Many of us love to pamper our family with delicious borscht. Some people cook this delicious soup according to their great-grandmother’s old recipe, while others open the Internet, where there are a lot of different recipes. And we all know that borscht should be a rich red color. Today you can find a lot of different tips on how to cook beautiful red borscht. But it’s not enough to know these tips; you need to use them correctly.

In general, by the color of this soup you can already tell whether it is tasty or not, what is missing in it, and whether it is filling. Therefore, special attention is paid to the color of borscht. It is important to know not only the proportions of the ingredients, but also the method of their preparation. Here, as in almost every dish, there are some nuances that need to be taken into account. Many dishes, as we know, can be prepared without adhering to strict rules. But with borscht it’s completely different. Only following certain stages of preparation will help you achieve the desired result, namely, rich red soup.

So, color is the most important thing in our soup. It is important that it is not only rich, but also looks very appetizing. What gives this soup its red hue? Of course, beets and tomatoes. These are perhaps the most important ingredients in borscht, not counting meat. We will talk more about meat a little later. The color will be affected by the variety of beets and tomatoes. It is also affected by how sour the cabbage is in the soup.

As for cabbage, it can be either pickled or fresh. More often than not, the choice of cabbage is influenced by the season. In summer, we most often prefer fresh cabbage, and in winter, we take sauerkraut from winter reserves.

What needs to be done to achieve the desired shade of borscht? Here are a few secrets that all famous chefs use:

1. There is no need to boil the beets. Beets lose color during cooking, and therefore you should grate about a third of all beets on the fine side of the grater. Grated beets should be added to the soup only at the end of cooking, and, bringing to a boil, remove from heat and let it brew.
2. The beets need to be cooked separately. You need to boil the beets in their peels, then grate them, so the color will be rich.
3. You need to add acid. Vinegar, citric acid and tomato brine work well. It should be added not to the soup itself, but to the dressing, and the foreign smell should be evaporated.
4. The priority is to use sauerkraut. The brightness of the color depends on the acidity of the borscht, which, in turn, depends on the sauerkraut.
5. The dressing should be kept on low heat. In this case, the beets will languish and lose only a small part of their color.
6. Tomatoes will give the borscht a beautiful red color. In this case, you need to peel the tomatoes and add them to the dressing. It is best to grind the tomatoes in a blender.
7. You need to add tomato paste to the borscht. Tomato paste should be diluted in a glass with soup broth in a 1:1 ratio. That is, half a glass of pasta and half a glass of broth.

If you do everything correctly, you will amaze your family with a delicious borscht, which they will certainly be delighted with.

Meat broth for borscht

Every housewife knows how to cook borscht with meat broth. And each housewife has her own recipe for preparing meat broth for this soup. It's best to take beef. But if you prefer pork, you can make broth using pork meat. There are no special rules here, since everyone has their own preferences about it. Some people like beef, some like pork, and some even prefer to use rabbit meat for broth.

Here we will look at preparing broth using beef meat. It is preferable to take brisket, since the meat there is soft and juicy, it is best cooked. Some meat lovers argue that the second and third ribs should be used for soup. To make the broth richer, you can add lamb bones.

Meat should be rinsed well with cold water before cooking. Then put it in a deep saucepan and add cold water so that there is 3-5 cm between the top point of the meat and the surface of the water. You need to cook the meat over medium heat. This way the water will boil for about one hour, which is very good for meat broth. Any foam that appears should be removed with a large spoon. It is better not to use a slotted spoon, as the foam will crawl through the holes and fall back into the soup.

Nothing bad will happen if you scoop up a little water, the main thing is not to leave foam in the pan.

You should ensure that no bubbles appear in the pan, that is, you should not let the meat boil. When bubbles appear, pour cold water into the pan. This should be done until white foam begins to appear.

Now you need to add vegetables to the broth. All we need is:

• Carrot;
• Celery;
• Greenery;
• Carnation.

The onion head should be thoroughly cleaned and a clove should be stuck into it. Celery and carrots should be cut lengthwise, and the greens should be tied into a bundle with cotton thread. All this needs to be put in a pan with broth. It wouldn't hurt to add a pinch of thyme. The heat should be reduced to the very minimum, and the pan should be tightly closed with a lid. After about 10 minutes, don’t forget to check the broth; it should boil slightly. At this time, you need to add a little salt to the broth, and then continue to cook the meat for about an hour and a half.

After the time has passed, you need to remove the vegetables from the broth and throw them away - we won’t need them anymore. Meat and bones must also be removed from the broth. After which the meat is cut from the bones and cut into small pieces. As for the broth, it needs to be strained through cheesecloth, which should be folded in several layers. This is to separate all unnecessary particles from the broth. Next, you need to bring the broth to a boil and add meat to it. Next comes the preparation of the borscht itself. That is, our broth is ready.

A few important points

There are some important points in preparing this dish. If you follow them, the borscht will be more tasty and satisfying. So, vegetables need to be cut as evenly as possible. For cooking, you should choose only high-quality products. If you have any doubts that the cabbage is not fresh enough or sour, then it is better not to use it, but to go get a new one. Except for cabbage, all vegetables should be firm. Make sure that the tomato paste does not contain any preservatives and that only natural tomatoes are used. Instead of spices, it is better to use natural vegetables. The only spice is salt. Be careful not to overcook vegetables. To do this, add the next batch of vegetables to the soup immediately after it boils. It is also important to ensure that the borscht does not boil after adding the cabbage. To do this, all the last steps need to be done quickly. Remember, when the cabbage boils for even a few minutes, it will give the soup an unpleasant smell.

