Warm Up This Winter With a Bowl of Borscht Soup
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There is just something healing about a steaming hot bowl of Borscht soup in the middle of winter. In this post, I’ll share my favorite recipe for the delicious and healthy soup of Ukrainian origin.
Soup recipes are always one of my favorite things to make, and it helps to have a slow cooker on hand as you can set the ingredients in there and have them cook together all day. If you don’t have one, not to worry, a stockpot and a stove can create the same result.
Ready to get your soup on? Let’s get started!!
Jump to RecipeIngredients Needed
Borscht soup is a staple of Eastern Europe, but as you might expect, there’re loads of variations on this soup. This soup recipe calls for beets to give it a distinctive red tinge. The best part is you can adapt this recipe to suit your own unique tastes and what you might have available to you. The idea of this soup is to use ingredients you can easily get, and I’m sure my eastern European ancestors altered this recipe based on the season and what they could get their hands on!
But there are a few essential ingredients that I always put in my borscht soup:
- Beets – you’ll want around 2-3 of them, depending on their size.
- Beef – I like to use pre-cut stir-fry beef pieces, but again, you can simply slice up a sirloin steak to the same effect or even use ground beef or sausages.
- Soup Broth – Campbell’s ready-to-use broth is great. Chicken or beef works great, or you can use a vegetable one if you prefer.
- Potatoes – I prefer to use the mini yellow potatoes, but you can definitely use any type. You can either leave the skin on or peel it off.
- Carrots – I like to either buy the pre-cut matchstick carrots or use my slicer to make my own.
- Celery or cabbage – I prefer celery, but cabbage also goes nicely.
- Sweet pepper – I like red peppers best, but I didn’t have one, so I made the recipe for this post with an orange one.
- Spices – salt and pepper are a must, but I like a little brown sugar for sweetness, and then you definitely need dill and garlic. The final touch is to set a bay leaf on top while cooking for flavor.
Why Soup?
There is something about a steaming bowl of soup on a wintery day that just chases away illness. Depending on what you put in the soup, it can actually boost your immunity, but it definitely helps you stay hydrated because it’s got fluid in it!
Borscht specifically helps your heart because of the beets. Beets are great at helping keep your heart healthy, and they contain nitrates, which have some awesome brain benefits. There are several other nutrients that you can get from them. The vegetables that are added to borscht with the beets also have many health benefits.
Even that dollop of sour cream added can be beneficial to your overall health!
History of Borscht Soup
Did you know that UNESCO declared borscht cooking as an official cultural practice for Ukraine in 2022? Me neither, but this is thanks to Russia’s unlawful conflict in Ukraine and UNESCO’s important mission in protecting culture around the globe.
The beet root use in the soup originated in Ukraine after originally hogweed or cow parsnip was the original ingredient. After the 16th century and the influence of the Romans, Ukrainians began using beets in their borscht, as the vegetable was quite affordable and added a vibrant red color.
Nearly every oblast in Ukraine also has its own unique version of the soup as well. As the soup spread across Eastern Europe, variations of the classic recipe cropped up as well.
Tips For Success
This soup is a highly modifiable recipe. For example, if you desire an even darker red, add in a few tablespoons (3-4) of tomato paste.
Don’t like beets? There are other variations of borscht, like green (with sorrel), white (with rye) or cabbage-based.
If you aren’t in possession of a slow cooker, you can make this soup in a stockpot on the stove. I would begin by browning the meat and onion and then adding everything in and simmering for a few hours on low heat.
Another hot tip is wearing gloves with the beets, unless you like a red tinge on them for a little while. You can also cut down on the amount of touching them if you own a mandoline slicer. They make slicing all your veggies a snap. The one I use is the Starfrit Pump’N’Slice which is a great slicer with lots of cutting options, and it’s dishwasher safe too.
Finally, remember to remove the bay leaf before serving. It’s great for adding flavor, but not the best texture for eating!
Also, don’t forget to pin this post to your Pinterest and share it on social media if you enjoyed it!
Slow Cooker Borscht Soup
Equipment
- 1 Slow Cooker At least six quarts is recommended
- 1 Mandolin Slicer Optional
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup Carrots (Matchstick or Julienne cut)
- 2-3 Celery Ribs (Sliced)
- 2-3 Yellow potatoes (Skin removed & Cubed cut)
- 1 pound Beef stir fry pieces or beef stewing meat (Browned – Optional)
- 1 Red or orange bell pepper (Sliced)
- 2-3 Beets (Skin removed & Sliced)
- 1 Onion (Sliced)
- 4 cups Soup broth (Chicken, beef or vegetable)
- 2 tbsp White vinegar
- 1 tbsp Brown sugar
- 1 tbsp Dried dill (Use 2-3 tablespoons if using fresh dill)
- 1 tsp Salt
- 1 tsp Black pepper
- 1-2 Bay leaves
Instructions
- Add the first 3 ingredients to a slow cooker.
- Add the beef strips to the slow cooker. If desired, you can brown the beef on the stove in a frying pan over medium-high heat first.
- Add the remaining ingredients to the slow cooker, adding the bay leaf last.
- Set the slow cooker on, choosing either high (4-6 hours) or low (8-10 hours) as desired.
- Once the soup has cooked, divide it into bowls and serve with a dollop of sour cream.
