The BEST Borscht Recipe

Ingredients

• 907 g (2 lb)stewing beef
• 454 g (1 lb), optionalbeef marrow bones
• 2.37 litres (2.5 quarts)water
• 2 largebay leaves
• 1 tbspcoriander
• ½ tbspwhole peppercorns
• 3 medium (about 680 g / 1.5 lb)beetroot
• 1 mediumyellow onion
• 2 mediumcarrots
• 1 headcabbage
• 2 mediumIdaho potatoes
• 227 g (8 oz)baby bella mushrooms
• 4 clovesgarlic
• 60 ml (¼ cup)tomato paste
• 1 tbspsugar
• to tastesalt
• to tastefreshly cracked black pepper
• 3 tbsp, mincedfresh dill
• to tastesour cream
• to tastefresh dill, minced
• a little, for searingcanola oil
• a couple of tablespoonscanola oil

Instructions

1. 1

   Sear the beef

   Heat a pot over medium-high heat and add a little canola oil. Trim away any large, firm pieces of fat from the beef, then add the beef and bones and sear for a couple of minutes.

2. 2

   Simmer the stock

   Pour in the water and bring it to a simmer. Add the bay leaves, coriander and peppercorns, then turn the heat to low. Cover loosely, leaving plenty of room for steam to escape, and cook for 2–4 hours.

3. 3

   Cook the beetroot

   About halfway through cooking the meat, add the whole, unpeeled beetroot to the pot. Cook until tender, then lift it out and set it aside.

4. 4

   Strain the stock

   Strain the stock, discarding the bones, bay leaves, coriander and peppercorns. Set the beef aside.

5. 5

   Prepare the vegetables

   Thinly slice the onion, mushrooms and cabbage. Coarsely grate the carrots and dice the potatoes. Peel the garlic and set it aside, and leave the cooked beetroot to cool.

6. 6

   Soften the aromatics

   Using the same pot, heat a couple of tablespoons of canola oil over medium heat. Add the onion and carrots and sauté until softened. Crush and mince the garlic, add it to the pot and stir.

7. 7

   Cook the vegetables

   Add the potatoes and mushrooms and cook for a few minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the cabbage, stir, and cook until it softens.

8. 8

   Season the soup

   Add the tomato paste, sugar, salt and black pepper. Stir until the tomato paste is evenly distributed.

9. 9

   Add beef and stock

   Break the beef into pieces and add it to the pot. Stir, then pour in enough stock to cover the vegetables; add more if you prefer a brothier soup.

10. 10

    Simmer the soup

    Cook over medium heat for 25–30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Taste and adjust the salt and pepper as needed.

11. 11

    Finish with dill

    Stir in the minced dill. Peel the cooled beetroot, grate it directly into the soup using a large grater, and stir.

12. 12

    Garnish and serve

    Serve the soup with sour cream and fresh minced dill.

What is borscht?

Borscht is a beetroot-centred soup associated especially with Ukrainian cooking, though versions are enjoyed across Eastern Europe and beyond. Recipes vary from household to household, with different vegetables, meats and broths shaping each pot.

This version builds a beef stock first, then fills it out with cabbage, potatoes, mushrooms and grated beetroot. The separate stock and vegetable stages give it a hearty body and its characteristic ruby colour.

Nutrition and macros by portion

The nutrition label shows one serving as written: 286 calories, 24g protein, 21g carbs, 11g fat.

The potatoes and vegetables provide much of the carbohydrate, while beef supplies most of the protein and contributes fat; the optional bones and sour cream can also affect the fat in a serving. Pair a bowl with extra non-starchy vegetables if you want a lighter-feeling plate, or serve it with bread for a more substantial meal.

Build a flavourful beef stock

Beef and bones: Searing the meat briefly adds a savoury base before the water goes in. The bones are optional, but are included here as part of the stock-making method.

Whole spices: Bay leaves, coriander and peppercorns steep in the stock as it simmers. Straining them out before adding the vegetables keeps the finished soup free of whole spices.

Cook the beetroot gently

Whole and unpeeled: Adding the beetroot to the stock about halfway through cooking lets it soften without being grated into the pot too early. Keep it whole until it is cool enough to handle and peel.

Grated at the end: Grating the cooked beetroot into the soup spreads its colour and flavour through the broth. Stir it in once the vegetables and beef are cooked.

Layer the vegetables

Onion and carrot: Sauté these first until softened, then add the garlic. This gives the vegetables a gentle head start before the liquid goes in.

Potato, mushroom and cabbage: Add these in stages as directed, allowing the potato and mushroom a few minutes before the cabbage. Cook the cabbage until it softens, rather than leaving it raw in the final soup.

Know when it is ready

Stock: The beef simmers for 2–4 hours, with the beetroot added about halfway through. The recipe gives no fixed stock endpoint, so check that the meat and beetroot are cooked before moving on.

Soup: After the stock is added, simmer the vegetables and beef for 25–30 minutes. The potatoes should be cooked through and the cabbage softened; taste for salt and pepper before finishing with dill.

Serve it with a cool finish

Sour cream: A spoonful on each serving adds a cool, creamy contrast to the savoury, earthy soup. Add it at the table rather than stirring it into the whole pot.

Fresh dill: The recipe uses dill both in the soup and as a garnish. The final sprinkle brings a fresh herbal note to each bowl.

Recipe notes & tips

• Keep the lid slightly ajar while the stock simmers so steam can escape.
• Add the beetroot whole and unpeeled, as directed, then peel it once it has cooled.
• Cut the potatoes into similar-sized cubes so they cook at roughly the same rate.
• Add only enough stock to cover the vegetables at first; more can be added for a brothier soup.
• Taste for seasoning after the soup has simmered, before stirring in the dill.
• Serve the sour cream and fresh dill separately so everyone can garnish their own bowl.

Variations

• Skip the bones: Leave out the optional marrow bones and make the stock with the beef.
• Adjust the broth: Add more strained stock than needed to cover the vegetables for a thinner soup.
• Change the finish: Use more or less sour cream at the table to suit your preference.
• Emphasise the dill: Add extra fresh dill as a garnish for a more pronounced herbal finish.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Boiling the stock hard: Keep it at a low simmer so it cooks gently.
• Covering the pot tightly: Leave room for steam to escape during the long stock simmer.
• Adding beetroot grated at the start: Cook it whole in the stock, then peel and grate it into the soup near the end.
• Skipping the vegetable stages: Add the ingredients in the given order so the onion, carrots and cabbage have time to soften.
• Adding all the stock automatically: Start with enough to cover the vegetables and add more only if you want a brothier soup.
• Seasoning without tasting: Check salt and pepper after simmering and adjust before serving.

How to store

Refrigerate cooled leftovers in a covered container and use within 3–4 days. Reheat gently in a saucepan until steaming throughout, stirring occasionally; add a little water or stock if the soup has thickened. Add sour cream and fresh dill when serving.

Frequently asked questions