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Ukrainian Borsch
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Ukrainian Borsch

Traditional recipe with my 'secret' ingredient that your family will love!
Prep Time30 minutes
Active Time40 minutes
Cooling time30 minutes
Total Time1 hour 10 minutes
Course: Dinner, Lunch, Soup
Cuisine: Ukrainian
Keyword: gluten-free, vegetarian
Yield: 15 servings
Author: Larysa

Equipment

  • 1 Large one-gallon pot
  • 1 Large sautéing pan or wok
  • 1 Cutting board
  • 1 Sharp knife
  • 1 Vegetable peeler
  • 1 Food processor optional (see note 1 below)

Materials

  • 3 medium raw carrots, washed, peeled
  • 2 medium raw beets, washed, peeled
  • 1/2 head green cabbage
  • 6 small potatoes OR 3 large red potatoes, washed, you can leave skin on for extra fibre
  • 1 large onion, peeled, root end on, chilled in the fridge for about 30 min
  • 3-4 cloves raw garlic, peeled, crushed
  • 12 cups vegetable broth OR water + 1 cup boiled water, OR 6 cups meat broth + 6 cups water
  • 2 cups crushed tomatoes
  • 1 can 540 ml (19 fl oz) red kidney beans, rinsed, drained Optional
  • 3 bay leaves
  • 5-6 mixed peppercorns
  • 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar (ACV), preferably organic This is my 'secret' ingredient :) See note 4
  • 2 tablespoons butter or ghee, divided, OR 2 tablespoons olive oil or other healthier oil
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt I like using Himalayan or sea salt
  • 1/8 teaspoon teaspoon ground black or red hot pepper Optional

Instructions

  • Place burning candle and wet paper towel next to the cutting board (see other tips above on how to cut onion without crying). Chop the onion into small cubes.
  • Dice carrots and beets.

Zazharka: base of carrots, beets + onions with spices and tomato sauce

  • Pre-heat large sautéing pan or wok on Medium High and melt 1 tbsp butter or ghee. If using oil, pre-heat 2 tbsp olive or other healthy oil on Medium.
  • Add chopped onion, diced carrots and beets to the pan, mix, cover with lid. Reduce heat to Medium Low and sauté for 10-12 min stirring occasionally until veggies are slightly tender but not soft.
  • Add crushed tomatoes and a cup of boiled water to the sautéing pan, bay leaves, and peppercorns. Stir, cover with lid and let simmer on Low for 3-4 min.
  • Remove outer leaves from the cabbage, rinse and pat dry with a paper towel. Cut the head of the cabbage in half, and core the cabbage (see instructions in the post above on how to cut and core the cabbage easily).
  • Cut half of the cabbage head in half, and slice each quarter at an angle.
  • Wash, scrub and peel potatoes. I prefer to leave the peel on if using young potatoes - it adds extra fibre. Dice potatoes.
  • In a large one-gallon pot, bring to a boil 12 cups of vegetable stock, water or half & half meat broth (6 cups) + filtered water (6 cups).
  • Add diced potatoes and sliced cabbage to the pot. See below important note 3 about cabbage.
  • Add rinsed, drained kidney beans to the pot if using.
  • Boil on High for about 5-7 min.
  • Combine 'Zazharka' in the pot with potatoes and cabbage. Reduce heat to Medium Low.
  • Add salt, black or red hot pepper to taste if using, apple cider vinegar, crushed garlic and one tablespoon butter or ghee (skip this last ingredient if using oil).
  • Stir, cover with lid, and simmer on Medium Low for 12-15 min until done. 
  • Remove from heat, let cool for about 20 - 30 min.

Serving Suggestions

  • Optional: add dollop of sour cream or Greek yogurt to your plate.
  • Garnish borsch with fresh dill, parsley, chives or green onions.
  • Enjoy with toasted rye bread rubbed with minced raw garlic.

Notes

  1. You can cut the recipe prep time in half if you use the food processor. 
  2. If you have dairy allergy or intolerance, you can use ghee instead of butter. 
  3. If using young cabbage, add it to the borsch pot at the end, about 5-7 min after adding 'Zazharka'. Young cabbage cooks very quickly, and will become soggy if added earlier. 
  4. I call apple cider vinegar (ACV) my 'secret' ingredient because it gives that particular slightly sweet and tangy taste that is essential to the borsch flavour without having to use added sugar and regular white vinegar. 
  5. You will have a large batch of hearty soup to feed your family for a few days like people do in Ukraine. If you don't have a large family, you can freeze some of the borsch for later. Make sure to let it cool completely before freezing. Transfer borsch to glass mason jars leaving about an inch at the top for expansion, cover tightly with the lid and place in the freezer. Defrost in refrigerator overnight, and heat borsch in pot before eating.