If there is one item that puts Ukrainian cookery on the map of International Deliciousness, it would be borscht. Now, I would love to tell you that poems and songs have been written about it, that borscht cook-offs and Borschtfests are held around the world, but sadly, I can’t. Russian and Ukrainian literature, however, has no shortage of borscht mentions. In Bulgakov’s “The Master and Margarita“, a corrupt Soviet bureaucrat gets arrested right before he can dig into a bowl of “fire breathing borscht” with a knuckle bone nestling in its thickness.
Another famous scene appears in “The Little Golden Calf” by Ilf and Petrov. A husband on a hunger strike to win back his departing wife is caught sneaking borscht straight from the pot at night, greedily consuming it and producing whistling and slurping noises. When he unearths a chunk of meat with his bare hand, his wife reveals herself and he drops it back, producing a “small fountain of cabbage and carrot stars.”
Though these writers are Russian, all have Ukrainian roots, as does Nikolai Gogol, whose works are peppered with borscht-isms. So borscht found its way to fame through classic literature.
But what is borscht? It’s the ancient Slavic word for beetroot, and it’s a hearty soup with vegetables (and meat for non-vegetarians) that must contain beetroot. A soup without beetroot cannot be called borscht. In Russian and Ukrainian cultures, borscht is the epitome of home cooking, the ultimate comfort food. It has as many recipes as there are cooks, and whether meaty or vegetarian, it reigns supreme over any other soup (according to me).
My favorite method is cooking properly seasoned meat to yield rich broth, then dealing with vegetables separately, connecting them at the end. Beetroot is mandatory. So is green cabbage, and tomato paste or chopped tomatoes, which lend borscht its tartness and bright red tint. The major difference between Ukrainian and Russian borscht is the omission of potatoes and salt pork in the latter.
Ukrainian Borscht Components
Meat choices. I’ve had borscht made of beef, lamb, duck, goose, and chicken. I never had borscht made of pork, but that doesn’t mean it can’t be done. Meat must have some bones and fat in it, for best flavor. Fat could be skimmed off if you are afraid of it, after the broth is done.
Root Vegetables. Any root vegetable is going to work. Beets, as was mentioned before, are a must, and they have to be red beets. Beyond that, carrots, parsnips, turnips, celeriac, rutabagas, etc. will all work beautifully. All root vegetables must be cut in as uniform way as possible. Julienne is the best way to cut them (think thin french fries). Refer to pictures for thickness and length.
Other Vegetables. Green cabbage is a must. Best kind is the winter cabbage, which is harder, has stiffer leaves and is crunchy. For potatoes, I use Yukon Golds or Idaho, the yellow varieties. Baking potatoes such as Russet won’t work, and red potatoes will do quite well, but they tend to take longer to cook, so keep that in mind. I personally like bell peppers in my borscht. Their flavor is unmistakable and they are very fragrant. Green and red varieties are best. Celery stalks are great if you can’t get a hold of Chinese celery (leafy kind).
Tomatoes. Tomato paste is the most convenient and consistent in flavor, so that’s the easy way. Canned or fresh diced tomatoes with juice will work nicely, yielding somewhat thinner coloring and more subtle flavor, which may or may not need adjustment in the end.
What You Need to Know About Borscht
- Second day borscht is better. Completely true. Flavors continue to develop after borscht is fully cooked, yielding better borsch on the day after cooking.
- Always make a large batch, you will thank me later. Borscht freezes beautifully, your friends, both healthy and ailing, will love the borscht giveaway, and you will want to eat it more than once, guaranteed.
- Potatoes in the borscht must be fully cooked. Cabbages, on the other hand, should be translucent, but still somewhat crunchy, not mushy.
- Classic borscht is best consumed with crusty sourdough bread slathered with butter, fresh garlic clove dipped in coarse salt and rubbed against the crust. Think of it as a Ukrainian version of garlic bread.
- If this version sounds a bit too savage to you, look up pampushki recipe. Pampushki are small yeasted soft rolls baked in a pan pressed snugly against each other and then separated and drizzled liberally with garlic and dill infused melted butter. First class delicacy if you ask me, but you wouldn’t want to mess with that on a regular weeknight, so save these for a special dinner.
- The final borscht should be quite thick, as Russians put it, to make the spoon stand straight up in it. Don’t be surprised if your borscht comes out thick as stew.
- Borscht must be served piping hot, with a dollop of sour cream served in each bowl.
- Slurping is encouraged, just as in wine tasting, to get the best of the flavor bouquet. Also helps to prevent lip and tongue burns from piping hot borscht.
- And no, for the hundredth time, store bought jar borscht has absolutely nothing to do with real thing. Don’t even try. Don’t even bother using it as a borscht starter. You will fail miserably and will swear off borscht forever, which will be a huge shame.
Homemade Ukrainian Borscht
Total Time: 5 hours 45 minutes
Yield: Serves 10–12 1x
Print Recipe
Pin Recipe
Description
Traditional Ukrainian borscht with homemade stock, beets, cabbage, and root vegetables. Hearty, delicious, and definitely so worth the time it takes to make properly.
