Source: Iprachenko AdobeStockBorsch is one of the greatest culinary treasures of Russian and Ukrainian cuisines. There isn't a single universal way to prepare it, and it has always been made differently across various regions. We've gathered 20 tried-and-true borsch recipes for every taste!
1. Classic Homemade Borsch
Source: news.myseldon.comFor the broth, always use beef on the bone and cook it for a longer time.
You will need: 1.5 kg beef on the bone, 3.5 liters of water, 2 onions, 3 carrots, 1 parsley root, 2 beetroots, 3 bay leaves, 3 potatoes, 3 tbsp apple cider vinegar, 3 tomatoes, 0.5 tsp sugar, 500 g cabbage, 5 cloves of garlic, spices.
Preparation: Cover the beef with water, bring to a boil, skim off the foam, and add one peeled onion, carrot, and parsley root. Simmer the broth over low heat for about 2 hours, and add bay leaves and spices 15 minutes before the end.
Sauté the grated beetroot over medium heat, add vinegar, sugar, and a little broth, then simmer for 15 minutes. Separately, sauté the remaining onion with carrots, add peeled chopped tomatoes, and simmer for another 10 minutes.
Add sliced potatoes and cabbage to the boiling broth, after 5 minutes add the carrot sauté, and after another 5 minutes add the beetroot. Cook everything together for 15 minutes, season the borsch, add crushed garlic, and return the meat to the pot. Remove from heat and let it steep.
2. Borsch with Tomato Juice
Source: shashliktut.ruThis recipe uses pork, so the broth will be richer and more flavorful.
You will need: 400 g pork, 1 beetroot, 200 g cabbage, 1 onion, 2 carrots, 3 potatoes, 2 cups tomato juice, spices.
Preparation: Boil the pork until cooked. Sauté grated carrots with chopped onion until soft, then add grated beetroot and cook for another 5-7 minutes. Add sliced potatoes and cabbage to the boiling broth, and after 7 minutes, add tomato juice and the sauté. Simmer for another 3 minutes, season, and remove the borsch from heat.
3. Borsch with Sauerkraut
Source: joinfo.comSauerkraut gives borsch an original piquant sourness.
You will need: 300 g chicken, 230 g sauerkraut, 600 g potatoes, 70 g onion, 90 g carrots, 150 g beetroot, 200 g tomato sauce, 130 g tomatoes, 2 cloves of garlic, sugar, salt, spices.
Preparation: Boil chicken broth, add potatoes, and cook for about 20 minutes. Grate carrots and beetroot, chop the onion, and sauté everything together for 3 minutes. Add sliced tomatoes, tomato sauce, and spices, then simmer everything under a lid for a couple of minutes.
Squeeze and chop the sauerkraut, add it to the sauté, and mix. Pour in a little broth and simmer for another 10 minutes under a lid. Add the sauté to the borsch, cook for 5 minutes, add sugar, salt, spices, and crushed garlic, then remove from heat.
4. Borsch without Potatoes
Source: kartinkin.netIf you want to make borsch a little lighter, but still hearty, just omit the potatoes.
You will need: 700 g beef, 4 beetroots, 300 g cabbage, 2 carrots, 3 tomatoes, 1 bell pepper, 1 onion, 2 tbsp tomato paste, 1 tbsp vinegar, spices.
Preparation: Boil beef until cooked. Add shredded cabbage to the broth and cook for about 10 minutes. Sauté grated beetroot, pour in vinegar and a little broth, and simmer for 15 minutes under a lid. Separately, prepare a sauté of carrots, onion, and pepper, add grated tomatoes and tomato paste, and simmer for a couple of minutes. Add both sautés to the pot and cook the borsch until done. Season at the end.
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5. Borsch without Beetroot
Source: shkolazhizni.ruBorsch without beetroot turns out less vibrant, but still very tasty.
You will need: 400 g pork, 400 g potatoes, 1 onion, 1 carrot, 1 bell pepper, 300 g cabbage, 1 tbsp tomato paste, salt, sugar, spices.
Preparation: Boil pork until cooked, strain the broth, and add sliced potatoes to it. After 10 minutes, add cabbage and cook for another 5 minutes. During this time, prepare a sauté of onion, carrots, and pepper. Add tomato paste and spices to it, mix, and add to the borsch. Continue cooking until the vegetables are tender.
6. Borsch with Mushrooms
Source: liveinternet.ruIf you use dried mushrooms, you don't even need to soak them in advance for this recipe.
You will need: 1 liter broth, 2 potatoes, 1 onion, 1 carrot, 100 g mushrooms, 1 beetroot, 1 tbsp tomato paste, 150 g cabbage, 0.5 bell pepper, 1 clove of garlic, herbs, spices.
