How to Make Borsch Soup (The Yummy Recipe)

How to Make Borsch – Beetroot Soup

Borsch (борщ in Cyrillic) is a hot soup that takes its red color from beetroot and tomato presence. It is a common first course dish in Russian, Ukrainian, Belorussian, and Polish cuisine.

Let’s dive into the origins of borsch and discover its ingredients!

Where does borsch come from?

Originally a Ukrainian dish, borsch likely entered the Soviet mainstream cuisine when Stalin tasked his Commissar of Food, Anastas Mikoyan, to compile the famous cookbook “Book of Tasty and Healthy Food” (1939) that included recipes from over 140 nationalities of the Soviet Union. All these dishes became part of Soviet culture – and thereby ‘Russian’.

How to make borsch? There are over 100 recipes of borsch: according to regional variations and personal preferences. It’s not unlikely to taste borsch with smoked prunes, or raisins, or completely without cabbage.

The original borsch recipe, however, contains:
meat, cabbage, potatoes, beetroot, tomatoes, carrot, onion, bacon, butter, vinegar, and garlic, garnished with sour cream and chopped parsley.

Related: Russian Food Recipies

How to make borsch – step-by-step guide

1. Boil a piece of pork or beef, preferably with rib bones, for 2 hours. Add 1 onion to boost the taste. Water will evaporate, so be sure to add MORE water in the process. Remove the foam from time to time.
2. Take the meat out of the broth. Filter the broth. Cut the meat into pieces of 2cm and put it back. Throw away the onion – it has already given its taste.
3. In a separate frying pan, sauté the shredded onion and carrot with sunflower oil or butter. Add freshly chopped tomatoes or canned tomatoes with their juice.
4. In a separate frying pan, shred beetroot – use already boiled or sauté a raw one. Add something acidic – white vinegar or lemon juice – that helps preserve the deep red color.
5. Add several peppercorns and 1 bay leaf.
6. Add sautéed vegetables from both pans.
7. Add chopped cabbage and sliced sweet pepper, and cook for another 5 minutes.
8. If necessary – add water, it needs to cover everything.
9. Switch off the 🔥. Add chopped greenery, garlic, and salt.
10. Mix well and let it stay on the stove for 2h to acquire a richer taste.

Serve to the plates! Enjoy! (Priyatnogo appetita!)

Ingredients for borsch: the shopping list for cooking borsch

Cabbage / Капуста — 500 gr
Beetroot / Свекла — 500 gr
Carrots / Морковь — 2 pc
Onions / Лук — 2 pc
Potatoes / Картофель — 500 gr
Tomatoes fresh or canned with their juice / Помидор — 500 gr
Sweet pepper / Перец сладкий — 1 pc
Parsley / Петрушка — 1 bundle
Dill / Укроп — 1 bundle
Garlic / Чеснок — 3-4 cloves
Bay leaves / Лавровый лист — 2 pc
Vinegar / Уксус — 1 spoon
Salt / Соль – to your taste

Although Russians and Ukrainians cook borsch very often (almost every day!), for unprepared eaters we suggest trying your first borsch on a rainy or cold day, as it is perfect comfort food!

See the video version of this recipe on our YouTube Channel

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