Ingredients
Units
For the Stock
- 3 lbs soup bones (knuckle bones, neck bones, or breast bones)
- 2–3 lbs inexpensive roast or shoulder meat (or substitute both bones and meat with a whole duck, chicken, or goose, cut into chunks with skin and bones)
- 1 large onion with skin, or 5–6 dark green leek portions
- 1 small garlic head with skin
- 1–2 carrots, cleaned and broken in half
- 2–3 celery stalks, cleaned and broken in half
- 10–15 peppercorns, crushed
- Salt to taste
- 3–4 sprigs fresh thyme (optional)
For the Vegetables
- 2 tablespoons olive oil, lard, or tallow
- 2 large beets, leaves and stems removed, thoroughly cleaned
- 2 carrots, thoroughly cleaned
- 2–3 celery stalks, Chinese celery, or 1/2 celeriac root, cleaned
- 1 large onion, peeled
- 1 large bell pepper, cored and seeded
- 1 large green pepper, cored and seeded
- 2–3 large potatoes, peeled
- 1 small to medium cabbage head, cored
- 1 small can tomato paste, or 1 (14 oz) can diced tomatoes with juice, or 3-4 large Roma tomatoes, diced
- 4–5 cloves garlic, minced
- Salt and fresh ground pepper to taste
- Dash of paprika or cayenne pepper (optional)
- Juice of 1 lemon
- 2 large handfuls fresh chopped herbs (dill and parsley work well)
- Sour cream for serving
Instructions
Combine the meat, bones, and chunks of uncooked meat in a large stock pot with at least 12 cups of cold water. The water should cover everything completely.
Bring the water to a boil, then immediately reduce the heat to very low. Skim the surface with a skimmer, removing all gray foam and impurities.
Add the stock vegetables (onion with skin, garlic head, carrots, celery, peppercorns, salt, and thyme if using) all at once.
Let the stock simmer uncovered for at least 2 hours, or until the meat is very tender. For best results, remove the meat when fully cooked and continue simmering the bones for another 2-3 hours to make the stock heartier.
Remove the meat from the bones. Discard the bones and vegetables. Cut the cooked meat into bite-sized chunks and reserve.
Strain the stock through a mesh strainer (or cheesecloth for completely clear stock). Reserve until needed. Rinse the stock pot completely.
Prepare the Vegetables
Chop the onion finely. Cut the celery stalks into medium pieces. Cut all root vegetables (beets, carrots, and any additional roots) into thin matchsticks like french fries. Cut the bell peppers in half and slice crosswise into strips. Cube the potatoes. Cut the cabbage into quarters, remove the cores, and slice each quarter crosswise thinly.
Build the Soup
Return the stock pot to the stove over medium-low heat. Add your cooking fat of choice (olive oil, lard, or tallow).
Add the chopped onions, carrots, celery, and root vegetables all at once. Let them sweat for 4-5 minutes, stirring or shaking occasionally.
Add the chopped bell peppers and sweat for another minute. Add the cubed potatoes.
Pour the hot stock over the vegetables. If there’s not enough stock to cover them, add water.
Bring the soup to a boil and reduce the heat to medium-low. Stir once and cook for 15 minutes.
Add the shredded cabbage. Bring to a boil again and cook until the cabbage is translucent but still somewhat crunchy.
Finish the Borscht
Add the reserved meat chunks and stir to distribute evenly.
Add the minced garlic, tomatoes or tomato paste, and lemon juice. Stir thoroughly until the tomato paste distributes evenly.
Season to taste, adjusting salt as necessary. If the soup isn’t sweet enough naturally, add 1-2 tablespoons of sugar to brighten the flavor. The final profile should be lightly sweet and lightly tangy with mild garlic flavor.
Add almost all of the fresh herbs, reserving a few pinches for garnish.
Serve piping hot with a dollop of sour cream in each bowl. Sprinkle with reserved fresh herbs.
Notes
The stock is the foundation. Don’t rush it. The longer it simmers, the richer the final soup.
Using bones with some meat attached gives the best flavor and body to the stock.
Poultry works just as well as beef. Duck adds richness, chicken is lighter.
Vegetarians can skip the stock steps entirely and use vegetable stock or water, starting at step 9.
Keep the onion and garlic skins on during stock-making. They add color and depth.
Cut the vegetables uniformly so they cook evenly.
Don’t overcook the cabbage. It should still have some bite.
The lemon juice is essential. It balances the sweetness of the beets and brings brightness.
Fresh dill and parsley are traditional herbs for borscht, but use what you have.
This soup tastes even better the next day after the flavors have melded.
Borscht freezes well for up to 3 months. Freeze without the sour cream.
- Prep Time: 45 mins
- Cook Time: 300 mins
Category: Main Course, Side Dish
Method: Simmering
Cuisine: Ukrainian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bowl
- Calories: 380
If you liked this, you are going to love these favorite Eastern European recipes:
Pampushky – Ukrainian Garlic Bread
Rustic Hungarian Potatoes: Tócsi
Cheese and Potato Pierogi with Fried Leeks
Olivier Salad – Classic Russian Salad
Kalács – Traditional Hungarian Sweet Braided Bread
Old Fashioned Russian Bagels
The post How to Make Homemade Ukrainian Borscht appeared first on Honest Cooking and Travel.