Preparation: Slice potatoes and mushrooms, cover with broth, and cook for about 20 minutes. Chop the onion, grate carrots and beetroot, sauté them together, and add tomato paste. Separately, finely chop bell pepper, garlic, and herbs, and shred the cabbage. Add all ingredients to the broth, cook for another 5 minutes, season the borsch, and let it steep.
7. Borsch with Beans
Source: lebanon24.comThe biggest problem with beans is that they take a long time to cook. So, soak them overnight first!
You will need: 500 g chicken, 4 potatoes, 1 beetroot, 1 carrot, 1 onion, 0.5 head of cabbage, 1 tomato, 1.5 cups cooked beans, spices.
Preparation: Cover chicken with water and boil until cooked. Add sliced potatoes and cabbage, and continue to cook. Grate beetroot and carrots, chop the onion, and sauté them until soft. Add peeled grated tomato, a little broth, and simmer for 5 minutes. When the cabbage softens, add the sauté and cooked beans to the borsch, season, and remove from heat after a couple of minutes.
8. Borsch with Napa Cabbage
Source: kartinkin.netThe nuance here is that Napa cabbage cooks faster, so monitor its tenderness to your liking.
You will need: 1.5 liters broth, 100 g beetroot, 2 potatoes, 1 onion, 1 carrot, 300 g Napa cabbage, 150 ml tomato juice, 2 cloves of garlic, spices.
Preparation: Slice potatoes, cover with broth, and cook almost until done. Sauté chopped onion, grated carrots, and beetroot together. Pour in tomato juice and simmer under a lid for 15 minutes. Add the sauté and shredded Napa cabbage to the broth. Cook everything for another 5-7 minutes, remove the borsch from heat, and add spices with crushed garlic.
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9. Green Borsch
Source: sovetik-sad.ruClassic sorrel borsch has nothing in common with red borsch, but we couldn't overlook it!
You will need: 1 chicken fillet, 2 onions, 4 potatoes, 200 g sorrel, spices.
Preparation: Boil chicken until cooked, add sliced potatoes, and cook for another 15 minutes. Sauté chopped onion until golden, and finely chop the sorrel. Add everything to the pot and cook the borsch for another 2-3 minutes after boiling. Season with spices at the end.
10. Borsch with Sprats
Source: ideireceptov.ruAn inexpensive borsch recipe that requires a can of sprats in tomato sauce.
You will need: 2.5 liters of water, 240 g sprats in tomato sauce, 300 g cabbage, 4 potatoes, 1 carrot, 1 onion, 1 tomato, 0.5 bell pepper, herbs and spices.
Preparation: Grate carrots and finely chop onion and pepper. Sauté everything until soft, add grated tomato, and reduce slightly. Add sprats in tomato sauce, and simmer for 5 minutes. Separately, boil potatoes in water, add shredded cabbage to them, and after 5 minutes, add the fish sauté. After another 7 minutes, add spices and chopped herbs, and the borsch with sprats is ready!
11. Diet Borsch with Chicken
Source: goodfon.ruOne of the lightest recipes without potatoes and based on chicken fillet.
You will need: 350 g chicken fillet, 250 g carrots, 300 g beetroot, 500 g cabbage, 1 purple onion, herbs, spices, garlic.
Preparation: Dice chicken fillet and boil until cooked. Add shredded cabbage and grated carrots with beetroot. After 5 minutes, add chopped onion, and cook for another 20 minutes. At the very end, add garlic, herbs, and spices to taste.
12. Borsch without Sautéing
Source: gotovka24.ruBorsch is a rather rich and heavy first course, but even it can be prepared without sautéing.
You will need: 500 g beef, 300 g beetroot, 200 g cabbage, 200 g tomatoes, 200 g potatoes, 1 carrot, 1 onion, 1 bunch of herbs, spices.
Preparation: Cover beef with water, bring to a boil, and add a whole peeled beetroot with tomatoes. Cook everything for about an hour, but remove the tomatoes after 10 minutes. Peel them and mash into a puree.
Remove the cooked meat and beetroot from the broth, and add sliced onion, carrots, and potatoes. After 10 minutes, add cabbage and cook until tender. Add tomato puree, chopped herbs, grated beetroot, spices, and sliced meat. Bring the borsch to a boil and remove from heat.
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13. Borsch with Salo (Pork Fatback)
Source: homefrozenfood.ruAn original way to use salo when preparing borsch.
You will need: 600 g beef, 1 beetroot, 2 onions, 600 g tomatoes, 4 potatoes, 50 g salo, 1 head of cabbage, 1 bell pepper, 1 bunch of herbs, spices.
Preparation: Boil beef until cooked and add sliced potatoes, chopped peeled tomatoes, and grated beetroot to the broth. Pass the onion and salo through a meat grinder and add this mixture to the broth. After a couple more minutes, add julienned pepper and shredded cabbage. Cook the borsch until the cabbage is tender, season, and sprinkle with herbs.