Borscht is best eaten with sour cream and Borodino bread. Many people like to eat borscht with homemade bread, which has a crispy crust. You can sprinkle it with breadcrumbs, but not a lot. Some people don’t like to eat this dish with sour cream and eat it with mayonnaise. As for dill, it should be added to the plate, not to the pan.

A little history

It is useful to know a little history of this delicious dish. Borsch is a traditional Slavic dish. Then every woman had to know how to cook borscht. It was considered a shame for the whole family that the wife or daughter did not know how to properly prepare this dish. Back then there weren’t as many recipes as there are now. But each family had its own secrets that were not accepted to be shared.

These secrets were passed down from generation to generation: from mother to daughters, and from these daughters to their daughters, etc. An interesting fact is that this soup received the name “borsch” thanks to the plant “hogweed”. It was the leaves of this plant that were then the main ingredient of the dish. Later, this soup began to be prepared with beet kvass. And only after that they began to use the beets themselves for cooking.

Today, borscht is considered to be the first dish of Ukrainian cuisine. But, despite this, borscht is loved in Russia, Romania, Lithuania, and many other countries. Often you may have noticed that some people confuse borscht with cabbage soup. Repeatedly, even disputes arose on the topic that cabbage soup is the same borscht, only its color is not red, but yellow or orange. There is still no correct answer to resolving this dispute.

Borscht is the first thing many of us think of when we hear the word soup. One of the most popular soups found in both Russian and Ukrainian cuisine, as well as the cuisine of many Eastern European countries. Although there are differences in recipes and names, the most important thing they always have in common is the main vegetable ingredient is beets. Whether it’s delicious borscht with meat or lean, with cabbage or beans, the right red borscht will always be with beets. This is what makes him special and loved.

We always associate borscht with a home-cooked dinner, mother or grandmother in the kitchen, and the unique aromas of meat and vegetables. I know a lot of people whose favorite soup is borscht. And I can understand their feelings. By the way, every family has its own tricks and peculiarities of preparing delicious borscht. Some add pepper, some add lemon juice, vegetables are added in different sequences, tomatoes and spices, garlic, dumplings, lard. It's varied and can make your head spin.

Just recently I talked about the version of borscht, and in this article I want to turn to borscht with meat, my favorite. And I think that many will agree with me.

The easiest recipe for making borscht with beef

First of all, I want to tell you how to cook delicious borscht with meat in beef broth. Beef meat is lean, tasty and healthy, rich in iron and proteins, and also contains B vitamins. Broths that are cooked from meat with bones are especially successful. Of course, you don’t need to boil one bone, but if you have a piece of meat with a small bone, the broth will definitely turn out excellent, thick and rich, but not greasy. Therefore, borscht with beef can be considered a safe dish for your figure, the main thing is not to use too much vegetable oil when preparing the frying.

For borscht you will need:

• beef - 400-500 g (possibly with a bone),
• beets - 1 large (or 2 small),
• cabbage - 300 grams,
• potatoes - 3-4 pieces,
• carrots - 1-2 pieces,
• onions - 1 piece,
• tomato paste - 2 tablespoons without top,
• garlic and herbs to taste,
• bay leaf - 1-2 pcs,
• vegetable oil - 2-3 tablespoons,
• salt, peppercorns.

Preparation:

1. Delicious borscht with meat always starts with preparing the broth. It is necessary to thoroughly rinse the piece of meat, remove any broken bones and put it to cook over medium heat. During the cooking process, be sure to constantly skim any foam that appears from the surface of the water. If you don’t remove it, the broth will be cloudy and not tasty. Foam is a protein that is released from meat when heated. As soon as the water boils, reduce the heat to medium or slightly lower so that there is no active boiling, but only rare bubbles. This way the beef will almost simmer in the water and you will get a very tasty broth. Cooking can take anywhere from two to three hours, depending on what part of the carcass you used. Check for doneness by checking the tenderness of the meat.

2. When the meat becomes soft, you can remove it from the pan to cool. A little later, cut it into small pieces that will be convenient to eat. In the meantime, we will start adding vegetables. Peel potatoes, beets and carrots. Immediately cut the potatoes into cubes and place in a pan of boiling water. The fire can now be increased. Boil the potatoes for 10 minutes.

3. While the potatoes are cooking, cut the cabbage into thin strips. Do not make it too long; the pieces should fit in a tablespoon so that it is convenient to eat the finished soup. Put the cabbage to cook 10 minutes after the potatoes. And cook for another 10 minutes.

If you have autumn or winter cabbage, it takes longer to cook and is tougher. In this case, it can be placed with or in front of the potatoes.

4. At this time, put a frying pan on the fire with a small amount of vegetable oil. Finely chop the onion and pour it into the frying pan. Fry the onion until it becomes transparent and just starts to turn a little golden.

5. The next vegetable also goes into frying in a frying pan. This will be a carrot; it needs to be grated on a coarse grater. Do this in advance so that while you are grating it, the onions do not overcook. Add the grated carrots to the onions and continue sautéing, stirring constantly. The carrots and onions should become soft, but not browned. A fried crust will spoil the taste of the soup.

6. When the carrots soften a little and change color, it’s time to add the grated beets and tomato paste. They need to be added together because beets, when cooked, begin to lose their rich burgundy-red color, and the acid contained in tomato paste prevents this process and fixes the color. Some cooks add vinegar or citric acid to the soup to fix the color, but this time we’ll make do with tomato paste.

7. Mix the vegetables well with the tomato paste and reduce the heat under the frying pan. Now cook over low heat until the beets soften a little. You can cover with a lid and lightly simmer the vegetables.

