An authentic hot Russian borscht soup is worth adding to your repertoire. I love trying new borscht recipes and I love beets in soup! This bright red, Russian soup is delicious and famous. And you can make it with ease!
Enjoyed all over the globe, the flavor is unmistakable and this is quite a healthy dish as well. It takes a while to put together so wait until you have a clear day then take your time making it lovingly. The result will please you so much. If you are serving smaller portions as an appetizer, consider pairing it with this pierogi recipe.
Is Chilled or Hot Russian Borscht Soup More Authentic?
Although borscht is usually served cold, a hot Russian borscht soup can also be very good, especially if the weather isn’t the best and you want to be warmed up. What’s borscht in Russian? Borscht of course!
This nutritious recipe boasts onion, cabbage, potatoes and carrots, as well as the tasty beets which offer the distinctive flavor. You also have kidney beans in there, plus ketchup, bay leaves, lemon juice and dill, for a perfectly balanced flavor in the finished dish.
Top Borscht Tip: Use Fresh Beets
I prefer to make this soup with fresh raw beets, rather than the already-cooked kind, but if you are pushed for time you could use those. Choose the plain ones not the pickled kind.
Borscht can be made hot or cold. The hot variety is made with beef or pork broth along with potatoes and other hearty veggies, while the cold one is made with fresh raw beets, sour cream, cucumber and other summer vegetables.
The following recipe is traditionally Russian in style, and is best served piping hot, garnished with sour cream and served with whole wheat bread on the side. Yum!
PrintAuthentic Borscht Soup Recipe
This amazing recipe shows you how to combine beets and other vegetables with beans, citrus, bay leaves and more. The result is a hearty red soup which boasts incredible flavor in every mouthful.
- Prep Time: 25 mins
- Cook Time: 1 hour 45 mins
- Total Time: 2 hours 10 mins
- Yield: 10 1x
- Category: Soup
- Cuisine: Russian
Ingredients
- 3 fresh medium beets
- 1 finely chopped yellow onion
- 2 grated carrots
- ½ finely chopped head of cabbage
- 14 oz (400g) can kidney beans with juice
- 3 sliced medium potatoes
- 4 tablespoons cooking oil
- 2 bay leaves
- 4 tablespoons lemon juice
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 tablespoon chopped dill weed
- 5 pints water
- 3 pints broth
- 5 tablespoons ketchup
- Sour cream, to serve
- 2 sliced green onions, for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Put the water in a big pot and add the beets.
- Boil covered, for an hour or until tender.
- Let them cool.
- Boil the potatoes in the beet-cooking water for 18 minutes or until tender.
- Put 4 tablespoons of oil in a skillet and saute the carrots and onion for 8 minutes or until tender.
- Stir in the ketchup a couple of minutes before tender.
- Finely shred the cabbage and add it to the pot when the potatoes are about half-cooked.
- Slice the beets and cut them into matchsticks, then add them back into the pot.
- Add the chicken broth, pepper, bay leaves, lemon juice and beans with their juice to the pot.
- Add the cooked onion and carrots, and also the dill weed, and cook for 8 minutes or until the cabbage is tender.
- Serve hot, with some sour cream on top, and maybe some green onions too.
Keywords: borscht, russian, soup, russia
