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Borscht

A hearty Eastern European beet soup made with beef, root vegetables, and fresh dill.

From Simply Recipes by Elise Bauer

beetsoupbeefeastern-european
Illustration of Borscht
Illustration

Ingredients

  • 3 tsp extra virgin olive oil or vegetable oil, divided
  • 1 bone-in beef shank (or beef stew meat), (1 1/4 lb) section bone-in beef shank with a lot of meat, or 1 lb beef stew meat, excess fat trimmed
  • 1 large onion, chopped (about 1 1/2 cups)
  • 8 cups beef broth or beef stock, divided
  • 4 large beets, peeled and chopped into 1/2-inch pieces (about 1 1/2 lb)
  • 4 carrots, peeled and chopped into 1/2-inch pieces (1 lb)
  • 1 large russet potato, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes (6 oz)
  • 2 cups cabbage, thinly sliced
  • 3/4 cup fresh dill, chopped, divided
  • 3 tbsp red wine vinegar
  • 1 cup sour cream
  • 2 tsp salt, adjusted to how salty the broth is
  • 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper, adjusted to how salty the broth is
  • 1 can tomato paste
  • maple syrup, at the end
  • vinegar or lemon juice

Steps

1Brown the beef and cook the onions

  1. Heat 2 tsp oil in a large pot over medium‑high heat.
  2. Add the 1 bone-in beef shank (or 1 lb beef stew meat) and brown on one side.
  3. Turn the beef over and add the 1 large onion, chopped, cooking until softened, about 5 minutes.
  4. Pour in 4 cups beef broth, bring to a boil, then lower to a simmer. Cover and cook for 1 hour and 30 minutes.

2Roast the vegetables

  1. Preheat the oven to 400°F.
  2. Peel and chop the beets, carrots and potatoes into 1/2-inch pieces.
  3. Toss the beets and carrots with a teaspoon or two of the remaining olive oil.
  4. Add the tossed beets and carrots to a foil‑lined roasting pan and roast for 15 minutes.
  5. Toss the potatoes with olive oil and make room for them in the roasting pan.
  6. Add the 1 large russet potato to the roasting pan and roast everything another 15 minutes.

3Finish the soup

  1. Once the beef is tender, remove it from the pot and take the pot off the heat. If using beef shank, discard the bone, connective tissue and excess fat, then chop the meat into bite-size pieces.
  2. Skim off any excess fat from the liquid in the pot.
  3. Add the remaining 4 cups beef broth.
  4. Add 1 can tomato paste.
  5. Add the roasted carrots.
  6. Add the roasted beets.
  7. Add the roasted potatoes.
  8. Add the chopped meat.
  9. Add the 2 cups sliced cabbage.
  10. Add 1/2 cup dill.
  11. Simmer for 15 minutes until the cabbage is cooked.

4Season and serve

  1. Add 3 tbsp red wine vinegar.
  2. Season with 2 tsp salt, adjusted to how salty the broth is.
  3. Season with 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper, adjusted to how salty the broth is.
  4. Ladle the soup into bowls and top each with a dollop of the 1 cup sour cream and a sprinkling of fresh dill.