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Ukrainian

Ukrainian borscht

Non-vegetarian

Борщ · Borshch

Deep-red soup of beetroot, cabbage, potato and carrot in a beef broth, balanced with a touch of acidity and served with sour cream and dill.

Ukrainian borscht is an Ukrainian soup from Ukraine, ready in about 2 hours 40 minutes and made with beetroot, beef chuck and potato. It serves 8 and is rated intermediate to cook.

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Borsch can be served hot or cold. It is usually served with sour cream and sometimes dill
Representative photo. liz west from Boxborough, MA / Wikimedia Commons · CC-BY-2.0
Prep
25 min
Cook
2 h
Rest
15 min
Total
2 h 40 min
Serves
8
Level
Intermediate
Calories
202

Ingredients

8 servings

Equipment

Method

  1. Step 1

    Put the beef, water, bay and half the salt in a large pot, bring to the boil and skim. Simmer gently, partly covered, until the meat is tender.

  2. Step 2

    Remove the meat, cut it into bite-sized pieces and return it. Add the potatoes (opens in a new tab) and cabbage (opens in a new tab) and simmer for 10 minutes.

    • 10 min
    • medium-low heat

  3. Step 3

    Meanwhile, soften the onion (opens in a new tab) and carrot (opens in a new tab) in the oil, add the beetroot (opens in a new tab), tomato paste (opens in a new tab), vinegar and sugar (opens in a new tab) and cook, stirring, until the beetroot is tender.

    Onions frying golden in a pan
    How it looks · Photo: Magda Ehlers on Pexels

  4. Step 4

    Stir the beetroot (opens in a new tab) mixture into the soup with the remaining salt and the pepper (opens in a new tab) and simmer for 5 minutes. Turn off the heat, add the garlic (opens in a new tab) and dill (opens in a new tab), cover and rest for 15 minutes.

    • 5 min
    • low heat

  5. Step 5

    Serve with a spoonful of sour cream (opens in a new tab).

      A finished dish being plated
      How it looks · Photo: Willians Huerta on Pexels

    About this dish

    Origin
    Ukraine · Commonly attributedUkrainian borscht cooking was inscribed by UNESCO in 2022; beetroot soups are also traditional in Poland, Russia, Belarus, Lithuania and beyond.Also popular in Poland, RussiaMore food from Ukraine
    Dish
    Lunch · Dinner · Soups · Main courses
    Cooking method
    Simmered, Sautéed
    Taste
    earthy, sweet & sour, savoury, herby
    Diet
    No gluten ingredients · No nut ingredients · Low-carb · High-protein
    All labelsNon-vegetarian · No gluten ingredients · Egg-free · No nut ingredients · Alcohol-free · Pork-free · Low-carb · High-protein · Low-fat · Calorie-conscious
    Without the optional extras: Dairy-freeWorked out from the ingredients. How labels work
    Good for
    Make-ahead · Freezer-friendly · Batch cooking
    Cook more with
    Beetroot · Beef chuck · Potato · Cabbage · Bay leaves · Onion
    Techniques
    Sautéing · Boiling · Simmering

    Allergens

    • Contains, can be adapted: Milkfrom sour cream
    • May contain: Sulphitesfrom wine vinegar

    Based on typical versions of these ingredients and not verified allergen-free. Brands differ and cross-contact happens, so always check labels. For severe allergies, follow your clinician’s advice.

    Nutrition

    202 kcal per serving

    Calculated

    1 serving ≈ 561 g · recipe makes 8

    Where the energy comes from

    • Protein 32%
    • Carbohydrate 40%
    • Fat 28%
    Nutrition per serving and per 100 g
    NutrientPer servingPer 100 g*
    Energy202 kcal36 kcal
    Protein16.7 g3 g
    Carbohydrate21 g3.7 g
    Net carbohydrate16.6 g3 g
    Sugars7.8 g1.4 g
    Added sugars0.5 g0.1 g
    Fibre4.5 g0.8 g
    Fat6.5 g1.2 g
    Saturated fat1.5 g0.3 g
    Trans fat0.2 g0 g
    Cholesterol40 mg7 mg
    Sodium707 mg126 mg
    Salt equivalent1.8 g0.3 g
    Vitamins & minerals per serving
    Potassium
    812 mg
    Calcium
    84 mg
    Iron
    2.7 mg
    Magnesium
    55 mg
    Vitamin A (RAE)
    75 µg
    Vitamin C
    31 mg
    Vitamin D
    0.1 µg
    Vitamin B12
    1.4 µg
    Folate (DFE)
    100 µg

    How these numbers were made

    • Calculated from USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy) per-100 g values and the listed quantities.
    • *Per 100 g of combined raw ingredients; the cooked dish may weigh more or less.
    • Optional ingredients are not included: sour cream.
    • “—” means the value isn’t known for enough of the ingredients; it is never zero by default.
    • Values are estimates for guidance, not for medical dosing. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. fdc.nal.usda.gov.

    Good to know

    Tips

    • Borscht is better the next day, once the flavours settle.

    Common mistakes

    • Boiling hard after adding the beetroot, which dulls its colour to brown.

    Serve with

    • With pampushky (garlic bread rolls) or rye bread.

    Food safety

    • Simmer the beef until fork-tender; cool the soup quickly (divide into shallow containers) and refrigerate within 2 hours.
    • Reheat portions until steaming hot (75 °C) throughout.

    Storage

    • Keeps 4 days in the fridge or 3 months frozen.

    Reheating

    • Reheat gently without boiling, until steaming hot throughout.

    Variations

    • Lenten borscht (Ukraine): Made without meat, often with beans or mushrooms and vegetable broth.

    Original editorial recipe · FriendsPantry editorial · Not yet independently reviewed · Added · Updated

    Recipe DNA

    How this dish is built

    Grouped by each ingredient’s role in the dish. Each band’s width is its share of the dish by weight. Choose a component to see what it does.

    What the dish is built around

    Main ingredient

    Used in steps 1, 2, 3, 5

    Reviews & corrections

    Reviews come from signed-in cooks and appear after a moderator checks them. We never show made-up ratings.

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