8. While the roast is stewing, check the potatoes and cabbage. Use a spoon to catch a piece of vegetables and try to cut them with a knife; if it cuts easily and does not crunch, then they are ready. It's time to return the boiled meat, cut into pieces, into the preparing borscht.

9. The vegetables are cooked, the frying is ready. It's time to connect them. Transfer the roast to the boiling broth with vegetables and stir thoroughly. Cook for another 5-7 minutes. Salt the borscht to taste, add a bay leaf and, if desired, a few peppercorns. Then turn off the stove, cover the soup with a lid and leave it to steep for 15-20 minutes.

10. If you want to add flavor to our delicious borscht with meat, then finely chop fresh herbs and garlic. Add to soup and stir. You can add herbs and garlic to the plates when serving.

Well, our beef borscht is ready. You can pour it into plates, add sour cream or herbs to taste. Take out fresh rye bread and invite everyone to the table.

Bon appetit!

Borscht with pork ribs - step-by-step recipe

If I choose what to cook delicious borscht with meat from, then in second place after beef I will have pork ribs. But not smoked, as we use for, but raw. From them we will make a good, hearty broth for borscht; it will be correct and rich, because ribs consist of meat and bone, and the bone, as you know, is the best friend of a tasty broth.

You will need:

• pork ribs - up to 1 kg,
• beets - 1 piece (large),
• potatoes - 3-4 pieces,
• carrots - 1 piece,
• onion - 1 piece,
• tomato paste - 2 tablespoons,
• cabbage - 250-300 grams (1/4 head of cabbage),
• garlic - 2-3 cloves,
• greens to taste,
• Bay leaf,
• salt and pepper to taste.

Preparation:

1. Rinse the pork ribs thoroughly in running water. Then divide into pieces, cutting between the rib bones to leave one rib per piece. Ribs that are too long can be cut in half, but then be sure to rinse the meat again so that no bone fragments remain. Heat a frying pan and fry the ribs on both sides until lightly browned for 5 minutes. After this, pour water into the pan and let them cook for about 1 hour. Lightly fried meat will give the broth a golden color and a pleasant taste.

2. While the meat is cooking, you can prepare all the vegetables. The cabbage is peeled from the top leaves and chopped into small strips. Peel the potatoes and cover with cold water to prevent them from darkening. Peel the beets and carrots and grate them on a coarse grater. Chop the onion into small squares. Peel the garlic and chop finely.

3. Once the meat is cooked, remove it from the pan and set it aside. We'll add it back to the soup later once the vegetables are cooked.

4. Cut the potatoes into cubes and add to the boiling broth to cook for 5-7 minutes.

5. Try the cabbage; if it is tough from the late varieties, then put it to cook 10 minutes after the potatoes. If it is young summer cabbage, then add the cabbage after frying and cook for only 7-10 minutes.

7. Place the onion in a frying pan with heated oil and fry it until soft, then add the carrots and beets. Mix everything well and reduce the heating temperature. Simmer the vegetables over medium heat, stirring for 10 minutes.

8. Add tomato paste to the frying, stir and fry for another 5 minutes. Tomato paste will give vegetables a red color and a characteristic smell. It is important not to turn up the heat, otherwise everything will be overcooked and tasteless.

9. By the time the cabbage and potatoes in the pan are ready to fry, they should become softer. Add the roast to the soup and stir. Cook for another 10 minutes over low heat until it is just bubbling rather than actively simmering. After this, you can add garlic and herbs. Salt and pepper the soup, add bay leaf.

10. Taste all the vegetables, they should be ready and soft. After this, remove the pan from the heat, return the pork ribs to the borscht and cover with a lid. Let the soup brew for 25-30 minutes. During this time, it will cool down a little and become saturated with the aromas and tastes of all the ingredients.

You can serve it to the table!

Ukrainian borscht with pork and beans - video recipe

Since we are considering the most delicious ways to prepare borscht with meat, we shouldn’t lose sight of Ukrainian borscht. It is necessarily cooked in meat broth and with pieces of meat. To this we will also add bell peppers and beans, these are the important ingredients of Ukrainian borscht. The correct cooking recipe will help you make real tasty borscht, and in order not to make any mistakes, it is best to watch a very detailed and visual video. Don't forget to prepare an appetizer of lard with garlic and add a spoonful of sour cream. Consolidation!

Delicious borscht with meat and vegetables - step by step recipe

It would seem that what can be added to borscht with meat to make it even tastier, besides the standard set of vegetables or beans, as in the Ukrainian borscht recipe. It turns out that celery root and parsnips will help us greatly enrich the taste. These roots are not so difficult to find, and besides, many of us grow them in our own gardens. I suggest you cook borscht according to this recipe, and then evaluate the difference. Believe me, you will love this option too.

You will need:

• pork or beef with bone - 1-1.3 kg,
• potatoes - 3-4 pcs,
• carrots - 1 piece,
• beets - 1 piece,
• parsnip - 1 piece,
• celery stalks - 2 pieces,
• onions - 2 pcs,
• sweet pepper - 1/2 pcs (or small),
• tomatoes - 400 grams (canned in their own juice),
• tomato paste - 1.5 tablespoons,
• spicy adjika - 1 teaspoon,
• garlic - 2 cloves,
• ground coriander - 0.5 teaspoon,
• sugar - 1 teaspoon,
• bay leaf - 1-2 pcs,
• vegetable oil 2-3 tablespoons,
• salt and black pepper to taste.

