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Why You’ll Love My Recipe
Borscht is one of those recipes that everyone makes a little differently, and this one is straight from my family’s kitchen! Passed down from my grandma to my mom and now to me, this soup is made over and over again for good reason. We keep this borscht meatless (you know us Ukrainians and our love for veggie-packed dishes), but with all the vibrant ingredients, this soup is comforting, nourishing, and seriously good for you!
If you love Ukrainian food as much as I do, be sure to try my Easter Bread (Ukrainian Babka) Recipe or Ukrainian Cabbage Roll Soup next. Both are recipes I’ve been making and loving for years, so you know I had to include them!
Reader Review
Thanks for the recipe. As an amateur and recent hobby, I like cooking Indian cuisine and now exploring other cuisines, preferably vegetarian.
I was looking for Ukrainian dishes I could try as my humble way of support for Ukrainians, and your version was God-given. Thanks.
Karlynn’s Recipe Notes
- Skill Level: This recipe is incredibly easy to make. One pot, simple steps, and you’re good to go!
- Total Time: Depending on your method, this borscht takes just over 1 hour on the stovetop or about 7 hours in the crockpot.
- Variations: This version is meatless and doesn’t include cabbage, but you can absolutely customize it! Add chopped cabbage or Dry Rub Smoked Brisket for a heartier take, or try tossing in apples and tomatoes for a different twist. Serve your borscht with Classic Homemade Garlic Bread to soak up the broth, pair it with my Crock Pot Lazy Pierogi Casserole or Potato Skins, or keep things simple with pickled vegetables on the side!
- Tools For This Recipe: For the stovetop method, you will need a large lidded stockpot, a spoon for stirring, and a ladle for serving. If you’re using a crockpot, simply swap the stockpot for your slow cooker – everything else stays the same.
What You’ll Need for Ingredients
Beets: A must in any classic borscht, beets give your soup its signature deep color and make it instantly recognizable. They’re the heart of this dish!
Beef Broth: Beef broth adds a rich, authentic taste to the soup. While homemade bone broth is always an incredible choice, store-bought keeps things simple without sacrificing taste! Karlynn’s Tip: You can absolutely swap in vegetable broth for a vegetarian version, but keep in mind it won’t have quite the same classic, hearty flavor.
Carrots: Diced carrots add a subtle sweetness and pair perfectly with the potatoes, peas, and green beans. This leaves you with a hearty, well-balanced soup!
Dill: Fresh dill is key to that unmistakable borscht taste! It’s stirred into the soup and sprinkled on top with a dollop of sour cream for the perfect finish. Karlynn’s Tip: No fresh dill? No problem! Dried dill works well too – especially in soups like this where it has time to soften and release its flavor as it cooks.
How To Make Ukrainian Borscht
This is a quick overview of the recipe. The full list of ingredients & complete step-by-step instructions are in the recipe card below.
- Combine all ingredients into a crock pot and cook on low for 6-7 hours.
- Alternatively, cook on the stovetop until the vegetables are soft enough to eat.
- Serve topped with sour cream and dill. If you’d like, add in a dash of vinegar, then enjoy!
Karlynn’s Tips and Tricks for the Perfect Ukrainian Borscht
- How to Prep Your Beets: Traditionally, beets are shredded finely, just like my grandma used to do (and it does make a difference!). If you want to save time, a food processor works beautifully. For slow cooker borscht, you can also leave the beets in larger pieces if you prefer a chunkier texture.
- Take It Up a Notch with Homemade Broth: If you have the time, making your own beef stock will elevate this soup even more! The traditional method involves simmering beef bones to create a rich broth, then cooking your vegetables in it. It’s the classic, old-school way – and it’s worth it when you can!
- For a More Traditional Tang: Instead of vinegar, try using beet kvass (a fermented beet liquid) for that signature tang! It adds a deeper, more authentic complexity to the soup and is a great option if you want to stay close to tradition.
