Best Russian Borscht Recipes

RUSSIAN BORSCHT

Steps:

• Place the first six ingredients in a large soup kettle or Dutch oven; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 1-1/2 hours or until beef is tender. Meanwhile, in a skillet, saute beets in 1 tablespoon oil for 3 minutes. stir in vinegar; set aside. Remove beef with a slotted spoon; cool. Remove meat from the bones; discard bones. Cut meat into chunks; set aside. strain broth, discarding peppercorns and bay leaves. Skim fat. Add enough water to broth to measure 6 cups; return to kettle. Add potatoes, carrots, cabbage, parsley and beets. Bring to a boil., In a skillet, saute onion in remaining oil for 5-7 minutes or until tender. Sprinkle with flour; stir until blended. Whisk into soup. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 30 minutes or until vegetables are tender. add tomatoes. process soup in small batches in a blender or food processor; pour into a large saucepan. Add beef; heat through. Garnish with sour cream.

RUSSIAN BORSCHT SOUP

Steps:

• In a large saucepan, combine the beets, carrots, onion and broth; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 30 minutes. , Add tomatoes and cabbage; cover and simmer for 30 minutes or until cabbage is tender. Stir in salt, dill and pepper. Top each serving with sour cream if desired.

RUSSIAN CABBAGE BORSCHT

Steps:

• Place sliced potatoes and beets in a medium saucepan over high heat; cover with stock, and boil until vegetables are tender. Remove potatoes and beets with a slotted spoon, and reserve stock.
• Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Stir in onions, caraway seeds, and salt; cook until onions become soft and translucent. Then stir in celery, carrots, and cabbage. Mix in reserved stock; cook, covered, until all vegetables are tender, about 10 minutes.
• Add potatoes and beets to the skillet. Season with black pepper and dill weed. Stir in cider vinegar, honey, and tomato puree. Cover, reduce heat to medium low, and simmer at least 30 minutes. Serve topped with sour cream, extra dill weed, and chopped fresh tomatoes.

AUTHENTIC RUSSIAN/UKRAINIAN BORSCHT

Steps:

• To a large pot (I use 8qts), add the meat and enough water to fill up the pot to halfway.
• Remove all froth that comes up from the meat.
• Continue to boil on med-high until no more froth comes up.
• Reduce heat to low and add consomme mix, whole onion, dill, beats, cabbage, and tomato sauce.
• Fill with water, cover partially with lid, and let cook for 90min.
• After that hour and a half of cooking, make sure meat is soft - then add the carrots, and squeeze all the juice you can possible juice from the lemons into the soup.
• You can add the rice and/or potatoes at this point, if you like.
• Cook, partially covered, for another 30-45 minutes, until making sure the potatoes and carrots are tender, and the rice (if you put any in) is ready.
• The soup is great on day 1, but tastes much better on days 2-3.
• Enjoy the soup while it's very hot.

COLD RUSSIAN BORSCHT

Steps:

• Remove stems and leaves from beets, but leave on skins. In a deep pot, cover beets with cold water and bring to a boil. Boil until fork tender, about 40 minutes.
• Drain beets, but reserve two cups of the liquid. Strain the liquid and add to a large saucepan. Remove skin from beets. Grate beets through coarsest blade of grater. Add to beet liquid. Add beef broth, onion, salt, pepper and vinegar. Bring to a boil, and then cover and reduce heat to low. Simmer for 20 minutes, then remove from the heat.
• Chill in refrigerator for one hour, or until cold before serving. Ladle into bowls and top each serving with cucumber and a big spoonful of sour cream.

