Ukrainian Borscht with Beef (Print out)

A rich beet and beef soup with tender vegetables and a touch of sour cream.

# What You'll Need:

→ Beef

01 - 14 ounces beef chuck or brisket, cut into 2–3 large pieces
02 - 6 cups water
03 - 2 bay leaves
04 - 1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
05 - 1 teaspoon salt

→ Vegetables

06 - 3 medium beets, peeled and grated
07 - 2 medium carrots, peeled and grated
08 - 1 medium onion, finely chopped
09 - 2 medium potatoes, peeled and diced
10 - 1/4 small green cabbage, shredded
11 - 2 tablespoons tomato paste
12 - 2 cloves garlic, minced

→ Pantry

13 - 2 tablespoons sunflower or vegetable oil
14 - 1 tablespoon sugar
15 - 2 tablespoons white vinegar
16 - Extra salt and pepper, to taste

→ For Serving

17 - 2/3 cup sour cream (about 5.3 ounces)
18 - Fresh dill or parsley, chopped

# How to Make It:

01 - In a large pot, combine beef, water, bay leaves, peppercorns, and salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 45 minutes, skimming off any foam.
02 - Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onions and cook until translucent, about 3 minutes. Add grated carrots and beets; sauté for 5 minutes. Stir in tomato paste, sugar, and vinegar. Continue cooking for 7 to 8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are tender.
03 - Remove beef from the pot and set aside. Strain the broth if desired, then return to the pot and bring to a simmer.
04 - Add diced potatoes to the simmering broth and cook for 10 minutes.
05 - Incorporate shredded cabbage and the sautéed beet mixture into the pot. Simmer for another 10 minutes until all vegetables are soft.
06 - Shred or cube the cooked beef and return it to the pot. Add minced garlic, then adjust salt and pepper to taste. Simmer for 5 more minutes. Remove from heat and let rest for 15 to 20 minutes to allow flavors to meld.
07 - Ladle the soup into bowls and garnish each serving with a generous spoonful of sour cream and chopped fresh dill or parsley.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It's a one-pot meal that tastes like you've been cooking for hours, but the actual hands-on work is maybe twenty minutes.
  • The sour cream swirl at the end transforms something already delicious into pure comfort—tangy, cool, perfect against the warm earthiness.
  • It tastes better the next day, which means you're actually rewarded for making it ahead.
02 -
  • Don't skip skimming the foam from the broth at the beginning—it takes two minutes and makes the final soup clear and clean instead of murky.
  • Grating the beets instead of chopping them is the difference between borscht that's merely red and borscht that's vivid and deep; the grating releases the pigment directly into the oil.
  • The vinegar-to-sugar ratio is your control dial—taste as you go and adjust to your preference; some batches need a touch more of either one.
03 -
  • Make the vegetable sauté in advance and refrigerate it; you can add it to fresh broth anytime, which means you can have borscht ready in under an hour on busy days.
  • For a vegetarian version, use vegetable broth and add a tablespoon of balsamic vinegar along with the white vinegar—it gives you that savory depth you'd get from beef broth.
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