Borscht is one of those recipes that rewards patience and quality ingredients with extraordinary depth of flavour. Made properly, it is a deeply satisfying, complete meal — a rich beef broth loaded with beets, cabbage, potatoes, and carrots, served with a generous spoonful of sour cream and fresh dill. This step-by-step guide will walk you through how to make an authentic Ukrainian borscht — the kind of recipe that has been passed down through generations and refined over centuries of kitchen wisdom.
What You Will Need
Ingredients for the Broth
For the broth, you will need 1.5 pounds of bone-in beef (short ribs, beef chuck on the bone, or marrow bones work best), 10 to 12 cups of cold water, one bay leaf, 8 black peppercorns, and a generous pinch of salt. The bones are non-negotiable — they are what transforms the liquid from water with meat in it into a genuinely rich and gelatinous broth.
Ingredients for the Vegetables and Finishing
For the vegetables and finishing, you will need: 3 medium beets (peeled and grated), half a head of green cabbage (thinly shredded), 3 medium potatoes (peeled and cubed into 1-inch pieces), 2 medium carrots (grated or julienned), 1 large yellow onion (finely diced), 3 cloves of garlic (minced), 2 tablespoons of tomato paste, 1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar or fresh lemon juice, 2 tablespoons of neutral oil, salt, black pepper, and a large handful of fresh dill. For serving: smetana or full-fat sour cream, additional dill, and dark rye bread.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1: Building the Beef Broth
Place the beef and bones in a large, heavy-bottomed pot and cover with cold water — always start with cold water, as this produces a cleaner, clearer broth. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then use a spoon to skim off the grey foam that rises to the surface. This foam is coagulated protein and removing it is what keeps your broth clear. Once skimmed, add the bay leaf, peppercorns, and salt. Reduce the heat to a gentle, steady simmer — the surface should barely tremble — and cook for 90 minutes to 2 hours, until the beef is completely tender and the broth is deeply flavoured. Remove the beef, allow it to cool slightly, then shred the meat from the bones and discard the bones. Strain the broth through a fine-mesh strainer and return it to the pot.
Step 2: Preparing the Beets
This step is the most important in achieving borscht with a beautiful, vibrant colour. Peel and grate the raw beets using the large holes of a box grater. Heat one tablespoon of oil in a skillet over medium heat, add the grated beets, and sauté for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the tomato paste and stir to combine, cooking for 2 more minutes. Then add the apple cider vinegar or lemon juice — this acid is absolutely essential, as it chemically stabilises the red pigments in the beets and prevents them from turning brown during cooking. Cook for one more minute, then remove from heat and set aside.
Step 3: Building the Vegetable Base
In the same skillet, heat the remaining tablespoon of oil over medium heat. Add the diced onion and grated carrot together and sauté, stirring occasionally, for 7 to 8 minutes until softened and lightly golden at the edges. Add the minced garlic and cook for one more minute until fragrant. Season lightly with salt and black pepper. Add this onion-carrot mixture to the strained broth in the main pot. Add the cubed potatoes. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook for 10 minutes.
Step 4: Adding the Cabbage and Beets
Add the shredded cabbage to the pot and cook for 5 to 7 minutes — you want it tender but still with a very slight bite, not mushy. Then add the prepared beet mixture and the shredded beef back into the pot. Stir everything together thoroughly and simmer for 5 more minutes. Taste carefully and adjust the seasoning: add salt for depth, black pepper for warmth, and additional lemon juice or vinegar if the soup needs more brightness. The final flavour profile should be simultaneously earthy, sweet, savoury, and gently acidic.
Serving and Storing Your Borscht
How to Serve It Right
Ladle the hot borscht into deep bowls. Add a generous spoonful of smetana or full-fat sour cream directly into each bowl — the cream will swirl through the soup, softening its acidity and adding richness. Scatter freshly chopped dill generously over the top and serve immediately alongside thick slices of dark rye bread. The bread is not optional — it is essential for soaking up the extraordinary broth.
The Next-Day Magic
Like many great soups and stews, borscht improves significantly with time. The flavours meld and deepen overnight, the broth thickens slightly from the potato starch, and the beet colour intensifies. If you can resist eating it all at once, refrigerate the soup overnight and reheat gently the following day. Many experienced borscht cooks consider the second-day version definitively superior to the first.
Experience Authentic Borscht at Edelweiss
If making borscht at home feels like too large an undertaking for a weeknight, or if you simply want to experience what authentic Ukrainian borscht tastes like when made by a professional chef who has spent years perfecting the recipe, there is an easier option.
Visit Edelweiss Restaurant in Englishtown, NJ, where our Ukrainian Borscht Soup is made fresh daily using traditional techniques, bone-in beef, and quality ingredients sourced with care. View our full menu and discover the complete range of Eastern European dishes we offer.
Make a reservation at Edelweiss and let us take care of the cooking.