This traditional Ukrainian beet borscht is pure comfort food. It’s hearty, simple, and delicious. It is equally delicious warm or chilled with a touch of salt. I love to eat this with sour cream and fresh dill or parsley on top.
This past September, Kristen & I traveled to Seattle for #eatseattle2016, where we toured a variety of farm-to-table and chef’s restaurants, along with local foodie gems.
We also had the opportunity to visit my lovely aunt and her husband and two children and stay with them for a couple nights. While visiting my aunt, we traded recipes!
Before leaving St. Pete, I packed the spice blends I’d need to cook Tandoori Butter Chicken and Saag Paneer. I really enjoyed getting to cook those dishes for them while I was there.
The night we arrived, however, we were travel weary and hungry. Happily for us, my aunt had made beet borscht! It was delicious.
If you’ve never had beet borscht, let me describe it to you. Beet borscht is pure comfort food. It’s hearty, simple, and delicious. It’s full of what I call peasant foods—like cabbage, beets, and potatoes—so it’s inexpensive to make, and you can make a lot of it. It’s savory and warm, but it’s equally delicious chilled with a touch of salt. I love to eat this with sour cream and fresh dill or parsley on top.
You can make this with or without the beef, but I personally love it with the sirloin steak. And the color is just beautiful, isn’t it?
SERVES 6
Ingredients for Beet Borscht
1 lb beef sirloin (or cubed steak, or any other cut of beef)
4 quarts water
1 Tbsp salt
3-4 beets, washed, peeled and grated
4 carrots, grated
1 large onion, diced
4 Tbsp olive oil
3 Tbsp butter
1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar or red wine vinegar
1 Tbsp honey
2 Tbsp tomato paste
3-5 medium red potatoes, peeled and sliced into bite-sized pieces
1/2 head of napa cabbage, sliced
2 tomatoes, diced
2 bay leaves
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley and/or dill
5-6 cloves garlic, pressed
First, cube the meat into 1 inch cubes. Then, in a large pot, bring the water and salt to a boil. Once the water is boiling, add the meat and bring back up to a low simmer. Partially cover, and simmer for 45 minutes. Skim off any fat or foam that rises to the top.
Meanwhile, using a food processor, grate the beets and carrots. You can even use the food processor to dice your onion, if you wish.
In a large skillet, heat your butter and olive oil, then add in your beets, carrots, and onion and sauté.
After 60 seconds, add the vinegar. Simmer for another 5 minutes before adding the honey and tomato paste. Continue to sauté for another 10 minutes.
While the veggies are sautéing, slice your potatoes into 1/4 inch circles, and then quarter. You should also shred your cabbage at this time.
When the meat has cooked for 45 minutes, add the potatoes and continue to simmer for 10 minutes.
After 10 minutes add all the other veggies, plus the bay leaves, pepper, and salt (to taste), and cook another 10 minutes.
When the potatoes are tender and break with a fork, remove from heat. Stir in chopped parsley and garlic, and cover and let sit for 15-20 minutes before serving.
I like to make a big batch of this and freeze part of it for later! It’s definitely going on my list of things to double up and freeze before baby comes!
P.S. I’m not pregnant or anything, but I’m always thinking about mom and baby related things since I’m a doula! This is a great freezer meal!
- 1 lb beef sirloin (or cubed steak, or any other cut of beef)
- 4 quarts water
- 1 Tbsp salt
- 3-4 beets, washed, peeled and grated
- 4 carrots, grated
- 1 large onion, diced
- 4 Tbsp olive oil
- 3 Tbsp butter
- 1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar or red wine vinegar
- 1 Tbsp honey
- 2 Tbsp tomato paste
- 3-5 medium red potatoes, peeled and sliced into bite-sized pieces
- ½ head of napa cabbage, sliced
- 2 tomatoes, diced
- 2 bay leaves
- ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
- ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley and/or dill
- 5-6 cloves garlic, pressed
- First, cube the meat into 1 inch cubes. Then, in a large pot, bring the water and salt to a boil. Once the water is boiling, add the meat and bring back up to a low simmer. Partially cover, and simmer for 45 minutes. Skim off any fat or foam that rises to the top.
- Meanwhile, using a food processor, grate the beets and carrots. You can even use the food processor to dice your onion, if you wish.
- In a large skillet, heat your butter and olive oil, then add in your beets, carrots, and onion and sauté.
- After 60 seconds, add the vinegar. Simmer for another 5 minutes before adding the honey and tomato paste. Continue to sauté for another 10 minutes.
- While the veggies are sautéing, slice your potatoes into ¼ inch circles, and then quarter. You should also shred your cabbage at this time.
- When the meat has cooked for 45 minutes, add the potatoes and continue to simmer for 10 minutes.
- After 10 minutes add all the other veggies, plus the bay leaves, pepper, and salt (to taste), and cook another 10 minutes.
- When the potatoes are tender and break with a fork, remove from heat. Stir in chopped parsley and garlic, and cover and let sit for 15-20 minutes before serving.
