National Dish Ukraine: Borscht (Recipe)
In this article
Borscht is beetroot soup, and in 2022 UNESCO added Ukrainian borscht to its list of intangible heritage in need of urgent safeguarding, citing the war. That is an unusual reason for a soup to be listed.
About Borscht
There is no single borscht. Every region and household has a version, and arguments about what belongs are genuine. What is constant: beetroot, an acid to keep the colour, cabbage, and soured cream on top.
Add the vinegar early. Beetroot loses its colour in a neutral pot and turns brown.
Ingredients (serves 1–2)
- 2 medium beetroot
- 1 carrot
- 1 onion
- 200 g beef
- 1 litre vegetable stock
- 1 tablespoon tomato purée
- 1 tablespoon vinegar
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1/4 head white cabbage, shredded
- 1 potato, cubed
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- Fresh dill and soured cream, to serve
Shopping for the ingredients
Raw beetroot, never pickled or pre-cooked. Beef shin or brisket on the bone for the stock. Fresh dill is not optional in Ukrainian cooking. Smetana, the soured cream, from an Eastern European shop if possible.
Preparing the dish
Grate the beetroot rather than dicing it. Fry it separately with the vinegar and tomato purée before it joins the pot, which is what keeps the colour deep red. Potato and cabbage go in before the beetroot mixture.
Step-by-step instructions
- Bring the meat to the boil in a pan with a little water and simmer for 10 minutes, skimming.
- Add the stock and cook over medium heat for about 30 minutes.
- Grate the beetroot and carrot, chop the onion.
- Fry the onion, carrot and beetroot in a separate pan with the tomato purée, vinegar and sugar for 10 minutes.
- Add the cubed potato and shredded cabbage to the stock and cook 10 minutes.
- Stir the beetroot mixture into the pot.
- Season with salt and pepper and simmer for a further 15–20 minutes.
- Serve with fresh dill and a spoonful of soured cream.
Gluten-free / lactose-free version
The soup contains no gluten. Skip the soured cream, or use a plant-based one, for lactose-free. Serve it without pampushky, which are wheat.
Tips for vegans and vegetarians
Green borscht made with sorrel, and mushroom borscht served at Christmas Eve, are both traditional meat-free versions. For this one, drop the beef, use mushroom stock and add beans.
More tips and tricks
Fry the beetroot separately with acid, which is the single technique that decides whether the soup is red or brown. Make it a day ahead, since borscht is better on the second day. And do not boil it hard once the beetroot is in.
Adapting the recipe to your taste
Beans are standard in many regions. Prunes give a smoky sweetness. Salo, cured pork fat, crushed with garlic and stirred in at the end is the traditional finish.
Ingredient substitutions
Lemon juice for vinegar. Pork or no meat at all. Plain yoghurt for smetana, though it is thinner.
Drink pairing ideas
Uzvar, the dried-fruit compote. Kvass, fermented bread drink. Horilka, the Ukrainian spirit, with the meal on occasions.
Serving and presentation ideas
Serve it hot with a spoonful of smetana that you stir in yourself, dill on top, and pampushky, garlic bread rolls, on the side. The rolls are for wiping the bowl.
A bit of history
Borscht is eaten across Eastern Europe and its origins are Ukrainian, which Russia has disputed. The UNESCO listing in July 2022 was expedited under the urgent-safeguarding procedure because the war threatened the tradition and displaced the people who carry it. It anchors Ukrainian cuisine.
More recipe ideas
Summary: Borscht
Borscht is beetroot soup with cabbage, potato and beef, finished with dill and soured cream. Grate the beetroot, fry it with vinegar before it joins the pot, and make it the day before.
