With every household in the Slavic countries, there is its own borscht recipe. Whilst commonly referred to as “beet soup”, a real borscht, will have a plethora of flavors aside from just beets, and considering the fact that beets change color when they’re cooked, if you’re ever given a purple borscht, it is not cooked thoroughly. A good, flavorful and traditional Russian borscht should be red in color and leave you thinking about it long after the soup pot is empty.

This, is my families personal recipe. I learned this recipe from my mother, who learned it from her mother. I hope that this recipe continues to live on well after all of us.

* If you purchase anything through any of the links I provide in my posts, I may receive some compensation, at absolutely NO cost to you! Thank you for helping me do what I love, and that is teaching you all to cook.*

INGREDIENTS :

• 1 turkey leg and 1 wing (or two legs or whatever other meat you want to use ; if using meat without bone, add in some bones to give the stock more flavor and enhance the nutrition)
• 1 large beet, peeled and grated. 
• 1-2 TB oil. 
• 1 large carrot, peeled and grated. 
• 1 medium-large onion, diced. 
• 3 garlic cloves, grated or pressed or cut.
• 4 TB tomato paste (or to your hearts content)
• 5 Bay Leaves
• 8 Allspice Berries
• 3-4 large Russet potatoes. Peeled and sliced.
• 1/2 cabbage. Sliced thin.
• 1 large red bell pepper, diced.
• 1 bushel dill. 
• Salt and pepper to taste

STEPS :

1. Slow-roll boil your meat for 2 hours minimum in a soup pot with water. Toss in 3 of your bay leaves and 5 allspice berries. Salt your water with roughly 1 TB salt at this point. I try to aim for 3-4 hours for a good stock base here. Skim any foam that rises up while cooking.  
2. During this time, put some oil in a pan and add your diced onion. Cook for 3 minutes or until it becomes translucent or even slightly browned, and then add your grated carrots. Sautee until your carrots begin to caramelize a little. Add in 2 bay leaves and 3 allspice berries. Salt slightly and add black pepper. Continue sauteeing until you get a little color. Add in your grated garlic and cook for about 30-60 seconds. Then top with your tomato paste and cook for 2-3 minutes until fully incorporated into the mass. This is called your “zazharka” — it is OPTIMAL for any great soup.
3. Once your meat is done after 2-4 hours, remove the meat, bay leaves and allspice berries from the pot and set aside to cool down until you can separate it from the bones, cut it up into bite size pieces and grate your raw beet. Toss your grated beets into your meat stock. Pick up your heat to medium-high. Cook until beet begins changing color to either orange or white. Roughly 15-30 minutes.
4. Once your grated beets change color from their traditional magenta pink, add your zazharka into the same pot. Cook for 5 minutes. 
5. After that, add in your sliced potatoes and cook for 6 minutes or until your potatoes can be broken with a spoon. Tender but not fully cooked yet.
6. Followed by adding your diced meat back into the pot. Cook for a few minutes and then add in your cabbage. Cook for 5-7 minutes. Turn your heat off. 
7. Top your borscht with red bell pepper and chopped dill and cover. Don’t mix yet. Just cover and let it sit 10-15 minutes. 
8. Mix everything with a ladle and enjoy with a dollop of sour cream on top and a side of raw garlic dipped into salt, bitten, and chased down with a spoonful of borscht. Some garlic bread on the side is always a plus too. Enjoy!

Put a soup pot with water, your meat and 3 bay leaves, 5 allspice berries and roughly 1 TB of salt on the stove and begin boiling. Once it reaches boil, lower your heat to medium-low and cook for 2-4 hours to create a rich stock.

During the time your stock is cooking, make your zazharka. This is your soup base, it enhances the flavor of all soups and truly makes a difference than just tossing in these vegetables raw. Begin by dicing your onion and grating your carrots.

Saute your onion in a little oil until they start getting translucent or even slightly browned, then add your grated carrots and additional bay leaves and allspice berries. Add salt and pepper and cook until your carrots begin getting caramelized.

Once your carrots are caramelized, add in your tomato paste and spread around evenly and cook for a few minutes to caramelize the tomato paste as well. Set aside until your meat is cooked and your stock is done. Once your meat is cooked (2-4 hours after start), remove your meat, bay leaves and allspice berries from your soup pot and set aside to cool. Toss the bay leaves and allspice berries that were cooking with your meat.

Once your meat is removed from your pot, grate your beets and add grated beats to the boiling water. Cook for 15-30 minutes until beets are cooked. You can tell they are cooked when they turn orange or white in color as opposed to their regular magenta pink color.

During this time, separate your meat from the bones and cut into bite sized pieces.

Prep your potatoes by peeling them and slicing them and keeping them in a bowl of water so that they don’t turn in color.

Once your beets are cooked, add your zazharka to your soup pot with the beets and allow to cook for 5 minutes.

During that time, slice your cabbage into thin strips and set aside.

After your 5 minute boil after adding the zazharka, add your sliced potatoes to your soup pot and cook for roughly 6 minutes or until your potatoes are able to be broken with a spoon.

Potatoes should be tender but not fully cooked yet.

Add your diced meat to the pot. Cook for 3-5 minutes.

Add your sliced cabbage and cook for 5-7 minutes. Then, turn off your heat.

Dice up your red pepper and cut your dill. Add to your borscht pot, DO NOT MIX YET, and cover with your pot lid. Allow it to sit for 10-15 minutes.

After 10-15 minutes, use a ladle to give it a good stir to mix in all the flavors and it is ready for serving.

Enjoy a bowl of borscht with a dollop of sour cream on top, a side of fresh garlic dipped in salt and some warm garlic bread. Like a true Russian.

LINKS TO ITEMS I LOVED USING DURING THIS RECIPE :

Metal Ladle – https://amzn.to/3Zu7tv4

Miyabi Chefs Knife – https://amzn.to/41on7uz

Zester/Grater – https://amzn.to/4iw5FKx

Bamboo Utensil Set – https://amzn.to/49DK3rJ

All Clad Pan – https://amzn.to/3OQQhuW