Anya’s Borscht

I just discovered for myself the amazingness that is digging in to a bowl of borscht with a dollop of sour cream stirred into it. It is another level of comfort food. I’m so thankful for my friend Anya for introducing me to borscht. Anya is a phenomenal cook and baker. She was born in Russia and is a lifelong devotee to borscht. My partner Bryan was lucky enough to stop in at her house for dinner on a night she made her borscht. For weeks after he gushed about how delicious it was, and Anya was generous enough to share her recipe with me. After making it for myself, I am in total agreement with Bryan that Anya’s borscht is out of this world delicious.

Making the Perfect Borscht

Borscht is a traditional Eastern European soup that has gained popularity all over the world. It is known for its vibrant color, thanks to the main ingredient – beets. Its a versatile dish that can be made in various ways, depending on the region and personal preferences. It can be served hot or cold, with or without meat, and can be customized with a variety of vegetables and herbs.

Borscht originated in Ukraine and quickly spread to other Eastern European countries such as Russia, Poland, and Belarus. The soup was initially considered a peasant dish due to its simple and affordable ingredients. But over time it gained popularity among the upper classes and became a staple in many households.

Aside from its delicious taste, borscht also offers numerous health benefits. The beets used in this soup are packed with essential vitamins and minerals, including vitamin C, potassium, and iron. Beets are also rich in antioxidants, which can help boost the immune system and reduce inflammation. Additionally, borscht contains other nutritious root vegetables, making it a wholesome and satisfying meal.

Ingredient Notes

Beef Bone Broth. Making your own bone broth is easy but does take time. Simply add bones and water to a large stockpot, throw in a couple of bay leaves, and leave to simmer on low for a few hours.

For a shortcut version, use a good quality store bought broth. Most well-stocked grocery stores now carry packaged bone broth- look in the boxed broths section and also in the freezer area (my grocery store has house-made bone broth in the freezer section).

Meat. Anya’s borscht uses beef, but some versions use pork. You can also omit the meat all together to make a vegetarian version (and use vegetable broth in place of bone broth).

Beets. Never making borscht before, I was shocked to learn it only takes two beets to turn a large pot of soup that vibrant color. For Anya’s version, look for beets with their greens still intact, and add the greens to the soup for an extra layer of flavor and texture. If you can only find green-less beets, you could substitute cabbage, or omit them altogether.

Root Vegetables. Anya’s recipe uses two of my favorite root vegetables- carrots and parsnips. Like all the other ingredients, the root vegetables added to borscht vary by recipe. Most other recipes I looked at used potatoes and carrots, but I love Anya’s swap of potatoes for more flavorful parsnips.

Herbs. Fresh parsley and dill are a must in this recipe Added at the very end of cooking, they bring freshness to the long-cooked soup.

For serving. Sour cream is non-negotiable. Also serve with more dill and a few slices of hearty whole-grain bread.

See below for Anya’s recipe for homemade sour cream!

How to Make Anya’s Borscht

Now, let’s dive into the step-by-step process of making the perfect borscht:

1. In a large pot sear the stew meat. Add water, beef bones, and seasonings. Simmer for about 2 hours. Discard the bones.
2. In a separate pan cook the onion, carrots, parsnips, and beets
3. Add the vegetables to the broth, along with tomato paste and tomatoes. Simmer until the vegetables are tender.
4. Stir in beet greens, parsley and dill.
5. Serve with sour cream and hearty bread.

More Beet Recipes

• Fermented Ginger Beets
• Beet and Quinoa Detox Salad
• Maple Lentil Salad

Print Pin Recipe

5 from 3 votes

Anya’s Borscht

Anya's recipe for traditional borscht is packed with vibrant colors, nutritious root vegetables, and cozy flavors that will leave you craving for more.

Cook Time3 hours hrs

Course: Soup

Cuisine: Eastern European

Servings: 8

Author: Anya Osatuke

Ingredients

Beef Bone Broth

• 1 lb stew beef
• salt and black pepper to taste
• 2 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 lb beef soup bones
• 8 c water
• 3 bay leaves

Borscht

• 2 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 large onion diced
• 3 large carrots julienned into thin, 1.5-inch-long pieces
• 1 large parsnip julienned into thin, 1.5-inch-long pieces
• 2 beets with greens julienned into thin, 1.5-inch-long pieces. Tops roughly chopped.
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 4 large slicing tomatoes diced or 1 15-oz can diced tomatoes
• salt to taste
• ½ bunch flat-leaf parsely roughly chopped
• ½ bunch dill roughly chopped, plus more to serve
• hearty whole grained bread and sour cream to serve

Instructions

For the broth

• Season the stew meat generously with salt and pepper. Heat a large soup pot over medium heat. Once hot, add the oil and beef. Cook until the beef is browned on all sides (you may need to cook it in batches).
• Return all the stew meat to the pot and add the beef bones, water, bay leaves, and salt to taste. Bring to a boil, then cover and reduce the heat to maintain a low simmer. Simmer for 2 hours, until the stew meat is fall apart tender. As the broth cooks, remove the scum that floats to the top with a slotted spoon.
• Let broth cool slightly, then strain out the solids. Discard the bay leaves. Cut away any meat off the bones and set aside with the cooked stew meat. Discard the bones. The broth can be made ahead of time and stored in the fridge until it is time to cook the soup.

For the borscht

• Pour the strained bone broth back into the large soup pot along with the cooked meat, and bring to a gentle simmer.
• In a separate large frying pan, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onion, carrots, and parsnips. Cook until the onion is fragrant and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the beets (not the tops) and cook until the vegetables are slightly tender, about 3 more minutes.
• Add the cooked vegetables to the soup pot, along with the tomato paste and diced tomatoes. Bring back to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer until all the vegetables are tender, about 15 minutes. Add the beet greens and simmer a few minutes until they are tender. Taste and add salt to taste. Turn off the heat and stir in the chopped dill and parsley.
• Serve with a dollop of sour cream, more fresh dill, and hearty bread.

Notes

For a shortcut version, substitute 2 liters of store-bought beef bone broth for the homemade.