Recipes · Soups & stews
Borscht with Beef and Sour Cream
AI-written · not yet kitchen-tested
Color is the sticking point: the beets are braised in a pan with tomato paste and vinegar, which keeps the soup bright red instead of turning brown. The beef cooks alone in the broth first, and the vegetables are added in stages.
This recipe was written with AI assistance and has not yet been kitchen-tested. Check quantities and times as you cook, and follow safe core temperatures for meat, poultry, fish and eggs.
Ingredients
- 500 g (1.1 lb) beef brisket in one piece
- 1.6 l (6 3/4 cup) water cold
- 1 bay leaf
- 8 black peppercorns
- 1.5 tsp salt for cooking the beef
- 2 tbsp canola oil
- 1 onion finely diced
- 200 g (7.1 oz) carrots peeled, coarsely grated
- 400 g (14 oz) beets raw, peeled, in thin strips or coarsely grated
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 1 tsp sugar
- 300 g (10.5 oz) potatoes waxy, peeled, in 3/4-inch (2 cm) cubes
- 300 g (10.5 oz) green cabbage in thin strips
- 1 clove garlic pressed
- 0.5 bunch dill finely chopped
- 150 g (5.3 oz) sour cream for serving
- black pepper to taste
Method
- Rinse the brisket under cold water and bring it slowly to a boil with 1.6 liters (about 1 2/3 quarts) of cold water in a 5-quart (5-liter) pot. Skim off the foam, then add the bay leaf, peppercorns and 1 1/2 teaspoons of salt. Cover and simmer gently over low heat for 90 minutes, until a knife slides into the beef with no resistance.
- In the meantime dice the onion, then peel the carrots and beets and grate them or cut them into thin strips. Wear disposable gloves when cutting the beets, because the juice stains hands and cutting boards.
- Heat the oil in a large pan over medium heat. Cook the onion for 3 minutes, the carrots for 2 minutes and the beets for 2 minutes. Add the tomato paste, vinegar, sugar and 3 tablespoons of broth from the pot and braise, covered, for 12 minutes, until the beets are tender.
- Lift the beef out of the pot and set it aside. Add the potatoes to the broth and boil for 10 minutes, then add the cabbage and boil for another 10 minutes.
- Add the beet mixture and the garlic to the soup and simmer for 5 minutes. Trim the fat and sinew off the beef, cut it into bite-size pieces and return it to the pot.
- Season with salt, pepper and a splash of vinegar if needed, take the pot off the heat and let the soup stand for 10 minutes. Sprinkle with dill and serve with a spoonful of sour cream in each bowl.
Tip: Add the sour cream only in the bowl. If it boils with the soup, it curdles and the soup looks grainy.
Tip: The soup tastes better the next day. Do not boil it when reheating, or the beets lose their color.