Червоний борщ - Red Borshch
Submitted by: Oleksandr Oliinyk, Hostomel, Ukraine / Shanghai, China
Who passed this recipe down to you? My mom, from my Grandma
Recipe origin: Kryvyi Rih, Ukraine
How old is this recipe? 70+ years old (This exact version originates from my maternal grandma, but since the family borshch recipe is traditionally passed down to the next generation, it definitely incorporates some elements from older recipes.)
The story behind the recipe:
Borshch (or borscht, borsch, barszcz) is a term that refers to multiple sour Eastern European soups. Red borshch specifically is a beetroot and cabbage-based soup that originates from Ukraine. Borshch often acts as a reason to bring the whole family together during lunch or dinner. Since this dish incorporates many different ingredients, it is often considered special. In addition, red borshch is one of the most important dishes of the Ukrainian cuisine, to such an extent that it was included in the National Inventory of Intangible Cultural Heritage in 2020 and in the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage List in 2022. Every Ukrainian family has its own borshch recipe, and traditionally it is passed down to the next generation.
The recipe slowly changes as it gets transferred from one generation to another, so this exact recipe is closer to what my grandma makes than to what her ancestors did.
Red borshch can be made at any time of the year, be it a regular day or a holiday.
Ingredients:
1 litre stock or water
Meat, usually beef, pork, or chicken (omit during lent)
2-3 medium potatoes, cubed
1 medium red beetroot, julienned or shredded
Sunflower oil or lard for frying
1 medium onion, diced
1 large carrot, julienned or shredded
1/2 bell pepper, diced (optional)
2-4 tsp tomato paste
1/2 small cabbage, thinly shredded
Salt and sugar, to taste
Fresh dill, finely chopped
Sour cream for serving (optional)
How to make it:
Prepare the stock by boiling meat. If cooking borshch during lent, omit meat, and use water instead of stock.
Cut the vegetables. Be careful when preparing beetroot, as it can stain your skin; to avoid this, it is advised to wear rubber gloves.
Put the potatoes into the boiling liquid. After around 10 minutes, add in the beetroot, half of the onion, and the carrot. Optionally, also add in the bell pepper (traditionally it is only added in summer). Cover the pot with a lid.
Meanwhile, heat a frying pan and add in the oil or lard (omit lard during lent). Add in the rest of the onion into the pan, and fry it until it is golden-brown.
When the potatoes and beetroot are fully cooked, add in the tomato paste, cabbage, fried onions, and salt. Mix. Taste a bit of the liquid. If it is not sour enough, add more tomato paste; if it is too sour, add some sugar. The sweetness of borshch may vary due to the sugars naturally present in beetroot and carrot.
Continue cooking for a few minutes, until the cabbage has reached the state where it is softer than when fresh but retains some of its crunchiness. Add in the dill; mix, and turn the stove off.
If meat is present, break it up into smaller pieces to release more flavor into the soup.
Serve the borshch hot, with bread or pampushky (garlic buns), an optional dollop of sour cream on top, greens (green onion or dill), and optionally a few pieces of salo (cured pork fat).
Print this recipe:
Червоний борщ - Red Borshch
Ingredients
- 1 litre stock or water
- Meat, usually beef, pork, or chicken (omit during lent)
- 2-3 medium potatoes, cubed
- 1 medium red beetroot, julienned or shredded
- Sunflower oil or lard for frying
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 1 large carrot, julienned or shredded
- 1/2 bell pepper, diced (optional)
- 2-4 tsp tomato paste
- 1/2 small cabbage, thinly shredded
- Salt and sugar, to taste
- Fresh dill, finely chopped
- Sour cream for serving (optional)
Instructions
- Prepare the stock by boiling meat. If cooking borshch during lent, omit meat, and use water instead of stock.
- Cut the vegetables. Be careful when preparing beetroot, as it can stain your skin; to avoid this, it is advised to wear rubber gloves.
- Put the potatoes into the boiling liquid. After around 10 minutes, add in the beetroot, half of the onion, and the carrot. Optionally, also add in the bell pepper (traditionally it is only added in summer). Cover the pot with a lid.
- Meanwhile, heat a frying pan and add in the oil or lard (omit lard during lent). Add in the rest of the onion into the pan, and fry it until it is golden-brown.
- When the potatoes and beetroot are fully cooked, add in the tomato paste, cabbage, fried onions, and salt. Mix. Taste a bit of the liquid. If it is not sour enough, add more tomato paste; if it is too sour, add some sugar. The sweetness of borshch may vary due to the sugars naturally present in beetroot and carrot.
- Continue cooking for a few minutes, until the cabbage has reached the state where it is softer than when fresh but retains some of its crunchiness. Add in the dill; mix, and turn the stove off.
- If meat is present, break it up into smaller pieces to release more flavor into the soup.
- Serve the borshch hot, with bread or pampushky (garlic buns), an optional dollop of sour cream on top, greens (green onion or dill), and optionally a few pieces of salo (cured pork fat).