Preparation:

1. Delicious borscht with meat starts with meat. Take pieces with bones for cooking. It can be either beef or pork, the only difference will be in the time the meat is cooked. Beef cooks for about 2-2.5 hours, pork - 1-1.5 hours. Rinse the meat under running cold water to remove any bone fragments, then place in a saucepan and cover with cold water. This is important, under no circumstances hot. Now put it on the stove and cook. As it boils, gray foam will appear, which must be removed so that the broth is clear.

2. As soon as the meat boils, place two celery stalks and one small onion without peel into the pan. Continue cooking the meat until fully cooked.

3. While the broth is cooking, you need to prepare all the vegetable ingredients. Peel beets, potatoes, carrots, parsnips, and onions. Grate the carrots, beets and parsnips. Chop the cabbage into thin strips. Cut the sweet pepper into thin strips. Cut the onion into squares or quarter rings. Cut the potatoes into medium-sized cubes and cover them with cold water to prevent them from darkening.

Tomatoes also need to be prepared in advance if you have fresh ones. They need to be doused with boiling water and the skin removed. Then grate or grind with a blender at low speed into a paste.

4. When the meat is cooked, remove the onion and celery stalks from the broth. They were needed only for the taste and aroma of the broth. Now you can throw them away.

5. Remove the meat from the pan as well. Let it cool slightly, then separate the seeds and cut the rest into small pieces.

6. Heat vegetable oil in a frying pan over medium heat and add the onion first. Fry it for literally 2 minutes.

7. Now add the grated carrots and fry for another 2-3 minutes, stirring.

8. Bell peppers go into the pan next. Continue sautéing vegetables for another 2 minutes.

9. Now add the grated beets. Reduce heat to low and simmer vegetables for 5 minutes.

10. After five minutes of simmering, add the tomatoes in their juice along with the juice (or fresh grated ones) and tomato paste. Mix everything well.

11. Add aromatic and tasty spices to the roast. Ground coriander, adjika and a spoonful of sugar. Stir everything and continue to simmer over low heat for another 5 minutes.

13. Immediately add the white parsnip root. If you don’t have it, it’s not a big deal, you can cook without it, the broth will just have a slightly different taste. Add two bay leaves and cook further. As soon as it boils, remove the foam that appears, now the potatoes will produce it. After boiling, cook for 5-7 minutes until the potatoes are half cooked.

14. Fish out the bay leaf and add the cabbage. Cabbage should be cooked depending on how firm the variety is. Young cabbage cooks very quickly, but late winter cabbage should simmer for at least 10 minutes. It is best to try the cabbage raw, and then during cooking, to understand when it is ready.

15. When the cabbage is almost ready, add the fry and cook at low simmer with small bubbles for another 5 minutes. Now you can add garlic to make the delicious borscht with meat even more aromatic.

16. Now add finely chopped greens. Cover with a lid and leave to steep for 20-25 minutes. The borscht will not lose its temperature, but at the same time it will be wonderfully saturated with aromas.

Well, our delicious borscht with pork and various vegetables is ready. It's time to serve. Don't forget sour cream and fresh bread. Have a nice lunch with your family!

Navy borscht - delicious video recipe with meat broth and smoked meats

Finally, I can’t help but mention this delicious recipe for borscht with meat. Navy borscht is prepared not only with boiled meat and broth, but also with the addition of aromatic, golden-brown smoked meats. Have you already imagined this taste and smell? For lovers of smoked meats, this borscht is just a godsend, believe me, I’m one of them. Classic borscht is certainly beyond competition, but this is a worthy variety.

For cooking you will need products already known to us; you could see their list at the very beginning of the article in the recipe for borscht with beef. But in addition to meat on the bone, from which we will cook a hearty broth, smoked ribs or knuckle will take part in the preparation. Beets, cabbage, carrots, potatoes - all these favorite vegetables are in place.

Admit it, you love borscht. Look around, make sure that there are no friends or nutritionists nearby, and admit that no matter how much you want to lose weight, it is simply impossible to deny yourself a plate of fiery red, hot borscht, exuding breathtaking aromas. Sprinkled with finely chopped herbs and garlic, seasoned with a spoonful of rich sour cream, and served with fresh, hot donuts, borscht was and remains one of the most beloved first hot dishes throughout almost the entire territory of the former Soviet Union.

Despite many disagreements, the credit for the invention of this dish should be given to the Ukrainians, if only because it is in Ukrainian cuisine that there is probably the largest variety of recipes for preparing borscht. In each Ukrainian region, and sometimes in each family, borscht is prepared in its own way. And, as is the case with most other dishes of folk cuisine, a significant role in the variety of recipes for preparing borscht is played by the variety of tastes and the flight of imagination of the housewives who prepare it.

It would seem difficult to tell something new about a dish that is prepared at least sometimes in every family. Almost every housewife, every cook, every cook knows how to cook borscht. But even in preparing such a common dish, there are always little tricks and secrets that you might accidentally overlook. And today “Culinary Eden” has tried to collect for you the most important and interesting tips that will help you prepare truly tasty and aromatic borscht.

1. How to cook borscht? The basis of any borscht is properly prepared broth. The best broth for borscht is considered to be broth made from beef and pork brisket. in a 2:1 ratio. However, borscht can be prepared with other broths. For example, for Kyiv borscht you will need beef and lamb, and for Poltava or Odessa borscht you will need goose or duck broth. Let's try to cook broth for simple Ukrainian borscht. Rinse thoroughly and chop 500 g of beef and 300 g of pork belly into not too large pieces. Place the meat in a saucepan and add cold water so that there is twice as much broth as is expected. Place the pan on the fire and let the water boil. Try to remove the foam as thoroughly as possible. As soon as the water boils, reduce the heat to low, cover the pan with a lid and simmer your broth over low heat for 2-2.5 hours. The less your broth boils, the longer the meat simmers in low-boiling water, the tastier and richer the borscht broth will end up.

