Description
Classic Ukrainian Red Borscht is a hearty, flavorful beet soup made with tender beef, fresh vegetables, and a rich homemade beef broth. This traditional recipe combines beets, cabbage, potatoes, and beans, simmered together to create a vibrant, comforting soup served with sour cream and bread, perfect for a warming meal.
Ingredients
Scale
Broth Ingredients
- 2 beef shanks (or beef short ribs, sirloin, or stew meat)
- ½ onion
- 10 cups water
- 2 bay leaves
- Salt to taste
Sautéed Vegetables
- ½ sweet onion (diced small)
- 1 medium carrot (shredded, save tip for match sticks)
- 1 cup parsnip (cut into matchsticks)
Main Soup Ingredients
- 8 cups homemade beef broth (or storebought)
- ½ medium white cabbage (finely shredded)
- 2 medium Yukon gold potatoes (or white potatoes, cut into 1/4” thick smaller slices)
- 1 stick celery (cut into 1/4 inch slices)
- ½ red bell pepper (or 1 Anaheim pepper, diced)
- 1 medium beet (red, shredded or cut into matchsticks)
- 14 ½ oz can petite diced tomatoes
- 15.8 oz great northern beans (canned, rinsed)
- 1 tbsp ketchup (plus more to taste)
- 3 cloves garlic (pressed or grated)
- ½ bunch parsley or dill (finely chopped)
- 2 ½ tsp kosher salt (plus more to taste)
- 1 bay leaf
To Serve
- Sour cream
- Bread
Instructions
- Prepare Homemade Beef Broth: In a large pot, combine water, bay leaves, ½ onion, and beef shanks. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium and simmer for 1 hour. Add salt to taste and continue simmering for another hour.
- Strain and Prepare Meat: Remove the meat from the broth and strain the broth through a fine strainer to remove impurities. Allow the meat to cool, then cut into 1-inch pieces.
- Instant Pot Broth Option: Alternatively, place water, bay leaves, ½ onion, beef shanks, and salt into an Instant Pot. Cook on high pressure for 45 minutes to 1 hour, then allow natural pressure release. Remove meat, strain broth, and cut meat into 1-1½ inch pieces once cooled. Adjust water volume if using Instant Pot.
- Cook Beets and Tomatoes: In a large pan on the stovetop, heat olive oil and cook shredded or matchstick beets on low for 8 minutes. Add diced tomatoes and cook for 2 more minutes. Turn off heat and set aside.
- Sauté Aromatics and Vegetables: In a heavy-bottomed pot, heat olive oil and sauté diced sweet onion until translucent (about 5 minutes). Add shredded carrots and cook for 5 minutes, then add parsnip and sauté another 5 minutes.
- Add Broth and Vegetables: Pour in the beef broth and add salt. Bring to a boil. Add shredded cabbage and sliced potatoes, boil for 2 minutes. Add celery and bring to boil again. Then add carrot matchsticks and diced bell pepper, boil for 2 more minutes.
- Combine Beet Mixture: Add the cooked beet and tomato mixture to the pot and bring to a boil.
- Incorporate Beans and Seasonings: Stir in rinsed great northern beans and ketchup. Add additional ketchup and salt if needed. Bring to boil, then add bay leaf, garlic, and chopped parsley or dill. Bring to a final boil, turn off heat, and let soup sit for 5-10 minutes to meld flavors.
- Serve: Ladle the soup into bowls, add meat chunks, and serve topped with sour cream alongside fresh bread.
Notes
- You can use storebought beef broth to save time though homemade provides richer flavor.
- Adjust the amount of ketchup to your taste for slight sweetness and tang.
- Letting the soup rest off heat enhances flavor by allowing ingredients to meld.
- This soup freezes well—store in airtight containers for up to 3 months.
- Substitute beef shanks with short ribs or stew meat based on preference or availability.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 2 hours 30 minutes
- Category: Soup
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Ukrainian
Keywords: Ukrainian borscht, beet soup, beef soup, traditional Ukrainian recipe, sour cream soup, vegetable beef soup
