Ukrainian Red Borscht

About This Recipe

Borscht is the most beloved soup of Ukraine — a vibrant ruby broth of beets, pork, cabbage, potatoes, and beans, slow-simmered with onion, carrot, and tomato, and finished with a fistful of fresh dill and a generous dollop of cool sour cream. Each Ukrainian family makes it differently, and arguments about whether to include garlic, beans, sweet pepper, or smoked meat can break friendships. In 2022 UNESCO inscribed Ukrainian borscht onto its intangible heritage list. Eaten with garlic-rubbed pampushky (small bread rolls) and a small glass of icy horilka, borscht is the dish that says home, winter, and Sunday afternoon all at once.

Ingredients

Serves 8

• 600 gpork ribs or beef short rib (or smoked ham hock for richer flavor)
• 3 Lwater
• 2bay leaves
• 10black peppercorns
• 5allspice berries
• 1 smallonion (whole, for stock)
• 3 mediumbeetroot, peeled and coarsely grated
• 2 tbsptomato paste
• 1 tbspwhite wine vinegar (or beet kvass)
• 1 tspsugar
• 3 tbspneutral oil
• 1 largeonion, finely diced
• 2carrots, grated
• 1red bell pepper, diced
• 4 mediumwaxy potatoes, peeled and cubed
• 1/4 headwhite or savoy cabbage, finely shredded
• 1 can (400 g)white beans, drained
• 5 clovesgarlic, minced
• 1.5 tspfine salt (or to taste)
• 1 tspfreshly ground black pepper
• 1 small bunchfresh dill, chopped
• 1 small bunchfresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped
• sour cream and rye bread to serve

Instructions

1. 1

   Make pork stock

   Place pork ribs in a large pot. Cover with water. Bring to a boil and skim the scum carefully for 5 minutes. Reduce heat and add bay leaves, peppercorns, allspice, and the whole onion. Simmer covered for 75 minutes.

2. 2

   Lift meat

   Lift the pork out. Cool slightly. Pick the meat off the bones, shred coarsely, and reserve. Strain the broth into a clean pot.

3. 3

   Cook the beet sofrito

   While the stock simmers, heat oil in a wide skillet. Add the grated beets, tomato paste, vinegar, and sugar. Cook on medium-low for 15 minutes, stirring, until the beets are softened and the mixture is deeply red, glossy, and faintly sweet.

4. 4

   Sauté aromatics

   Push beets to one side. Add diced onion and grated carrot to the pan. Cook 10 minutes until soft and lightly golden. Add red pepper, cook 3 more minutes.

5. 5

   Build the soup

   Add potatoes to the strained broth. Bring to a simmer. Cook 8 minutes.

6. 6

   Add cabbage

   Add shredded cabbage and white beans. Simmer 8 minutes until cabbage is tender.

7. 7

   Add the beet base

   Stir in the beet-vegetable mixture and shredded pork. Simmer 10 minutes — the broth turns deep magenta and the kitchen begins to smell unmistakably of borscht.

8. 8

   Garlic and rest

   Add minced garlic, salt, and pepper. Simmer 2 more minutes. Pull off the heat. Rest covered for at least 30 minutes — borscht's flavors marry with time.

9. 9

   Serve

   Ladle into deep bowls. Top each with a heaping spoonful of cold sour cream, a shower of dill and parsley, and an extra crack of black pepper. Serve with rye bread or garlic pampushky.

Variations

• •

  Lenten borscht: skip the pork and beans, add dried mushroom stock and pampushky on the side.

• •

  Cold summer borscht (kholodnyk): served chilled with kefir, hard-boiled egg, and cucumber.

• •

  Add smoked ham hock instead of pork ribs for a deeper, smokier broth.

Storage

Refrigerate up to 5 days; freezes 3 months. The flavor deepens for 48 hours; some say day-three borscht is the best.

Frequently Asked Questions