Storage Instructions
This borscht keeps wonderfully – and honestly, the flavors get even better after a day or two!
Refrigerator: Let the borscht cool completely, then transfer it to an airtight container. Store in the fridge for 4-5 days. Reheat on the stovetop over medium heat or in the microwave until warmed through.
Freezer: Borscht freezes very well! Once cooled, pour it into freezer-safe containers or bags, leaving a little room for expansion. Freeze for up to 3 months, following USDA food safety guidelines. When ready to enjoy, thaw in the refrigerator overnight and reheat on the stovetop until hot.
More Delicious Soup Recipes
If you’re looking for more tried-and-true Soup Recipes, these favorites are always a great choice:
- Perfect for a chilly fall day, this Roasted Carrot Soup makes a cozy lunch or a simple side to pair with your mains!
- This creamy Hungarian Mushroom Soup comes together with just a few simple ingredients but delivers rich, tangy results.
- A great way to use up leftover ham, this hearty Ham & Potato Soup is the definition of cozy comfort food!
And there you have it, folks! A big pot of borscht that’s as healthy as it is satisfying. Whether you’re making it for a weeknight dinner or carrying on a family tradition, this soup brings generational goodness to every bowl.
Give this recipe a try, serve it up with your favorite sides, and don’t forget to let me know how it turned out in the comments below! I always love to hear how you make these dishes your own.
Happy Cooking!
Karlynn
How To Make Ukrainian Borscht
Ingredients
Borscht Ingredients
- 8 cups strong beef broth
- 3 cups shredded beets, peeled, then shredded
- 2 cups diced carrots
- 2 cups chopped potatoes
- 1 ½ cup chopped green beans
- 1 cup green peas
- 1 tablespoon minced fresh dill
Toppings
- 1-2 tablespoons white vinegar
- sour cream
- extra dill
Instructions
Stove Top Instructions
- In a large lidded stockpot, mix together all of the listed borscht ingredients/
- Cook on medium heat, at a low simmer, until the vegetables have softened.
- Once all of the vegetables are softened, stir in vinegar to taste.
- Ladle into bowls and top with sour cream and fresh dill.
- Serve topped with sour cream and dill. If you like, add in a dash of vinegar.
Slow Cooker Instructions
- Combine all of the listed borscht ingredients into a crockpot and cook on low for 6-7 hours.
- Once all of the vegetables are softened, stir in vinegar to taste.
- Ladle into bowls and top with sour cream and fresh dill.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Sue Lassesen-Fowler says
my Baba always canned it for the winter. We loved it!
DellaRose Reimche says
I LOVE borscht but my husband doesn’t like it so I never get to make/have it \U0001f615
Homemade & Yummy says
Yes Ukrainian…me TOO!!
Barb Overton says
Borscht, borscht, beautiful borscht! I make mine the same, except I add apple cider vinegar or red wine vinegar to finish it.
Sheri Goede says
I use pork spareribs \U0001f60a amazing !
Barb Overton says
Easily converts to a vegan meal by using vegan “beef bouillon cubes.” Add a little red wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar before serving. A can of diced tomatoes and 1/2 head chopped cabbage make a good addition; add water accordingly. Serve with a big dollop of vegan “sour cream.” Make sure you have a good rye bread for this.
Alisha Duncan says
This is hands down my favorite meal ever. I still use my Baba’s recipe!
KitchenMagpie says
Ayngelina thanks for the recipe love!
Barb Overton says
Okay, maybe it is a Ukrainian/Polish prairie thing?
Kim Harback says
I’m Ukrainian, born and raised here, close to Edmonton. I’ve heard ‘cheap as borscht’ all of my life, and still use the phrase! \U0001f609
thekitchenmagpie says
LOL I am sure it’s a Ukrainian saying! And I use it all the time!
