Today we’re learning how to cook a majestic borscht. This isn’t my family recipe and not a personal twist on the famous classic, it’s just a satisfying variation of it. It captures the dish quite well, including both taste and unique red colour. The instructions I saved were written in Russian and I don’t know the source now. I’m translating them for you with some small alterations. I usually cook it with beef, but you can go for vegetarian or vegan options that just drop meat. It’s normal to cook a lot of it and eat for three days, depending on how many people you cook for. For roughly 8 portions, you’ll need the following ingredients:
Ingredients
- 14 cups Water
- 1.5–1.75 lbs Beef brisket or Beef shin
- 12 oz Fresh cabbage
- 8 oz Potatoes
- 5 oz Beets
- 3.5 oz Carrots
- 5 oz Onions
- 10 oz Tomatoes
- 1/4 cup Vegetable oil
- 3 cloves Garlic
- 2–3 Bay leaves
- Salt, to taste
- Black pepper, to taste
- Dill, to taste
- 1 teaspoon Sugar
- 1 teaspoon Lemon juice (for acidity, keeps the colour)
- Smetana / sour cream, for serving
Preparation
Step 1. Transfer meat to a pot, cover with cold water, bring to a boil while periodically removing the foam that forms from the meat. Reduce the heat to a minimum, add one small peeled onion, salt, and let the broth simmer for 1–1.5 hours. A rich broth for borscht is obtained from beef on the bone, in which case the beef on the bone should be cooked for at least two hours. It is best to cook the broth over low heat so that it is rich and the vegetables in the borscht do not overcook. You can skip this step if you go for a veggie option.
Step 2. While the broth is cooking, prepare the vegetables. Peel the beets and carrots and cut them into thin strips. Shred the cabbage into thin strips as well. You can grate them if you prefer. Cut the onions into quarter rings to get short strips. Grate the tomatoes (if you don’t have tomatoes, you can add tomato paste). Peel the potatoes and cut them into medium-sized cubes or strips to your liking.
Step 3. Prepare the beets separately in advance, as they are a dense vegetable and take a long time to cook. In a separate pan or saucepan, pour 2–3 tablespoons of vegetable oil, heat it, and add the chopped beets. Season with salt, add a teaspoon of sugar, and sprinkle with lemon juice so that the beets do not lose their colour. If you don’t have lemon juice, you can add a drop of vinegar. Pour a ladle of broth from the pot, cover, and stew for about 20–25 minutes over low heat, stirring constantly. In a separate pan from the beets, pour vegetable oil and add a small piece of butter. Add the onions and saute for about 3–4 minutes. Then add the carrots and continue sauteing for 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Add the grated tomatoes, salt, and pepper to taste, and continue frying over low heat until the tomato juice has evaporated, stirring occasionally.
Step 4. Remove the meat from the pot with the broth and cut it into pieces. Add the chopped meat, potatoes, and cabbage to the broth and continue cooking for 12–15 minutes. Then add the sauteed vegetables and bay leaves, and cook for 10–15 minutes. Taste for salt. Then add the cooked beets, bring to a boil, add black pepper, finely chopped garlic, and herbs to your taste. Cover and remove from heat. Let the borscht sit for about 20 minutes.
Step 5. AND DONE! Serve it with sour cream and herbs like fresh parsley, spring onions, and dill. Optionally, you can also add croutons or eat it with slices of rye bread.