Skip to Content

How to Make Russian Borscht

Russian borscht in a bowl.

Borscht is a vegetable soup that is very popular in Russia. The recipe has many variations – it seems that every family has their own secret to cooking Borscht.

Traditionally, Borscht is cooked using home-made beef stock. I prefer a vegetarian version.

Borscht is a low glycemic soup that is very filling and can be eaten as a meal. It might seem to require a lot of work, but it is really easy. Trust me, I taught many people to cook borscht ;)!

Borscht is cooked in big pots, so get out the biggest pot you own and start cooking!

How to Make Russian Borscht

Yield: 8 to 10 servings
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour

Ingredients

  • 12 cups (3 liters) water
  • 4 medium-size beets, peeled, 2 beets cut in half and 2 beets chopped
  • 3 carrots, chopped
  • ¼ medium green cabbage, shredded
  • 2 or 3 red potatoes, peeled and chopped
  • 1 to 2 tablespoons of sea salt
  • ¼ organic lemon
  • 1 can red kidney beans (540 ml / 19 oz ), drained and rinsed

Instructions

  1. Place the beet halves in a large pot filled with 12 cups (3 liters) of water. Bring the water to the boil; add a tablespoon of salt. Cover and cook the beets for about 20 minutes or until they are tender.
  2. Add carrots, remaining beets, cabbage, potatoes, and beans. Bring to the boil, reduce the heat, cover and cook for about 10 minutes or until the vegetables are tender but not overcooked.Add more salt if needed as the vegetables will absorb a lot of salt.
  3. At the end of cooking, add the juice of ¼ of a lemon and the lemon peel to prevent beets from oxidizing. Let it boil for another 2 to 3 minutes.
  4. Serve Borscht in a bowl adding 1 tablespoon of Greek yogurt or its substitute.
  5. You can keep borscht in the fridge for up to 1 week or freeze it and keep in the freezer for up to 3 months.

Did you make this recipe?

If you tried this recipe, please give it a 5-star rating! To do this, click on the stars above. You can also leave a review or comment below. And don't forget to tag me @mariaushakova.blog if you share a picture on Instagram!

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Skip to Recipe