In most Slavic homes, this soup is served on a regular basis and for a good reason – it’s phenomenal.
Traditional Ukrainian Red Borscht Recipe-
Borscht is probably one of the most popular and staple dishes in the Ukrainian and Russian cuisine. There are so many different variations of borscht recipes and all terrific in their own way. The combination of ingredients in red borscht are so unique. Fresh shredded cabbage, meat, potatoes, beets with vegetables and herbs combined is Ukrainian comfort food defined!
How to season meat for borscht and soup-
The uniqueness of this Borscht is that the meat is seasoned and becomes so tender, flavorful and melts in your mouth. Once you try seasoning the meat, you’ll never want unseasoned meat in your soup again. If you season the beef, pork or chicken, it will sit in the meat drawer of your refrigerator for days (up to a week), thanks to the salt preserving it. (Add less salt to chicken meat if seasoning chicken.) Seasoning the meat with garlic, bay leaves, salt and pepper just adds so much flavor to the meat itself but also the soup. TIP: You want to season the meat at least one day in advance. Rinse the meat before adding to the soup to remove the bay leaves and garlic.
TIPS How To Make Red Borscht Soup Recipe-
Most cooks add kidney beans to their red borscht but my husband and the kids strongly dislike them, therefore, we leave them out. If you are a fan of kidney beans, add them to your soup.Be sure the potatoes are all cut into even pieces or they will be unevenly cooked.You can leave out the meat if you are looking for a vegetarian soup recipe.Use a SLICER for the cabbage, it’s much easier shredding this way.Be sure to continue removing scum and fat that rises to the top until nothing floats to top when cooking the meat.Red Ukrainian Borscht tastes even better the following day when reheated. Make a large pot and enjoy the soup all week long (keep refrigerated).We love the seasoning Vegeta and add some of it to the soup. If you don’t have Vegeta, taste the soup and add additional salt if needed (but order some Vegeta and try it, we use it for everything). 🙂
What kind of meat to use for Borscht?
You can use your favorite meat for borscht. In classic Red Borscht recipes, the beef or pork has a bone on it. You can either add meat with or without bones. My family loves chicken most so that is what we use most often.
Can I use canned beets?
Yes, you can substitute canned beets for fresh beets. Keep the juices of the canned beets as well.
Try these other SOUP recipes:
Meatball and Rice SoupSorrel SoupBeef Cabbage Soup.
