Beets are the one of the most important ingredients in Borscht. I prefer using roasted beets , but you can also use canned beets or other cooked store bought beets. You can also cook the beets yourself in a pot filled with water until the beets are cooked through and can be pierced with a paring knife or a skewer. You can also start out with raw beets, grate or finely slice them, then proceed with the steps in the recipe, it will just take longer for the beets to cook through.

Can you freeze Borscht?

Yes, most soups freeze really well. However, the potatoes will fall apart and get mushy, so keep that in mind. I prefer to make a large batch of Borscht and enjoy it for a few days instead. If you don't mind that the texture of the potatoes will change after freezing, store the soup in the freezer for up to 3 months.

Can you make Vegetarian or Vegan Borscht?

It is very easy to make Borscht without meat. Use vegetable broth instead of chicken broth and use oil for sautéing the vegetables, not butter and garnish the soup with vegan sour cream or don't use sour cream at all. Instead of meat, you can add beans or dry mushrooms. Dry porcini mushrooms are my favorite. Vegetarian/Vegan Borscht Recipe

How To Make Borscht Bright RED

1. Add acid to the beets - lemon juice, vinegar and a tomato product. All these things help to keep the beets red. 2. Cook the beets separately, then add them to the Borscht. Turn off the Borscht as soon as you add the beets. 3. Don't cook the beets too long in the soup. As I already explained don't cook the beets in the soup and when reheating, heat only the portion you will eat and only bring it to a simmer. Don't boil the Borscht for more than a few minutes.

Borscht - Борщ - Olga's Flavor Factory

Borscht

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5 from 9 reviews

Borscht is one of the most well-known Soviet recipes. It is a Ukrainian beet soup made with many other vegetables. This version is made with beef, potatoes, cabbage, lots of aromatic vegetables and is served with fresh herbs and sour cream. I share all my tips for a vibrantly bright red Borscht that has so much incredible flavor.

Author: Olga's Flavor Factory
Prep Time: 45 minutes
Cook Time: 90 minutes
Total Time: 2 hours 15 minutes
Yield: 8 servings 1x
Category: Soup

Ingredients

Scale

8 oz boneless chuck beef or top sirloin (cut into bite-sized pieces or 1 lb bone-in beef shank)
water to cook the beef
12 cups chicken broth (plus additional water for the Borscht, if you want to thin it out, 2–4 cups)
1 Tablespoon butter or oil
1 onion (finely chopped)
1 carrot (shredded)
1 celery stalk (finely chopped)
2 cups (2–3 gold potatoes, cut into 1/2 inch cubes)
2–3 cups finely sliced cabbage
2–3 medium beets (roasted, peeled and shredded or thinly julienned)
1 cup water (for sauteing the beets)
1 cup crushed tomatoes or tomato sauce
1 Tablespoon lemon juice or vinegar
1 teaspoon sugar
3–5 garlic cloves (minced)
1 1/2 Tablespoons each fresh dill and green onion (to garnish)
sour cream, for serving

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Instructions

Cut the beef chuck or top sirloin into bite-sized pieces and place it into a small pot with just enough water to cover the beef by about an inch. You can also use a bone in beef shank instead of the chuck.
Bring the water to a boil, reduce heat to low and cook at a simmer for 1 – 1 ½ hours, until fork tender, while cooking the Borscht. You can also add some black peppercorns and bay leaves to flavor the broth. Skim off the foam from the top of the beef broth as it is cooking.
If cooking the beef in the Instant Pot, cook the chuck or beef shank for about an hour or the top sirloin for 20 minutes.
While the beef is cooking, prepare the rest of the Borscht in a large pot or Dutch oven.
Heat the butter or oil and add the onion, carrot, and celery. Season with salt and ground black pepper. Cook on medium-low heat for 6-8 minutes.
Pour in the water and chicken broth. Add the potatoes and cabbage to the Borsch. Bring to a boil, season with salt and keep cooking, at a simmer until the potatoes are cooked through, 15-20 minutes.
Meanwhile, place the beets in a large skillet with the tomato sauce, 1 cup water, lemon juice (or vinegar) and sugar. Season with salt and ground black pepper. The lemon juice will keep the beets a beautiful, vibrant red and also give it a slight tang to the Borsch. The sugar balances out the acidity of the lemon juice.
Cover the skillet, bring the water to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer on medium heat for about 15 minutes, until most of the water and tomato sauce is absorbed into the beets.
I prefer using roasted beets for Borscht, but you can also cook the beets in a pot with water or even use raw beets, but you will have to cook them much longer on the skillet. If you’re sautéing raw beets, you will need to add more water to the skillet and cook the beets longer until they are completely cooked through and tender.
Clear a space in the center of the skillet and add the minced garlic to the beets, cooking for another minute or two, just until the garlic is cooked through.
When the potatoes are tender, add the beets to the soup and take Borsch off the heat. By this time, the beef should be fork-tender.
If you like the consistency of the soup, drain the beef, if you like the soup to be thinner, drain the beef through a fine mesh sieve and add the beef liquid to the soup as well. If you used beef shank, remove the meat from the bone and cut it into bite-sized pieces. Add the beef to the Borsch as well.
Season with salt and pepper, if needed. Garnish with finely chopped fresh dill and green onions. We like to add a dollop of sour cream to our bowl of Borscht.

Notes

If you are using really young green cabbage, you may want to add it after the potatoes are halfway done cooking, since they don’t take as long to cook as older, more white cabbage.

Find it online: https://www.olgasflavorfactory.com/summer-favorites/borsch/