This Borscht is not your grandmother’s borscht, or your cousin’s, or your best friend’s… This is a rich, beefy borscht that is best made the day before you plan to serve it, giving the flavors a chance to meld and the soup to take on the jewel tone of the beets, developing that je ne sais quoi.
Borscht is a traditional Eastern European dish. It’s typically vegetables and spices stewed in a hearty meat broth. There are many variations on the theme, but this version, which includes beets as the star ingredient, hails from the Ukraine.
We grow beets, cabbage potatoes, onions and carrots in our garden, so this is a delightful harvest stew, best made at the end of the growing season when we’re pulling everything out of the beds and the days and nights are cooler. But I really love it in the dead of winter. Sometimes I can get the vegetables from the farmer’s market, and sometimes I resort to buying them at the grocery. Always organic, if possible. We only buy local beef, so we’re keeping it as real as possible from a locavore perspective.
This Borscht is so vividly beet-y and unctuous, and I mean that only in a good way. You will love it. Once you’ve made it, I’m sure it will be in rotation at your house as it is in mine.
Borscht
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 pound beef stew meat (cubed)
- 1 1/2 cups diced onions
- 8 cups beef stock (divided)
- 1 1/2 pounds beets
- 1 pound carrots
- 6 ounces russet potatoes
- 2 cups cabbage
- 3/4 cup chopped fresh dill (divided)
- 3 T red wine vinegar
- 1 cup sour cream
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Brown the beef and cook the onions, then simmer – Add a bit of olive oil to a stockpot. Brown the beef on all sides, then add the chopped onions to the pot. Cook until the onions are soft. Add 4 cups of broth and bring to a boil. Lower the heat to a simmer, cover, and cook until the meat is spoon tender, about an hour and a half.
- Meanwhile, prep and roast the root veg – Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Peel and chop the beets, carrots, and potatoes into 1/2 inch pieces. Toss the beets and carrots with olive oil and spread them out in a single layer on a lined baking sheet. Roast for 15 minutes. Toss the potatoes with olive oil and add them to the pan, roasting everything for an additional 15 minutes.
- Slice the cabbage – While the beef is simmering and the veg is roasting, thinly slice the cabbage and set aside.
- Assemble and cook the soup -Add the remaining broth, the roasted carrots, beets, and potatoes, sliced cabbage, and a half cup of the fresh dill to the pot. Bring to a simmer, and cook until the cabbage is cooked through and has taken on the hue of the beets.
- Finish and Serve – Add 3 T vinegar and season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Serve with a dollop of sour cream and a a handful of fresh dill.
Notes