14. Lenten Borsch without Meat
Source: 7dach.ruThis borsch is perfect for vegetarians and those observing a fast.
You will need: 1 beetroot, 1 onion, 1 carrot, 200 g cabbage, 4 potatoes, 2 tbsp tomato paste, 3 cloves of garlic, 1 tbsp sugar, salt and spices.
Preparation: Finely shred cabbage, slice potatoes, add spices, cover with water, and cook for about 15 minutes. Sauté onion with grated carrots and beetroot, add tomato paste with sugar, and simmer for about 10 minutes. Add the sauté to the borsch, bring to a boil, and season to taste. Add crushed garlic and remove from heat.
15. Borsch with Bell Pepper
Source: zen.yandex.ruBell pepper has long and rightfully been considered one of the traditional ingredients of borsch.
You will need: 2 beetroots, 3 potatoes, 1 purple onion, 2 bell peppers, 1 chili pepper, 1 carrot, 250 g cabbage, 3 tomatoes, 1.5 liters broth, spices.
Preparation: Add sliced potatoes with spices to boiling broth and cook for 10 minutes. Add cabbage and cook for another 5 minutes. Grate carrots and chop onion, sauté them until soft.
Blend peeled tomatoes, bell pepper, and chili. Pour into the sauté, season, and simmer for 5-7 minutes under a lid. Add the sauté to the borsch and cook for another 3-5 minutes.
16. Borsch with Green Beans
Source: womanadvice.ruGreen beans very harmoniously complement the taste of homemade borsch.
You will need: 2.5 liters broth, 1 beetroot, 1 carrot, 1 onion, 4 potatoes, 150 g green beans, 1.5 tbsp tomato paste, 200 g cabbage, sugar, salt and spices.
Preparation: Add sliced potatoes and cabbage to boiling broth, and cook for 15 minutes. Sauté chopped onion with carrots and grated beetroot until soft. Add tomato paste, sugar, salt, and spices, and also add to the pot. Add green beans and cook everything for 10 minutes.
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17. Borsch with Cauliflower
Source: botanichka.ruAn original and delicious borsch results if you replace regular cabbage with cauliflower.
You will need: 400 g chicken, 2 beetroots, 1 onion, 1 carrot, 3 potatoes, 200 g cauliflower, 1 tomato, garlic and spices.
Preparation: Boil chicken until cooked, strain the broth, and bring to a boil. Add sliced potatoes and onion to it, and cook for 10 minutes. Add grated carrots with beetroot, and cook for another 5 minutes. Finally, add small cauliflower florets, grated tomato, garlic, and spices, bring to a boil, cook for 3 minutes, and remove the borsch from heat.
18. Borsch with Pickled Tomatoes
Source: usinsk.onlinePickled cherry tomatoes or other sweet varieties work best.
You will need: 2 beetroots, 4 potatoes, 300 g cabbage, 200 g pickled tomatoes, 1 chicken fillet, garlic and herbs.
Preparation: Boil chicken until cooked, add potatoes with cabbage, and continue to cook until potatoes are tender. Sauté grated beetroot until soft. Add peeled chopped tomatoes and minced garlic to it, simmer for a couple of minutes, and add to the pot. After another 5 minutes, remove the borsch from heat and sprinkle with herbs.
19. Borsch with Prunes
Source: lady.mail.ruIt turns out even tastier and more aromatic if you add smoked meats.
You will need: 500 g smoked meats, 2 liters of water, 1 onion, 2 carrots, 500 g potatoes, 500 g cabbage, 300 g beetroot, 100 g prunes, 0.5 bunch of parsley or cilantro, spices, garlic.
Preparation: Grate carrots and beetroot, chop onion, and sauté everything together until soft. Dice smoked meats and potatoes, cover with water, and cook for 10 minutes after boiling. Add shredded cabbage and cook for another 5 minutes. Also add the sauté and finely chopped prunes. After 5-7 minutes, add spices, garlic, and parsley, and remove the borsch from heat.
20. Borsch with Baked Beetroot
Source: zen.yandex.ruBaked beetroot always gives borsch a richer color.
You will need: 1 beetroot, 3 potatoes, 1 carrot, 0.5 onion, 200 g cabbage, 1.5 tbsp tomato paste, 1.5 liters broth, 2 cloves of garlic, spices.
Preparation: Bake beetroot in foil for about an hour in the oven at 200 degrees Celsius and grate it. Add sliced potatoes to boiling broth and cook for 15 minutes. Sauté chopped onion with carrots, add half of the beetroot and tomato paste, and simmer for another couple of minutes.
Add the dressing to the pot, add shredded cabbage, and cook for another 7 minutes. After that, add garlic, spices, and the remaining beetroot, cook for another minute, turn off the stove, and let the borsch steep.