2. The second important feature of preparing borscht is the preliminary separate preparation of vegetables before adding them to the broth. Beets should be stewed in advance, separately from other vegetables. To preserve the bright red color of the beets, sprinkle them with a little vinegar or lemon juice. Stew the beets, cutting them into small cubes or strips, placing them in well-heated pork fat or butter. In some cases, beets can be boiled or baked whole in their peels, and then peeled, chopped and added to the broth. The sequence of adding vegetables is also extremely important when cooking borscht. According to V. Pokhlebkin, the order of laying vegetables is as follows: “Potatoes are laid 30 minutes before the borscht is ready, cabbage - 20 minutes, prepared stewed beets - 15 minutes. Sautéed vegetables (onions, carrots, parsley) - 15 minutes. Spices - 5-8 minutes, garlic (separate from other spices) - 2 minutes before the end of cooking.”

3. To add a special flavor to borscht, you can use almost any of your favorite spices. However, key spices are parsley root and greens (fresh or dried), black pepper (ground or whole peas), bay leaf. You can also experiment by adding celery root and greens, dill, and coriander. Of course, we should not forget about garlic. Garlic is best added at the very end of cooking. It should first be finely chopped and crushed in a mortar or simply mashed with the flat side of a knife blade. A classic Ukrainian spicy dressing for borscht can be called a dressing based on lard. Chop 200 grams into small pieces. soft lard, 3 - 4 cloves of garlic and a few sprigs of parsley. Mix everything together and pound in a mortar or blender until you obtain a smooth, homogeneous mass. Add the resulting seasoning to your borscht 2-3 minutes before it’s ready.

4. To give your borscht a special sour taste and bright color, you can add pickled beet juice, beet starter, or just fresh beet juice to the broth. You can also prepare a special beetroot dressing in advance, which you can then add to the borscht. Rinse one kilogram of beets thoroughly, peel and grate on a coarse grater. Finely chop 1 kg of onions and 1 kg of sweet bell pepper. Place the vegetables in a saucepan, add ½ liter of vegetable oil, ½ liter of tomato sauce, 2 tbsp. spoons of salt, 1 glass of vinegar and 1 glass of sugar. Simmer everything together over low heat for 40 minutes, stirring frequently. Make sure the dressing doesn't burn! Place the finished dressing in jars and store in the refrigerator.

5. The most widespread recipe for borscht is the recipe for Ukrainian simple borscht. Let's try to cook it the way V. Pokhlebkin recommends. Cook a strong broth from 500 g of beef brisket. Peel one large beet, cut into cubes and stew in pork fat, adding 1 tbsp. l. vinegar, 2 tbsp. l. sugar and ½ cup tomato paste. Cut two onions, one carrot and one parsley root into strips and fry in butter. Chop ¼ head of cabbage, cut 4 potatoes into cubes. Lower add potatoes and cabbage to the broth and cook for 15 minutes. Then add stewed beets and fried vegetables to them and cook for another 10 minutes. At the end of cooking, add your favorite spices, herbs and a dressing of lard, garlic and parsley. Cook for a couple more minutes and remove from heat. Before serving, season your borscht with sour cream.

6. Kiev borscht is rightfully considered even more tasty and aromatic. It is cooked in beef and lamb broth, which gives it a characteristic taste and aroma. Cook a strong broth from 250 grams of beef, adding ½ liter of beet kvass or pickled beet juice to the water. Peel and grate one large beet on a coarse grater and simmer it along with 250 gr. lamb breast, cut into small pieces. Stew three tomatoes in 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil. Cut the onion, carrot and parsley root into strips and fry in butter. Chop ¼ head of cabbage, cut 4 potatoes into cubes. Dip the cabbage and potatoes into the boiling broth and cook for 15 minutes, then add all the stewed and fried vegetables and lamb and cook for another 10 minutes. Add three bay leaves, 3 allspice peas and ¼ teaspoon ground red pepper. Season the borscht with two tbsp. tablespoons of boiled beans and cook everything together for another 10 minutes. At the very end of cooking, season the borscht with lard, garlic and parsley. Serve hot, adding sour cream.

7. Poltava borscht cooked in poultry broth is very tasty. In addition to the broth, Poltava borscht is also distinguished by the fact that it is seasoned not only with vegetables, but also with dumplings. Cook borscht according to the recipe for simple Ukrainian borscht in broth made from 600 grams of goose or duck. Prepare in advance dumplings. To do this, dilute 1 tbsp. spoon of flour in ¼ cup of boiling water. Mash thoroughly and cool. Add one egg and ½ cup of buckwheat or wheat flour to the cooled mixture. Knead the dough. The consistency of the dough should resemble not too thick sour cream. Take the finished dough with a teaspoon and place it in boiling, salted water. Cook the dumplings until they float to the surface, then drain in a colander. Add the finished dumplings to your borscht 5 minutes before the end of cooking. Serve Poltava borscht with sour cream and finely chopped parsley.

8. For lovers of fish dishes, we can recommend trying to cook borscht with fish broth. Boil 500 g of fish fillet in 6 glasses of strong fish broth made from heads and fins. Cut one small beet, one onion, parsley and celery root into strips and fry in butter. Add ½ cup of broth to the vegetables and simmer everything together for 10-15 minutes. Cut 50 grams of sorrel and spinach into strips. Place 4 potatoes, cut into slices, into the boiling broth and cook for 10 minutes, then add green vegetables and cook for another 10 minutes. Add the stewed vegetables, salt, add spices to taste and cook everything together for 5 minutes. When serving, place a piece of fish fillet on each plate of borscht. Season the borscht with finely chopped boiled eggs and sour cream, sprinkle with fresh herbs.