UNCLE BILL'S RUSSIAN/DOUKHOBOUR BORSCHT

Steps:

• In a large (8 quart) stock pot, add water and bring to boil.
• Add 1/2 cup of mashed tomatoes, quartered potatoes, chopped carrots, chopped onions, salt and beets and return to boil.
• Reduce heat to medium and cook uncovered for 15 minutes or until potatoes are just cooked.
• Meanwhile, begin to prepare all vegetables.
• When potatoes are cooked, remove with a slotted spoon into a mixing bowl.
• Add 3 tablespoons butter to potatoes, mash well.
• Stir in whipping cream, mixing well to incorporate; set aside.
• In a large frying pan, melt 3 tablespoons butter, add chopped onions and saute' until just softened, about 5 minutes.
• Add remaining mashed tomatoes and simmer uncovered until reduced to a creamy consistency.
• The sauce will be thickened.
• Cover, reduce heat to keep warm.
• In another large frying pan, melt the remainder 3 tablespoons butter, add 4 cups of shredded cabbage and on medium heat, fry until softened and very lightly browned, about 15 minutes, DO NOT BURN.
• Remove from heat and set aside.
• To the cooking pot, add cubed potatoes and 1/2 cup of tomato-onion mixture.
• Cover and cook for 10 minutes.
• Add cauliflower and celery and continue to boil gently until potatoes are just tender.
• Stir in remaining 4 cups of raw shredded cabbage and return soup to boil.
• Reduce heat; stir in mashed potatoes, fried cabbage and remaining tomato-onion mixture.
• Add diced green and red peppers, freshly ground black pepper, dill weed, lemon juice.
• Return to boil and cook for 3 more minutes.
• Cover and reduce heat to just warm and let borscht sit for 30 minutes for flavors to blend.
• Remove beets and discard or eat them separately.
• The beets are for coloring only.
• Adjust seasonings to taste.
• If borscht is too sweet to your liking, stir in some additional lemon juice.
• If desired, serve with a sprinkle of cayenne pepper.
• Refrigerate any unused portions.
• Traditionally, medium or sharp cheddar cheese pieces and fresh bread or buns are served with the borscht.

HOT BORSCHT FROM THE RUSSIAN TEA ROOM

Steps:

• Place all ingredients in a large pot with sufficient water to cover them. Add a pinch of salt, and cook on low heat for 4 hours. Skim off fat from the top and discard. Remove approximately 1 cup of meat to use later as garnish for top of dish.
• Place beets in enough water to cover them and slowly simmer for 40 minutes, (do not boil.) Add remaining beet broth ingredients. Simmer on lowest heat for 3 to 4 hours. Peel beets. Strain the broth from the beets and keep them separately.
• Fry the bacon in a large pot in 1 teaspoon of vegetable oil until crispy. Discard bacon; only the fat is needed. To the bacon fat, add 2 tablespoons butter and the onion, carrot, cabbage and garlic. Cook on medium-low heat until the vegetables are soft. Add tarragon and dill. Add equal parts of meat bouillon and beet broth. Add cooked beets. Simmer for 15 minutes. Garnish with shredded meat, sour cream and dill.

GERMAN/RUSSIAN BORSCHT

Steps:

• Add beets into a Dutch oven or large saucepan. Fill with water and add vinegar. Cook over medium heat until tender, this may take an hour or so. Check for doneness by poking a toothpick or fork into a beet. Remove beets and reserve juice. Peel and dice beets when they have cooled.
• For cooking the rest of the soup you may choose which method of cooking (baking, or slow cooking) that works best for you. Add remaining ingredients (EXCEPT beets, beet leaves, and cream) into a roaster pan to bake in oven, or large crock pot to slow cook.
• Simmer in a 250 degrees oven for 6-8 hours or low in a crock pot for 8-12 hours or until vegetables are tender.
• If the broth looks fatty, strain broth from vegetables, let cool, and skim off fat. Sometimes I may cook the vegetables the day before so that all the fat will separate and flavors blend.
• Add broth, vegetables, beets, and reserved beet juice into a large Dutch oven or stockpot. Bring to a boil.
• Add beet leaves, cook 5 minutes.
• Add cream, turn heat off. Salt and pepper to taste. Enjoy!

RUSSIAN BORSCHT

Steps:

• Cook beets, carrots and onion in the 3 cans beef broth for 20 minutes.
• Add cabbage and butter, and cook uncovered for about 20 minutes.
• Season to taste.
• Stir in lemon juice.
• Now let it sit (but you don't have to), for an hour or so. Reheat or leave at temperature and serve with sour cream.
• This is better the next day!

