Ukrainian Borscht with Beef, Beets & Dill

Name: Ukrainian Borscht with Beef, Beets & Dill
Total time: 2 h
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: Russian & Ukrainian
Ingredients: 1 lb beef chuck, in 1-inch pieces; 32 oz beef broth; 1½ lb beets (3 medium), peeled and coarsely grated; 1 lb potatoes, in bite-size pieces; ¼ head green cabbage, thinly sliced; 2 carrots, grated; 1 onion, diced; 2 Roma tomatoes, grated or diced; 2 garlic cloves, pressed; ¼ cup chopped dill; ½ cup sour cream; rye or sourdough bread, to serve; 3 tbsp oil; 1 tbsp butter; 2 tbsp tomato paste; 1 tbsp vinegar; 1 tbsp sugar; 2 bay leaves; 1½ tsp salt; ¼ tsp pepper

LunchRussian & Ukrainian120 minServes 6600 kcal27 g protein

Photo: liz west from Boxborough, MA · CC BY 2.0 · source

Ruby-red, sweet-sour beet soup loaded with tender beef, potatoes and cabbage, finished with garlic, dill and a cold spoonful of sour cream.

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Ingredients

1 lb beef chuck, in 1-inch pieces
32 oz beef broth
1½ lb beets (3 medium), peeled and coarsely grated
1 lb potatoes, in bite-size pieces
¼ head green cabbage, thinly sliced
2 carrots, grated
1 onion, diced
2 Roma tomatoes, grated or diced
2 garlic cloves, pressed
¼ cup chopped dill
½ cup sour cream
rye or sourdough bread, to serve

From your pantry: 3 tbsp oil, 1 tbsp butter, 2 tbsp tomato paste, 1 tbsp vinegar, 1 tbsp sugar, 2 bay leaves, 1½ tsp salt, ¼ tsp pepper.

Instructions

Put the beef in a large pot with the broth and 6 cups water and bring to a boil, skimming off the foam. Lower the heat and simmer, partly covered, until nearly tender, 50 to 60 minutes.
Meanwhile cook the grated beets in 2 tbsp oil with the vinegar and sugar in a large skillet over medium heat for 5 minutes, then stir in the tomato paste and cook, covered, over medium-low until soft, 10 to 12 minutes. Transfer to a bowl.
In the same skillet, melt the butter with the last 1 tbsp oil and cook the onion and carrot until soft, 6 to 7 minutes.
Add the potatoes to the soup and cook 10 minutes. Add the cabbage, beets, onion mixture, tomatoes and bay leaves and simmer until the potatoes are tender, 10 to 12 minutes.
Season with salt and pepper, stir in the garlic and most of the dill, then cover, turn off the heat and let it rest 15 minutes. Serve with sour cream, the rest of the dill and bread.

Tip: Cooking the beets separately with a little vinegar keeps that vivid red color. Like most soups, borscht is even better the next day; in Ukraine it's served with garlicky pampushky rolls.