9. Vegetarians are not left without their own borscht recipe. Boil 1.5 liters of water or mushroom broth. Place peeled whole beets in it and cook until tender. Cut one onion and one carrot into strips and simmer in butter. Remove the finished beets from the broth, and add two diced potatoes and a glass of finely shredded cabbage to the broth. Cook everything together for 10-15 minutes, then add the stewed vegetables and grated grate boiled beets. Cook for another 10 minutes, then add 1 tbsp. a spoonful of tomato paste, salt, sugar and spices to taste. Cook everything together for another 5 minutes and remove from heat. Serve topped with sour cream and sprinkled with fresh herbs.

10. Any borscht will seem even more delicious if you serve it not with plain bread, but with fresh, hot pampushki - buns made from yeast dough with garlic sauce. It's not at all difficult to prepare them. Dilute a teaspoon of dry yeast with a small amount of warm water with a pinch of sugar. Let stand for 10-15 minutes. Pour the yeast into a bowl, add a glass of warm milk, a teaspoon of salt, a tablespoon of sugar and 3 tablespoons of vegetable oil. Gradually add 3 cups of flour and knead into a loose dough. Knead it thoroughly, grease with vegetable oil and leave in a warm place for one hour. The dough should double in size. Punch down the risen dough and cut into small round buns. Place the buns on a baking sheet, let them rise for 15 minutes, brush with beaten egg and bake in an oven preheated to 180 degrees for 20-25 minutes. While the buns are baking, prepare the garlic sauce. Crush six cloves of garlic with a teaspoon of salt, add a tablespoon of vegetable oil and stir thoroughly. Then add a tablespoon of water and stir until smooth. Remove the finished buns from the oven and dip them hot in the garlic sauce. Serve immediately with a plate of hot, aromatic borscht.

We sincerely hope that our advice will more than once help you please your friends and loved ones with real, tasty and excitingly aromatic borscht. And “Culinary Eden” on its pages is always ready to offer you many new and interesting ideas and recipes on how to cook borscht, this delicious and satisfying dish loved by many.

For the recipe with photos, see below.

Today we have a classic dish of Russian and Ukrainian cuisine on our menu - rich red borscht with beets. Yummy too! Each housewife has her own secrets for preparing delicious borscht. So, I’m revealing my secrets. I described all the intricacies of the process of preparing borscht, so the post turned out to be very voluminous. But my lyrical digressions and step-by-step photographs should brighten up the reading process

Delicious borscht recipe quite simple, but there are some subtleties, without which, of course, it will turn out to be quite edible, but not so tasty! Although the borscht recipe is simple, the cooking process itself is quite labor-intensive. It is better if you are helped in the kitchen by your beloved husband or children, sister, brother, girlfriend or friend

Yes, you can cook borscht using different broth bases - pork or beef ribs, chicken, any soup set. But I prefer to cook borscht from chicken soup ( not to be confused with broiler chicken!) Usually soup chickens are much less meaty than broiler chickens, but the broth from such chickens is excellent! I will describe the intricacies of preparing the broth below. And here is a set of products necessary for borscht:

• ½ soup chicken (this is chicken, not broiler chicken) or pre-cooked broth;
• white cabbage, about a third of an average head of cabbage;
• potatoes, 3-5 medium pieces;
• onion 1 head;
• 1 medium-sized carrot and the same beets;
• a couple of tomatoes or tomato paste (2 tablespoons);
• vegetable oil for frying;
• 2-3 cloves of garlic, salt and spices to taste.

Cooking golden broth

First of all, you need to cook the broth. Since we will cook it from soup chicken, and it is known to have rather tough meat, we will cook it until the meat softens. About 1.5 hours. Wash frozen or chilled chicken under the tap. Place half the chicken in a 4.5 liter saucepan and fill with cold water. We put it on fire. Once the water in the pan has boiled for 5 minutes, turn off the heat. Remove the pan from the stove and add the chicken. And now, attention, the first secret of delicious borscht: We pour the water out of the pan; we won’t need it anymore. Rinse the chicken a second time and place it in the pan.

Fill with cold water again and put on maximum heat. When the water boils again, the fire can be reduced. Now it remains to cook our chicken for about an hour over low heat. After an hour, turn off the fire. We catch the chicken and put it in a separate plate. When it cools down a little, the meat needs to be separated from the bones and cut into pieces. Strain the finished broth through a fine sieve. Don't be alarmed that the process of cooking the broth is so long. The result will please you! Golden and rich broth! This way you can cook broth from any meat.

Preparing vegetables

Now that the broth is ready, you can start with the vegetables. And this is where you will need the help of your favorite assistants. Decide for yourself who to delegate the responsible mission of chopping cabbage and peeling potatoes. Then we cut the potatoes into large pieces. First add the cabbage to the broth and place the pan on maximum heat.

When my mother prepares borscht, she puts in the potatoes first, and then the cabbage. I know that many people do this. This is how anyone likes it. I like borscht so that the potatoes are not too boiled, and the cabbage, on the contrary, is softer. See for yourself what to put in first, potatoes or cabbage

As soon as the broth with cabbage boils, reduce the heat to medium and add the chopped potatoes.