Seanagh Strebchuk says
Doukhobor borcht from the West Kootenay, BC – no beef; cabbage, tomatoes, one beet (yes only one) potato mashed with cream and dill, onion, carrot greenpepper and perhaps celery or beet tops and garlic in the water and butter and cream and green onion, so yummy, with pyrahi.
knoxfoodie says
Alberta_Foodie KitchenMagpie definitely going to try!
Kim Mattice says
Just pinned it – I always made a vegetable soup with cabbage, so this will be a very yummy change!! thanks 🙂
Kendyl Hudson says
No offense, but ewwwww! I like beets (pickled especially), but warm, and in a slurry type soup? I’ve always called it “blood clot soup” because that’s exactly what it looks like! (And again, I’m not bashing anyone’s cooking, I cannot stand it, no matter who it was made by!)
Pamella Heikel Said says
Weekend soup for sure!!!
Barb Overton says
🙂
The Kitchen Magpie says
Hahah one of my favorite sayings is “cheap as borscht!” we are from Winnipeg originally, so perhaps it’s totally a Manitoba thing! My husband had no idea what I was talking about when I first said it.
Barb Overton says
I grew up in Winnipeg and ate many variations of borscht. It’s cheap and filling and delicious. We all used to say “Cheap as borscht!”
As an adult I made borscht late summer every year. I would add shredded cabbage, red cabbage if possible, chopped cooking onions, and canned tomatoes. A small amount of garlic would be added with the onions. My variations are more for a Polish borscht, which would be spelled “barczcz.”
Some people like to add cereal cream before serving and it was served this way in Alycia’s Ukrainian Restaurant in Winnipeg. Me, I prefered to add a big dollop of sour cream just the way you show in your photo.
Some people simmered smoked spare ribs in the soup, and others added ground beef or leftover chopped beef from a roast. There is a Mennonite tradition of using meat, tomatoes and no beets at all. But we called all the variations borscht in Winnipeg.
My own personal touch: red wine vinegar or cider vinegar instead of the regular white vinegar. I use a fair bit of the vinegar and go for a sweet and sour flavor. The fresh beets usually give a sweet taste, but if you use older beets maybe a little plain white sugar is needed.
I have never heard of raisins as an addition, but maybe that is a way of getting that characteristic sweet and sour flavor?
Certainly, there are endless variations as you have noted. I’ve never had “bad borscht.” Borscht is wonderful and just writing about it makes me crave some. 🙂
The Kitchen Magpie says
I can kinda wrap my head around raisins… a bit, I love them in Indian food..my family would revolt however, I’m sure LOL!
Melanie Harmsma says
Mmm… Not even kidding try it next time. Half a cup in a big pot. Adds a hint of sweet and nice morsels of sweet every few bites. 🙂
The Kitchen Magpie says
It sure is the time! Everything is in season right now, so it tastes extra amazing!
The Kitchen Magpie says
That ‘s pretty much ours exactly. Add vinegar (those who want it) and the always sour cream and dill dill dill!
The Kitchen Magpie says
I think I would love it with meat, BUT in the winter time! Not in summer…I like a light veggie soup in the summer.
The Kitchen Magpie says
Are you serious? LOL? eew!
Melanie Harmsma says
Raisins. It must have raisins.
Kristy Young says
My Baba’s Ukrainian Borscht was literally Beet soup. Definitely no meat and as I recall no other veggies…. My sister married a Polish guy and his Mom makes a Russian Borscht which is delish…..Ham stock, ham, garden veggies and of course sour cream and lots of dill! I make the Russian Borscht now and have made with turkey stock/Beef sstock….anything goes!
Heather Nestmann says
Meatless with every veg you can find in the garden and fresh garden dill. My husbands family serves with vinegar at the table adds zip to it.
Don’t forget the whipping cream or sour cream.
Sharon Thomas says
I’ve never tried it…maybe nows the time?
Amber Verbonac says
Alisa Dee
Jane Dowdall Miska says
Looks so delicious!! I could just go for a bowl right about now…