I decided to go all out with something cozy, homemade, and truly Ukrainian for the weekend. The flavor of borscht depends on everything: the mood of the person cooking, the stove, the pot, the heat level. Even with the same ingredients and recipe, borscht can turn out differently each time. There’s no one definitive recipe. So, here’s my version — well, one of them. If you cook it in a ceramic pot, it’ll taste even better than you expect.
- 700 g of beef brisket
- 1 small head of cabbage
- 1 medium-large beetroot
- 2 onions
- 2 carrots
- 3 potatoes
- vegetable oil
- 100 g tomato paste
- 2 cloves of garlic
- salt
- sour cream
First, roast the beetroot. Wash it, wrap it in foil, and roast for about 2 hours. If you have extra time, bake it at a lower temperature for 3 hours.
Place the beef in a 3-liter pot, whole and washed. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and skim off any foam. Add a peeled onion and a whole carrot.
Simmer on low heat for 1.5–2 hours.
After 1.5 hours, finely chop the second onion and crush the garlic cloves. Sauté them in a pan with a bit of vegetable oil until lightly golden. Grate the second carrot and add it to the pan. Pour in a little broth, reduce the heat, and let it simmer for 5 minutes. Add the tomato paste, mix, and for some heat, optionally add one chili (whole or chopped with seeds removed).
Remove the beef from the broth. Discard the boiled onion and carrot (or give the carrot to your dog — mine loves it!). Cut the meat into cubes and add it to the pan with the sautéed onion, carrot, and tomato paste. Mix well and leave it to simmer. If needed, add more broth.
Peel the roasted beetroot, grate it coarsely, and add it to the broth. Chop the cabbage and add it next. Let it come to a slight boil, then reduce the heat. Peel the potatoes, dice them, and add them to the broth. Cook everything together for another 6–8 minutes.
Pour the sautéed meat and vegetables into the broth. Mix well, season generously with salt, bring to a boil, and then turn off the heat.
Let the borscht sit. Ideally, let it rest for at least 30 minutes, but it’s even better the next day.
Serve with lard, black bread or garlic rolls (pampushky), and garlic on the side.
First, roast the beetroot. Wash it, wrap it in foil, and roast for about 2 hours. If you have extra time, bake it at a lower temperature for 3 hours.
Place the beef in a 3-liter pot, whole and washed. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and skim off any foam. Add a peeled onion and a whole carrot.
Simmer on low heat for 1.5–2 hours.
After 1.5 hours, finely chop the second onion and crush the garlic cloves. Sauté them in a pan with a bit of vegetable oil until lightly golden. Grate the second carrot and add it to the pan. Pour in a little broth, reduce the heat, and let it simmer for 5 minutes. Add the tomato paste, mix, and for some heat, optionally add one chili (whole or chopped with seeds removed).
Remove the beef from the broth. Discard the boiled onion and carrot (or give the carrot to your dog — mine loves it!). Cut the meat into cubes and add it to the pan with the sautéed onion, carrot, and tomato paste. Mix well and leave it to simmer. If needed, add more broth.
Peel the roasted beetroot, grate it coarsely, and add it to the broth. Chop the cabbage and add it next. Let it come to a slight boil, then reduce the heat. Peel the potatoes, dice them, and add them to the broth. Cook everything together for another 6–8 minutes.
Pour the sautéed meat and vegetables into the broth. Mix well, season generously with salt, bring to a boil, and then turn off the heat.
Let the borscht sit. Ideally, let it rest for at least 30 minutes, but it’s even better the next day.
Serve with lard, black bread or garlic rolls (pampushky), and garlic on the side.