Preparing frying for delicious borscht

On your own or with the hands of tireless helpers, finely chop the onions. Place a frying pan with vegetable oil on low heat and add the onion. While the onions are fried until nicely golden, let's start with the carrots. It needs to be peeled and grated on a coarse grater. Add to slightly golden onions.

Beets, like carrots, are peeled and chopped. You can grate the beets or cut them into thin strips. This is what you like. Add beets to carrots and onions.

One of the main components of delicious borscht is tomato paste or tomatoes. If it's summer, then it would be a sin not to use fresh tomatoes. When it’s far from summer outside, I prefer to put natural tomato paste (without starch and other chemical additives, made according to GOST) into the borscht. Add a couple of tablespoons of tomato paste to the fried vegetables in the pan.

And now, attention, the second secret of delicious borscht: To make the borscht a bright red color, you need to add a teaspoon of 6% acetic acid or a tablespoon of lemon juice to the pan with beets and other vegetables. The acid will prevent the red pigments of beets and tomatoes from being destroyed by high temperatures.

The last stage of preparing delicious borscht

To the vegetables that have been mashed and gently simmering in a pan, add our frying from the frying pan and chopped chicken meat (which was separated from the chicken after preparing the broth).

Let all the ingredients of the borscht simmer together for about five minutes and turn off the heat. Now you can salt our borscht and add spices to taste. I usually put a mixture of dry ground peppers - white, allspice and paprika. And now, attention, the third secret of delicious borscht: add finely chopped garlic at the very end of the borscht cooking process. Stir, take a sample and close the lid.

I usually let the borscht rest and soak in the garlic aroma for 20-30 minutes under a closed lid. After this time limit has passed, you can set the table and invite family helpers for dinner or lunch. Serve delicious borscht with fresh country sour cream! Delicious rich red borscht will not leave anyone indifferent! Bon appetit, dear readers.

And if your appetite is not satisfied with borscht alone, then for the second course I offer an excellent dish of classic Russian cuisine -

There are so many borscht recipes for as many women as there are. Every housewife knows how to cook borscht with beets so that it is not just edible, but amazingly tasty.

In many families, the secret of preparing this amazing dish is passed down from generation to generation, from grandmothers and mothers. But even experienced housewives will not mind learning something new, adding a twist so that the borscht sparkles with new flavors, is distinguished by its piquancy and aroma.

It's difficult to say who invented borscht. Many countries attribute it to their national cuisine. Slavic peoples have traditionally eaten it since ancient times and consider it the main first course.

In northern Russia, soup with cabbage was called shchi. The further south you went, the more heat-loving vegetables grew that could be added to first courses. It is possible that borscht was first prepared in Kievan Rus, since it was Ukrainian borscht that became most widespread and is famous throughout the world.

In Russia, the first mentions of borscht appeared in the 16th and 17th centuries; Catherine II loved it very much, but Potemkin preferred sour daily cabbage soup. In the rules and advice of Domostroi (a book of teachings and instructions from the 16th century), you can find recommendations for preparing summer stew from hogweed and beets - it became the prototype of the modern dish.

Each locality has its own rules and recipes for preparing borscht, but it can be divided into two main types: red (now popular among Slavic peoples) and cold (reminiscent of summer okroshka).

Red borscht is a hot first course, without which we cannot even imagine a traditional lunch. Every Slavic family in Russia, Ukraine, and Belarus knows how to cook borscht with beets, and they love it very much.

And the cold one was prepared in spring and summer - it is a light soup of greens and boiled beets, with the addition of boiled chopped eggs and fermented milk products for dressing. It was eaten cold and often boiled potatoes were used instead of bread.

To properly prepare borscht with beets, use the secrets of experienced chefs.

1. Bouillon. The richness of borscht depends on the broth. It can be anything: meat, vegetable, fish. For classic borscht, it is best to use pork or beef on the bone. Borscht based on poultry will turn out delicious: chicken, duck or any other. For lean borscht, cook saturated vegetable broth in advance.
2. Beet. This is what gives it the bright red color. It can be cut into strips or grated, but never add it raw to the liquid, otherwise it will boil out and the borscht will become faded in color. Pour in a little vegetable oil and sauté the beets until soft, after sprinkling them with vinegar and adding a spoonful of sugar, this way they will not lighten during the cooking process and will keep the color of the borscht bright. It’s even better to bake the beets in foil, then they will retain their natural properties.
3. Roasting. Borscht without frying is not borscht, but a soup made from boiled vegetables. Diced onions are sauteed in oil until transparent, add grated carrots and after a couple of minutes add a little flour. It can also be fried separately in butter or vegetable oil. Flour will provide additional thickness and velvety.
4. Tomatoes. Never skimp on tomato paste or sauce; the borscht will be sour and rich. You can use factory-made, homemade or chopped fresh tomatoes.
5. Sour cream. Many experienced housewives add sour cream during the cooking process, mixing it with tomato dressing and thus acidifying the broth. Try it, perhaps this method will be a revelation for you. Or add it directly to the plate.
6. Cabbage. Finely chopped, young or mature, white cabbage or Beijing, but it is added at the very end, almost before turning off the fire. Don't overcook it! Bring to a boil and let stand for 5-7 minutes.
7. Additional ingredients. Mushrooms, beans, and prunes add piquancy and originality to the borscht. By alternating additives, you can achieve new flavors each time.
8. Intuition. Few people strictly follow the recipe and measure out the required amount of ingredients. Borscht is cooked by eye; ingredients are added in quantities that your feelings tell you.
9. Saturation. The borscht must be steeped and soaked in aromas. Let it sit for a while before serving. And the next day it will taste even better.
10. Serving. Borscht will look very colorful if served in thick-walled ceramic painted plates. Be sure to sprinkle finely chopped herbs on top and add a spoonful of sour cream. Place chopped lard, garlic and black bread on the table. Don't forget about the garlic donuts!

