!
I can say without exaggeration or hesitation that this is the BEST soup I have ever tasted in my life!
Wow!! I’m so glad you found a new favorite on our blog! That’s so great!
we add tomato paste to borsch in winter time. During summer we use real tomatoes (but of a special kind – sweet and sourly). Also there is good version of a non-meat borsch (postniy) used during fasting. Borsch is extremely good for the health and whenever you eat it you will feel the energy that comes with it.
Yes! We love how delicious and healthy this is! Thank you for sharing that with us!
Hi Natasha, For the Classic Borscht, when you say 3 tablespoons tomato sauce, do you mean pasta sauce or tomato paste?
Hi Monika, you can use tomato ketchup or the plain tomato sauce not paste and not pasta sauce.
I’ve made this recipe close to 10 times now so I thought it’s about time I said thank you 😀 Natasha’s borsch recipe has become my staple recipe. It’s foolproof, easy to make and really flavourful.
I love mine with a spoonful of sour cream! Thank you so much Natasha!
Wow sounds like you found your favorite recipe! Super love it.
Lovely recipe you have here. we do enjoy red beet borscht once in a while but us living in Canada and being huge fans of Doukhobor borsch which is a vegetarian creamy borsch consisting of potatoes that are boiled in a large pot of salted water along with carrots, celery and one small beet which is used only to add a bit of colour. When potatoes are tender they are removed via slotted spoon and mashed with a good amount of whipping cream and butter then put aside.
The small beet is also removed and discarded. Some cooks do grate the cooked beet back into the pot but not many as it would not be following the very old so very delicious Doukhobor borsch recipe that is so loved. It’s a bit of a time consuming recipe as more than one cooking vessel is used.
For the cabbage and onions, a separate pan is needed, preferably a good sized fry pan to saute a medium size green cabbage cut into strips and 1 or 2 onions depending on size of onions on hand, in a good amount of even more butter until softened. Once softened down a large can of tomatoes or jar or two of home canned tomatoes are added depending on how big your canned jar of tomatoes might be. Once everything is cooked to the liking, the whipped potatoes, cabbage and onion mixture go back into the large pot then brought to a boil for only an instant. Depending on taste, finally chopped green pepper and fresh dill is added to top of your pot of Doukhobor Borsch. Oh and always check as you go to be sure salt ( I use diamond crystal kosher salt only ) and freshly ground white or black pepper amounts are to your liking.
Russian Doukhobors ( Sons of Freedom) one of the areas in Canada I used to live and introduced to them via family members who worked at the same place I did, I were different indeed. They rejected the rituals and beliefs of the Orthodox Church as they did laws which was displayed many times in front of the city hall where I lived at that time (1970s) but at the same time were lovely people to speak with and for me personally, incredible cooks. I learned so much in the 5 years I lived in that are from a friend’s mother and elderly Grandmother who were so generous to hand write their recipes for me including their delicious recipe for Doukhobor borsch.
I’m sure you must know of the Russian Doukhobors or perhaps older members in your family as they were either liked or very disliked because they shunned the orthodox church for thier own beliefs which included no killing of animals for food. I know is they started immigrating to Canada in the early 1800’s. For myself, I couldn’t have been happier to meet with and enjoy learning from many of them about a cooking style I knew very little about as that is what caused me to want to learn about cooking and recipes from around the world.
Oh, and PS. Doukhobor creamy borsch is not a recipe one would want to make too often if you value your arteries!
Thank you for sharing!
I love the recipe Natacha. I will definitely try. My son is Russian and he just loves it. Thank you.
Thank you, Marisa. I am so glad you and your son loved it!
Hi! Is it possible to leave out the beans without messing up the flavor?
The beans enhance the recipe’s flavor so we highly recommend it but you can change up the beans based on your preference and/or what you have on hand.
Hi, I did the recipe today without the beans and I used bone broth instead of chicked broth since I didn’t have those. The soup was great, bay leaves and dill defitinitely had a great impact on the flavor. Thanks for the recipe !
Hi Ezgi, I’m so glad you loved the borscht recipe! Thaks for the great review!
Can this be served cold?
Hi Kevin, it sure can but we prefer it warm.
My new favorite guilty pleasure!!!!
Thanks to Natasha!!!!
SOOOOO AMAZING!!!!
I’m so glad you enjoyed that Matthew! Sounds like a new favorite!
I would like to add the cabbage. When and how do you do that?
Hi Patricia, This is the way we make it because our children don’t eat it with cabbage but we do have another borscht with cabbage if you prefer that and you can definitely add it here as well.
no borscht without cabbage in Ukraine
Actually my mother and father were both from Ukraine and never used cabbage in borscht. Same with my Baba. I think it’s different regions. Bukovina is where they were from.
Thank you for sharing that with us Zenovia!
AGREED!!!
Thanks for this great recipe! I’m a basic cook and was able to complete this without issues… It juuuust fit in my 4 qt. pot when I cut the liquid to 3/4 of what was listed.
I’m so happy you enjoyed that. Thank you for sharing that with us!
How long will this last in the fridge?
That’s so awesome! Thank you for the great review, Jillian!
Can this soup be frozen?
Hi Judy, this will keep well in a jar/bowl refrigerated up to 5 days. It should only be stored in the refrigerator though and not at room temperature.
So delicious! Made exactly as specified, but added 1/2 head of cabbage. It tastes even better the next day! I made 2 pots in 2 days. Thank you for sharing the amazing recipe!
Very nice, glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for your great feedback.
Onion Knife Tip
Keep your knife sharp.
Yes! Great tip! Have you seen our knife sharpening post?
If you get really watery eyes be sure to light a candle and keep it close during onion cutting it will actually help with the onion juices from free floating into your eyes!!
Great idea! Thank you for sharing that Matt!
I just made your borscht recipe for the third time tonight, and it is such a gem. Borscht is my comfort food and I love having this for lunches and dinners and just feeling warm, full and happy. 🙂
Thank you so much!
Sounds like this is one of your favorites! Thanks for sharing your comments with us, Cait and for giving this recipe an excellent review.
You ever ad meat to it
HI Gary, here is our borscht with meat recipe. I hope you love it!
I’m off to the supermarket soon to get the ingredients for this recipe. I tried the beef bone version in Moscow many years ago but have never made my own.
Thank you.
Sounds great, Ian. I hope you love it and please share with us how it goes.
Can you make a recipe for vushka to go with this borscht?
Oh! I just found a can of kidney beans as well! So I could also use that instead of the cannelini beans if you think it would be a better substitute than Garbanzo or pinto
I haven’t tried that yet but I imagine it should be okay. Please share with us how it goes if you give it a try!
Hi! I am thinking of trying this recipe but I am going to have to make some substitutions based on what I already have at home. Can I get your opinion on these changes?
1) Fennel fronds instead of dill
2) Fennel bulb instead of celery
3) Red potatoes instead of Yukon Gold
4) Garbanzo or pinto beans instead of cannellini (do you think either of these beans would work??)
Thank you! I am sorry to have to change your recipe so much, since it looks so good as is! I am just trying to avoid going to the store as much as possible right now
Hi Maddie, I honestly have never tried making borscht with fennel. Red potatoes should be fine and garbanzo beans will work as well, but they do have a different texture.
Hi Natasha,
I made this last night, with all these substitutions, and I used kidney beans in place of the cannellini. It turned out amazing! It was soooo good! I thought the fennel added some really good flavor. Thank you so much for sharing this recipe! I look forward to the day I can make it the way it was written!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
No