RUSSIAN CABBAGE BORSCHT

Steps:

• Place sliced potatoes and beets in a medium saucepan over high heat; cover with stock, and boil until vegetables are tender. Remove potatoes and beets with a slotted spoon, and reserve stock.
• Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Stir in onions, caraway seeds, and salt; cook until onions become soft and translucent. Then stir in celery, carrots, and cabbage. Mix in reserved stock; cook, covered, until all vegetables are tender, about 10 minutes.
• Add potatoes and beets to the skillet. Season with black pepper and dill weed. Stir in cider vinegar, honey, and tomato puree. Cover, reduce heat to medium low, and simmer at least 30 minutes. Serve topped with sour cream, extra dill weed, and chopped fresh tomatoes.

RUSSIAN BORSCHT/CROCK POT STYLE

Steps:

• Layer ingredients in slow cooker in the following order:.
• cabbage, beets, carrots, parsnip, onion, garlic, beef, tomatoes with juice, broth, lemon juice, sugar and pepper.
• Cover and cook on low 7 to 9 hours or until veggies are tender-crisp. Season with additional lemon juice and sugar, if desired garnish with sour cream and fresh dill.

RUSSIAN BORSCH - OLD TRADITIONAL RECIPE (BORSCHT)

Steps:

• We will start with the broth. Fill the pot half way with water and put over high heat. Wash the chicken with all the giblets and throw it in the pot. Peel 1 carrot and 1 onion, cut them into 3-4 pieces and throw in a pot along with the bay leaves and peppercorns. Salt. As soon as the water boils, set temperature to med-low so that the broth simmers. In 15 minutes collect all the scum. Some prefer to change the water at this stage (pour out the old water and fill up the pot with clean water, you will get a cleaner broth). I prefer to leave the water and just collect all the scum, as I think that it makes a much tastier broth. The broth will simmer for a total of 1-1.5 hours, during which you will prepare the rest of the ingredients. To read step by step recipe with photos of the whole process, follow this link - http://ruslankuznetsov.livejournal.com/75850.html

RUSSIAN PALACE'S VEGETABLE BORSCHT RECIPE

Steps:

• Peel and julienne raw beet to yield 4 cups.
• Peel and cube potatoes to yield 2-1/2 cups.
• Finely chop cabbage to yield 6 cups.
• Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
• Add onion and saute until browned, about 5 to 7 minutes.
• Add beets and carrot. Saute, stirring constantly, for 10 minutes.
• Stir in tomato paste. Remove from heat and set aside.
• In a large stock pot, bring chicken stock to a boil over high heat.
• Add potato and cook for 3 minutes.
• Add cabbage and continue boiling for 5 minutes.
• Add reserved beet-tomato paste mixture, green pepper, sugar, lemon juice, salt, and black pepper.
• Reduce heat to a simmer and cook for 15 minutes.
• Remove from heat. Stir in garlic and dill.
• Serve hot.

TRADITIONAL RUSSIAN BORSCHT

Steps:

• In a heavy stockpot, heat oil over high heat. Add the stew meat and sear until nicely browned. Remove from pot and set aside; immediately add the pork sausage, and stir, breaking it up into pieces while it browns. When sausage has browned nicely, return the stew meat to the pot, as well as the tomatoes, garlic, onion and beets. Add the beef stock, bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Cover and simmer for 2 hours. After 2 hours, add the carrots and potatoes. Simmer, covered, for 1 more hour, then add the cabbage, 1/2 cup of the dill, and the red wine vinegar (and taste for salt and pepper addition at this time). Cover and simmer for 15 more minutes. To serve, ladle soup into a bowl and garnish with a dollop of sour cream and fresh dill.

TRADITIONAL RUSSIAN BORSCHT.

