This is a dish I grew up with. My nanna used to make it during winter for the family. It is essentially a filling and soul-warming bowl of comfort food – beef, beetroot, cabbage, tomatoes, and other vegies and herbs.
I hope you and your family love this soup as much as our family has. Please let us know what you think in the comments below.
Borscht (Russian beetroot soup)
Course: All Recipes, Dinners, Light Meals, Soups4
35
minutes1
hour45
minutesServing options
Ingredients
2 tbs olive oil
1 brown onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
500g beef chuck steak, chopped into bite-size pieces
1L beef stock
250g (about 2) fresh beetroot
220g canned chopped Italian tomatoes
1 carrot, peeled and diced
300g (about 2) potatoes, peeled and diced
2 1/2 cups (about 200g) finely shredded green cabbage
2 tsp fresh lemon juice
2 tsp sugar
2 tbs chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 tbs chopped fresh dill leaves, plus extra sprigs, to serve
Sour cream, to serve (optional)
Method
- Preheat oven to 200C/180 fan forced. Heat the oil in a large heavy-based saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic. Cook, stirring, for 4 mins or until onion is softened. Add beef and cook, stirring, for 2 mins or until browned.
- Add the stock and 1 litre of water to the pan. Bring to the boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer for 1 hour 15 mins, or until meat is tender. Use a slotted spoon to remove the meat from the liquid and transfer to a bowl. Set aside.
- Meanwhile, trim the beetroot just about the stalks. Wrap tightly in foil and bake for 35 mins or until tender when tested with a knife. Unwrap and set aside to cool.
- Increase pan heat to medium. Stir in the tomatoes, carrot and potatoes. Season. Cook for 10 mins. Stir in the cabbage and cook for 5 mins.
- Peel the beetroot and dice. Add to the pan with the beef. Stir in the lemon juice, sugar, parsley and dill. Season. Cook for 2 mins or until meat is heated through. Serve with sour cream, if you like, and garnished with extra dill.
Tips and notes
- This soup will keep in the fridge for up to 3 days. Vegies will become redder from the beetroot.
- Serve soup with crusty bread or toast on the side, if you like.
