Ukrainian Borscht

Name: Ukrainian Borscht
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 1 h 30 min
Total time: 2 h
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: Eastern European
Ingredients: For the broth: 1.5 lbs (700g) beef short ribs or beef chuck, bone-in if possible; 10 cups (2.4L) cold water; 1 bay leaf, 6 black peppercorns, 1 small onion halved; For the soup: 3 medium beets (about 600g total), peeled — 2 grated, 1 cut into thin matchsticks; 1/2 medium head green cabbage (400g), finely shredded; 2 medium potatoes (350g), cut into 2cm cubes; 2 medium carrots, peeled and grated; 1 large onion, finely diced; 1 stalk celery, diced; 3 cloves garlic, minced; 2 tbsp tomato paste; 1 can (400g) crushed tomatoes; 3 tbsp sunflower or neutral oil; 2 tsp apple cider vinegar or red wine vinegar (adjust to taste); 1.5 tsp salt, plus more to taste; 1 tsp sugar; 1/4 tsp black pepper; Fresh dill, generous handful, roughly chopped; Sour cream (smetana), for serving; Crusty bread or garlic rolls (pampushky), for serving

Deep crimson beet soup slow-cooked with beef, cabbage, potato, and tomato, finished with vinegar for brightness and a generous spoonful of sour cream. Ukraine's most iconic dish — a century of history in every bowl.

⏱30 min prep 🔥90 min cook ⏰120 min total 🍽6 servings 📊medium

The Cultural Story

Borscht has been at the center of a culinary and geopolitical dispute for years: both Ukraine and Russia claim it as their national dish. In 2022, UNESCO added Ukrainian borscht to its list of intangible cultural heritage requiring urgent protection — an unusual recognition that food can be a target of cultural erasure. The dish has roots in the 14th century, when a plant called "borshchivnyk" (hogweed) was used in a sour broth eaten across the Slavic world. Beets gradually replaced the hogweed as the base ingredient, and what emerged was the vivid purple-red soup that is now synonymous with Ukrainian cuisine. Every region in Ukraine has its own version: Kyiv-style is thick and hearty with beans; Lviv-style is clearer and served separately from the meat; Poltava-style adds dumplings called halushky. The dish that most Ukrainians consider canonical is the one made by their own family. Recipes are passed down not through written cards but through watching and tasting — a daughter standing at her mother's shoulder while the soup is adjusted for salt, the beet grated fresh or roasted depending on the family's preference, the sourness controlled by the quantity of tomato or a splash of vinegar at the end. The secret ingredient in many family recipes is kvass (fermented beet liquid), which gives the soup a deeper, more complex sourness than vinegar alone. What makes Ukrainian borscht distinct from Russian borscht, argues food historian Olia Hercules, is its freshness — the vegetables added in stages, the final beet added raw for color, the soup never cooked to submission. The correct accompaniment is pampushky — small, soft garlic-brushed rolls that are torn apart and used to wipe the bowl clean. Sour cream (smetana) is non-negotiable: a tablespoon stirred in at the table, swirling the crimson broth into marbled pink-red. This is not a delicate soup. It's a bowl that has sustained generations through winter, rationing, and war, made from beets that would grow in almost any condition.

Ingredients

For the broth: 1.5 lbs (700g) beef short ribs or beef chuck, bone-in if possible
10 cups (2.4L) cold water
1 bay leaf, 6 black peppercorns, 1 small onion halved
For the soup: 3 medium beets (about 600g total), peeled — 2 grated, 1 cut into thin matchsticks
1/2 medium head green cabbage (400g), finely shredded
2 medium potatoes (350g), cut into 2cm cubes
2 medium carrots, peeled and grated
1 large onion, finely diced
1 stalk celery, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp tomato paste
1 can (400g) crushed tomatoes
3 tbsp sunflower or neutral oil
2 tsp apple cider vinegar or red wine vinegar (adjust to taste)
1.5 tsp salt, plus more to taste
1 tsp sugar
1/4 tsp black pepper
Fresh dill, generous handful, roughly chopped
Sour cream (smetana), for serving
Crusty bread or garlic rolls (pampushky), for serving

Instructions

1Make the broth: Place beef in a large pot with cold water, bay leaf, peppercorns, and halved onion. Bring slowly to a boil, skimming foam diligently as it rises — clear broth is the foundation of good borscht. Once foam stops appearing, reduce to a gentle simmer.
2Simmer beef uncovered for 60–75 minutes until fork-tender. Remove meat to a plate. Strain the broth into a clean pot. Shred the beef into rough pieces, discarding bones. Set aside.
3Heat oil in a heavy skillet over medium heat. Add diced onion and celery — cook until soft, 8 minutes. Add carrot and grated beets. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes until beets soften slightly.
4Add tomato paste to the vegetable mixture. Cook, stirring, for 2 minutes — the paste will darken. Add crushed tomatoes. Simmer together for 5 minutes. This is the "zazharka" (sautéed vegetable base) — do not skip it.
5Bring the beef broth to a boil. Add potatoes. Cook 8 minutes.
6Add the shredded cabbage. Cook 5 minutes.
7Add the tomato-vegetable zazharka. Add the raw matchstick beets (these go in last to keep the color vivid). Stir in the shredded beef.
8Season with salt, sugar, and vinegar. The borscht should taste gently sweet from the beets, sour from the vinegar and tomato, deeply savory from the beef. Adjust each element until the balance feels right — this is the moment.
9Add garlic and most of the dill. Simmer 5 minutes. Remove from heat.
10Let rest at least 15 minutes before serving — borscht always improves with time. Serve in deep bowls, topped with a generous spoonful of sour cream and a scatter of fresh dill. Eat with crusty bread to wipe the bowl clean.

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