Best Beef Borscht
When we started living together, I introduced David who’s now my husband, to a lot of my favorite recipes which were mostly French, Latin, Italian, Levantine and African. He did the same with German as well as many Eastern European dishes that he grew up with like Beef Rouladen, Schnitzel, Olivier Potato Salad, Chocolate Babka, Zwiebelrostbraten, Spätzle, Bratkartoffeln, Pierogi, Torte, Apple Strudel, Stollen, etc. It was a delicious way to learn from each other.
We also shared our soup recipes with each other. His list was quite short. Mine, on the other hand, was quite extensive. The one he introduced me to was okay until I put my own little touch to it and then it became the Best Beef Borscht ever! This recipe is simply incredible! With beets, beef, vegetables, and seasonings, this is a healthy and nutritious soup to make this season.
Why is it the Best Beef Borscht? Because it has seasonings along with fresh ingredients! I use primarily beef broth and some vegetable broth which brings a flavorful complexity to the mix. When it comes to beets, many slice them… I prefer dicing them. I do the same with my onions, carrots and celery therefore the sizes are similar making a better soup to enjoy instead of big awkward pieces here and there. While the traditional recipe uses white vinegar, I add balsamic vinegar giving another dimension to the soup.
Sunflower and safflower oil are the most popular ones use in Ukraine, Poland, Lithuania, Russia, Latvia, Moldova, and others. In our house, I rarely use them so my next best alternative is canola because it’s flavorless and its smoke point is at 400ºF/204ºC. It’s a great all-purpose oil to substitute. To get more info about oils, click on this link… Know Your Oils and Their Smoke Points
Besides this featured recipe, I also have many soup recipes with beef including Picadillo, Corn Beef and Cabbage, Italian Wedding Soup, Solyanka, Carne en su Jugo, Beef Barley, Pasta e Fagioli, Vegetable Beef, Lasagna, Asian Beef, Beef Tortellini, and many others…
This fall, try this classic soup! Before serving, add a big dollop of sour cream and garnish with some chopped dill… yum! To make a complete meal, I like to serve this Best Beef Borscht with crusty bread. Easy to make, your family will love it!
Bon Appétit!
Check out these other delicious soup recipes…
– Italian Wedding Soup
– Wonton Soup
– French Onion Soup Gratinée
– Chicken Tortilla Soup
– West Coast Smoked Salmon Chowder
– Split Pea & Ham Soup
and for even more soup and chowder recipes, click on this link… Recipe Category • Soups
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Best Beef Borscht
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Ingredients
- 1 1/2 lbs. beef blade steak, trimmed and cubed into 1/2-inch pieces
- ground Himalayan sea salt, to taste and divided
- freshly ground black pepper, to taste and divided (I always use mixed peppercorns)
- 1 1/2 tbsp. canola oil tips & tricks
- 2 tbsp. butter
- 1 cup yellow onions, diced
- 1 cup carrots, diced
- 1 cup celery, diced tips & tricks
- 2 large cloves garlic, pressed
- 1 tsp. ground cumin
- 1 tsp. ground coriander
- 1/2 tbsp. granulated sugar
- 2 tbsp. tomato paste tips & tricks
- 3 cups beets, peeled and diced
- 2 cups green cabbage, chopped into small pieces
- 8 cups low-sodium beef broth
- 2 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
- 2 large bay leaves
- 1/2 tsp. hot paprika
- 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
- 1/2 cup full fat sour cream, for serving
- 1/4 cup fresh dill, finely chopped for garnish tips & tricks
Directions
- Season the beef cubes generously with ground sea salt and freshly ground black pepper; set aside.
- In a Dutch oven over medium-high heat, add oil and when hot, working in batches, add beef cubes. Sauté the meat until browned on all sides, about 3 to 4 minutes.
- Transfer the cubes to a bowl using a slotted spoon and set aside while working with the remaining cubes.
- Reduce the heat to medium and add butter.
- When it starts sizzling, add onions, carrots and celery; season generously with ground sea salt. Cook until almost soft, about 4 minutes, scraping the bottom of the pot to dislodge any brown bits.
- Add garlic, cumin, coriander, and sugar; sauté for 30 seconds. Add tomato paste and stir to coat.
- Return the meat and add beets, cabbage, beef, vegetable broth, and bay leaves. Stir well, increase the heat and bring the mixture to a soft boil.
- Reduce the heat back to medium and simmer for 45 minutes.
- 30 minutes later, add paprika and vinegar; stir well. Continue cooking for the remaining 15 minutes.
- Portion the soup into bowls, top with sour cream and garnish with dill. Serve with crusty bread.
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You probably know, every house borscht recipe is different. This is real close to my own, except for the cumin, and coriander, we use a good bunch of fresh dill, and rutabagas and turnips were added as it was peasant dish, too. And apple cider vinegar is added at the table for the indivdual person’s liking. But I did get some new ideas, thanks!
You’re welcome Cynthia 😀! Yes, definitely! From one family to the next, many recipes are slightly different… that’s what makes cooking so much fun & interesting as well! Thanks for sharing and have a great day 🌞