Every cook praises his borscht

There are a huge number of variations on how to cook borscht with beets, sauerkraut, beans, sorrel and other ingredients. Each recipe has its own cooking secrets. Delight your loved ones with borscht prepared according to one of the recipes below.

Let's prepare real Ukrainian borscht, respecting the national flavor and taste preferences! Just don’t wait for the exact weight of the food to be laid out - borscht should be prepared solely by intuition. So, let's begin!

The best borscht meat is beef on the bone; it takes a long time to cook, but the broth turns out delicious. Pour in cold water and bring to a boil. Skim off the foam, add salt, place on low heat and simmer for 2-3 hours until the meat is cooked. Don't forget to add the whole onion and carrot for flavor, a bay leaf, and a few black peppercorns.

A little secret: cook several peeled large potatoes along with the meat.

While the meat is cooking, let's start frying. Cut the lard into small pieces and fry it until it becomes crackling (translucent), add finely chopped onion and fry until transparent. We cut the beets into strips, the carrots can be finely chopped or grated on a coarse grater, and we simmer the vegetables along with the cracklings.

Add sugar to the fry and sprinkle with vinegar to add brightness. Once the beets have become soft, ten minutes of stewing is enough, dust them with flour and stir. Now add tomato sauce or grated fresh tomatoes and simmer for a few more minutes.

The broth is ready. We take out the contents from it. We select the bones and separate the meat into fibers or cut into pieces. The onions and carrots have served their purpose - throw them away. Mash whole boiled potatoes into a puree - this gives the broth thickness and a velvety taste.

Add diced potatoes and cook for 20 minutes. Add frying. Taste it, add salt and pepper if necessary.

Shred the cabbage and place it in the pan. Bring to a boil and leave on low heat for no more than 10 minutes. Let's brew. Ukrainian borscht with lard is ready.

Serve with donuts and greens.

Soup with sauerkraut

A very fortified dish, because sauerkraut is a storehouse of useful elements. The taste is sweet and sour, original.

• Prepare meat broth from pork, beef or chicken. Use the meat for main courses or chop it and send it back to the borscht.
• Add the potatoes into cubes and cook until tender.
• Fry the vegetables for frying in the following sequence: onions, beets, carrots. Simmer until soft and season with tomato paste.
• Add sauerkraut and frying to the borscht, cook until done.
• Serve with sour cream and finely chopped green onions.

Borscht with sorrel

This borscht is also called “green”, and it is perfectly refreshing in the summer and no less tasty in the winter. True, in winter you have to use canned sorrel, which experienced housewives prepare in the summer especially for these purposes.

There is nothing complicated in preparation; green borscht is based on the classic borscht recipe, only sorrel is used instead of cabbage.

Cook the meat broth and prepare other ingredients. Potatoes and onions are cut into cubes, carrots are grated, beets are cut into strips, a bunch of sorrel is crumbled with a knife. Finely chop a few hard-boiled eggs, or you can cut them larger: into quarters or halves.

While the broth is cooking, prepare the roast. In any oil, bring the onion to a translucent state, add beets and carrots, simmer until soft. Add tomatoes.

Cut the cooked meat into pieces. Add potatoes and cook for 20-30 minutes. Now fry – add and cook for a few more minutes. Finally the turn came to put in the sorrel and eggs; as soon as it boils, turn it off immediately. We insist and serve.

Vegetarian (lenten) borscht with beans or mushrooms

Hearty borscht can be prepared not only with meat broth, but also with beans. It is especially relevant for vegetarians or fasting people.

• Soak dry beans in cold water for several hours, or overnight.
• Cook it until soft in salted water.
• Add potatoes and fried vegetables: onions, beets, carrots, tomatoes.
• Lastly, add finely shredded cabbage and boil for no more than 10 minutes. Turn off the heat and let it brew.

Bean borscht is filling, especially if white sugar beans were used, because legumes are rich in proteins and in many cases can replace meat. Canned beans do not add richness to the broth; they are best used for making salads.

Instead of beans, you can take mushrooms, pre-fried in oil. Better yet, combine them.

Navy borscht

It takes a long time to prepare, but it's so worth it - you'll lick your fingers! Its main difference from the classic recipe is the addition of smoked brisket or any other smoked meats.

1. Cook broth from meat cut into small pieces with the addition of a whole onion. When it boils, remove the foam with a slotted spoon and reduce the heat to low. After an hour, add salt, and after another 30-40 minutes, check the readiness of the meat - it should be soft and pierce with a fork. We take out and throw away the onion.
2. Add pieces of smoked brisket and cook while the roast is being prepared.
3. Cut the beets into strips, sprinkle with vinegar and fry in sunflower oil until soft. Pour the broth into it and simmer for half an hour.
4. Separately, fry the onions and grated carrots.
5. Chop the tomatoes or grate them on a coarse grater. Add to the beets, simmer everything together for a few minutes. Cut the potatoes into cubes or strips, as you like. Place in a saucepan and cook until done.
6. We don’t chop the cabbage as we are used to, but cut it into squares and throw it into the borscht.
7. Next comes the frying.
8. After boiling, cook for 7 minutes.
9. The borscht is ready, serve.

Lunch is ready! It's time for the table!

Now you know how to cook borscht with beets in meat or vegetable broth with the addition of mushrooms, beans, smoked meats or sorrel. Every time the borscht turns out new, original, and most importantly - tasty. Cook with pleasure!