Steps:

• Bring the stock to a simmer. Cut the beef shanks into bite size pieces and add to the stock along with the shank bones. Add the peeled potatoes, the bay leaves and a pinch of salt. Cover and let simmer for 1 hour before you start cooking the remaining ingredients. Warm about 3 tbsp of oil in a large, deep skillet, add the shredded beets and saute on medium heat for about 10 minutes. Add to the soup. Add some more oil to the skillet and add the onions. Saute for about 3 minutes, then add the carrots and saute, stirring, for another 15 minutes or so. Remove the potatoes from the soup and transfer to the skillet with the onions and carrots. Mash the potatoes coarsely with a fork. Add half of the strained tomatoes, stir, cover, reduce the heat and let simmer for 20 minutes. After that, add to the soup along with the rest of the strained tomatoes. Wipe the skillet, add more oil and saute the bell pepper until slightly softened, add to the borscht. Add the shredded cabbage and the pickled cabbage juice to the borscht. Stir and, if too thick, thin out with boiling water or meat stock. Adjust the salt and season with pepper; also, check for acidity and if necessary, add more pickle juice. Cover and let simmer for 10 more minutes. Warm the oven slightly and turn off the heat. Take the borscht off heat and stir in pressed garlic and herbs. Cover and place in the warm oven for at least 45 minutes, or, optimally, for 2 hours. Rewarm gently before serving. Serve garnished with sour cream, black rye and additional pressed garlic.

CROCK POT RUSSIAN BEEF BORSCHT

Steps:

• In a slow cooker, layer ingredients (except sour cream and parsley) in the order listed.
• Cover and cook on LOW 7-9 hours or until veggies are just tender.
• Add more pepper, lemon or sugar if desired.
• Top each serving with sour cream and parsley if desired.

RUSSIAN GREEN BORSCHT

Steps:

• Place beef in a large pot or Dutch oven.
• Add water, beef base, salt and pepper.
• Cover, bring to a boil, and simmer 1 hour.
• Add parsnips, carrots, leeks, celery and potatoes.
• Cover and simmer 30 minutes more, or until meat is tender.
• Add sorrel and spinach and simmer until greens are tender, 5-10 minutes more.
• Taste and add sugar if it's too sour.
• Ladle into soup bowls and garnish with sour cream.

CHILLED BORSCHT SOUP A RUSSIAN RECIPE

Steps:

• 1. Heat broth, beets with the liquid, cabbage, onion and sugar to boiling. Simmer uncovered 5 minutes. Stir in lemon juice and refrigerate until chilled. Top each serving with a spoonful of sour cream, chopped celery, or green onions. Makes about 4 serving...or two large ones! YUMMY... Note: Main foto is from Huffingpost.com

RUSSIAN CABBAGE BORSCHT

Steps:

• Combine meat, bones and water in a deep saucepan and bring to a boil.
• Skim any foam and fat off the top.
• Stir in onions and tomatoes.
• Cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer for 1 hour.
• Add cabbage, apple, salt and pepper.
• Simmer for 1 hour.
• Stir in lemon juice and sugar.
• Simmer for 20 minutes more.
• Remove beef.
• Meat can be cut up and stirred back into the soup, or served on the side.

RUSSIAN BORSCHT

Steps:

• Cover the meat with the cold water in a large stock pot.
• Add the salt and bring slowly to the boiling point.
• Skim the top of the water and discard.
• Cover and simmer for 1 ½ hours.
• Remove meat and set aside to cool.
• Add the onions and beets to the stock pot.
• Cook for about 20 minutes.
• Add the potato, celery, and carrot.
• Continue cooking for about 15minutes.
• Meanwhile, after the meat is cool, shred it and discard any fat or bones. Add the shredded pork to the stock pot.
• Add the cabbage and cook til tender.
• Be careful not to overcook.
• Stir in the tomato soup and garlic.
• Blend the flour with 3 TBS. of cold water.
• Add some of the soup liquid to the flour and stir till smooth.
• Add to the borscht.
• Add the beet kvas and season with salt and pepper.
• Bring to the boiling point.
• Flavor with dill weed.
• Serve with a dollop of sour cream.