Ukrainian Borscht

Red borscht is a traditional Ukrainian dish. Delicious and rich borscht is the main threat at the table. If you still don’t know how to cook borscht, then this recipe will help you with this. For Ukrainian borscht, you will certainly need beets, which makes the dish so bright and appetizing.

Ingredients

• Meat (beef pulp) – 250 g
• Beets (medium size) – 1 pc.
• White cabbage – 150-180 g
• Potatoes – 200 g
• Carrots – 1 pc.
• Onions (small size) – 2 pcs.
• Garlic – 1-2 cloves
• Tomato paste – 1.5 tbsp
• Vinegar 6% – 1 teaspoon
• Vegetable oil – 30-40 g
• Bay leaf – 1 pc.
• Salt to taste
• Ground black pepper – to taste
• Water – 2.5 l
• Sour cream (for serving) – to taste
• Fresh dill (for serving) – to taste

Directions

1. Prepare all required ingredients. Peel potatoes, carrots, and beets.

   

2. Pour cold water over the meat, bring to a boil, remove the foam. Boil the broth over low heat for 50-60 minutes, until the meat is tender. Salt the broth.
3. Cut the potatoes into cubes. Cut the cabbage into strips. Peel the onion and cut it into cubes. Grate carrots on a coarse grater. Cut the beets into small cubes.

   

4. Send the potatoes to the broth with meat and cook for 7-10 minutes over medium heat.

   

5. Pour half of the vegetable oil into a preheated pan. Fry the onion until transparent, about 3-4 minutes over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Add carrots to the onion. Fry the carrots and onions for a couple of minutes. Transfer the frying pan to a plate.
6. Fry the beets in the remaining oil for 2-3 minutes. Add tomato paste to the beets, you can pour in a couple of tablespoons of water. Pour in the vinegar, thanks to which the beets will retain their bright color and the borscht will acquire a beautiful burgundy hue. Simmer the beets for 5 minutes over medium heat.

   

7. When the potatoes are cooked, add cabbage to the pan and cook for 5-7 minutes. Add the stewed beetroot to the pan. Cook the borsch with beets for 5-6 minutes. Then add the onions and carrots. Cook the borscht for another 4-5 minutes over low heat.

   

8. Add bay leaf and a little black pepper. Peel the garlic and squeeze through a press into a saucepan with borscht. (According to the “classic” garlic is added to Ukrainian borscht, ground with lard, salt, and herbs. If you wish, you can do just that.) Bring the borsch to a boil and immediately remove from heat. Close the pan with a lid and let the borscht brew for 20-30 minutes. Pour the ready-made red borsch into bowls, add sour cream and sprinkle with chopped dill.

Enjoy your meal!