How to cook borscht with beets. Red borscht: secrets of the right color

Many, many years ago I had absolutely no idea how to cook borscht with beets. The first experience was so sad that the contents of the pot of borscht went into the sewer network.

But a negative experience is also an experience! Therefore, the shame was never repeated. Now the recipe for how to make red borscht with beets from meat is asked by many friends who have tasted my first dish. I won’t hide the recipe for beetroot borscht with cabbage from you either.

How to cook borscht with beets, step-by-step recipe

Ingredients:

• 500-600 grams of meat - it can be pork, beef, or chicken. We have recently adapted to lean pork cartilage or strips,
• 2-3 pieces of potatoes,
• 1 carrot,
• 3 pcs. beets of intense color (long ones are best - they are sweeter),
• 1 small onion
• 2 cloves of garlic,
• 1 sweet pepper,
• 3-4 tomatoes or a spoon of tomato paste,
• fresh greens,
• 200 grams of fresh cabbage,
• vegetable oil,
• salt - as needed.

Preparation

We cut the meat into small portions, rinse and place in a saucepan to obtain meat broth, salt to taste. Do not forget to periodically remove the foam while preparing the vegetables.

Since you need to cook borscht with beets, its quality is very important so that the end result is not a red slurry, but a beautiful red borscht. Therefore, it’s better to be too safe than sorry when it comes to beets.

Wash and clean all ingredients - fillers. We cut the potatoes either coarsely, or into strips, or into small cubes, cubes (to taste) and put them into the meat broth (for those who wish -), about an hour after it starts boiling.

Chop the onion and garlic cloves as finely as possible (horrible memories and intolerance to floating fatty onions in food persist from childhood) and sauté them a little in a frying pan in a small amount of oil.

There, in the frying pan, pour the beets and carrots, chopped into thin strips or grated on a special grater (on which carrots are chopped in Korean). Mix everything in the frying pan, cover with a lid, reduce the heat and let simmer for about ten minutes.

We ourselves will prepare the tomatoes for our borscht. They can be finely chopped, grated, rubbed through a sieve, as you wish. The essence of the issue is to obtain tomato juice with pulp, but without skin and seeds. If you don't have fresh tomatoes on hand, you can use a spoon of tomato paste.

Add the tomato component to the frying pan in which the onions, garlic, beets, carrots are stewed and mix everything well. Add some sweet bell pepper, chopped into strips. Simmer for another five minutes.

At this time, finely and finely add to the pan where the meat and potatoes are cooked. Next are the entire contents of the frying pan. Let it boil for about ten minutes, add fresh finely chopped herbs, cover with a lid and let it brew.

Serve borscht with sour cream and mayonnaise. Garlic donuts are good with borscht and beets, as is just a crust of bread rubbed with garlic.

Small digressions to the side: the borscht with beets you prepare will be very tasty and rich, if a little earlier than the chopped potatoes, you put one or two whole potatoes into the broth to boil.

Before unloading the contents of the pan with stewed vegetables into the pan, remove these potatoes from the broth, mash them into a puree and return them to the boiling broth. Mmmm - delicious taste! Try the delicious borscht with beets prepared according to our recipe, you won’t regret it!

Red beet borscht, how to cook it correctly - step-by-step description

Grade
recipe

Time
(min)

Portions
(persons)

In 100 grams of the finished dish

2 gr.

3 gr.

Carbohydrates

45 kcal.

Many peoples consider borscht to be their culinary invention exclusively. But there is still a suggestion that it was first prepared in Ukraine, where beets (beets) grow in every garden. Unlike Russian cabbage soup, fresh cabbage and beets are added to borscht, which gives it a bright color.

Whoever invented this delicious first dish, we can only thank him. After all, everyone loves rich red borscht with a piece of black aromatic bread or garlic donuts. We believe that every girl should be able to cook this hot dish, and men should not shy away from cooking. After all, by cooking a pot of borscht, you can feed your family for several days. And most importantly, after a couple of days the borscht only becomes tastier. There is even a joke - if you like yesterday's borscht, then come back tomorrow.

Ingredients for red borscht:

• Water - 3.5 liters;
• Cabbage - 400 g;
• Beetroot - 200 g;
• Carrots - 150 g;
• Onion - 150 g;
• Pork ribs - 500-600 g;
• Tomato juice 500 ml;
• Salt - 1 tablespoon or more
• Black pepper - to taste;
• Vegetable oil for frying.

How to cook red beetroot borscht

Fill the pork ribs with water and put on fire. After the water boils, salt them and skim off the foam. For flavor, add bay leaf, black pepper and allspice. Cook the pork for 40-60 minutes. The meat should become soft.

While the broth is cooking, prepare all the vegetables. Cut the onion into cubes. Chop the beets and carrots into strips. Some housewives prefer to grate beets and carrots on a coarse grater.

Peel the potatoes and cut into cubes. Place it in a bowl and cover with water to prevent it from darkening. Since it’s too early to throw it into the broth.

Finely chop the cabbage. By the way, the thickness of borscht is not for everybody. Some people like there to be more cabbage or, conversely, more fish soup. We have indicated the average amount of vegetables and water in the ingredients. Those.
The borscht will be moderately thick. But you can add cabbage.

Heat vegetable oil in a frying pan and add onion. Fry it for 5 minutes. Then put the beets in it and fry all the carrots for 10-15 minutes so that the vegetables are thoroughly stewed.

By this point, the broth and meat should be ready. We take out the meat and give it time to cool so that it can be cut. Place the potatoes into the pan.

Immediately add the roasted vegetables. Bring the water to a boil, reduce the heat and cook for 10 minutes.

Add borscht tomato juice, preferably homemade. It gives a special sourness to borscht. If you don't have juice, take tomato paste (100 g) and dilute it with water. Add 1-2 tablespoons of vinegar to the borscht to preserve the bright color and special taste.

Add cabbage and chopped meat. We bring the borscht to the desired taste. As soon as it boils again, let it cook for 10 minutes and turn off the heat. Cover with a lid and leave to brew for at least half an hour. Believe me, it will taste better this way.

This is such a tasty, aromatic borscht we got.

Time to call everyone to the table!

Classic red beef borscht recipe

If you don’t have a suitable piece, it can be perfectly replaced by a slice of tenderloin and chopped spinal bones; this is how classic borscht is cooked.

Ingredients:

• veal on the bone - 800 grams;
• 300 grams of potatoes and fresh cabbage;
• two small beets;
• one ripe tomato or a spoon of tomato paste;
• 100 grams of carrots and the same amount of onions;
• ground pepper, fresh garlic, bay leaf, herbs.

Step-by-step recipe for red beef borscht

Place the washed meat and bones on heat in three liters of cold water, add a spoonful of salt. Having collected the foam, lower the boiling intensity to the lowest setting, cover the pan loosely, and cook for an hour or longer until the meat begins to freely separate from the bone. We put the spices along with the meat.

We use the broth cooking time to our advantage: we peel the vegetables and cut them according to all the rules. Potatoes in random small pieces, cabbage in the form of “noodles,” carrots and beets in strips. We cut the onion so that its pieces are approximately half a centimeter wide, with three times the length.

The addition of vegetables begins from the moment the meat is ready; we will take it out, quickly cut it into small pieces and return it to the pan. After boiling, add the cabbage, followed by the potatoes.

Place the frying mixture in classic borscht hot, heat the oil and, stirring, simmer the beets in it for ten minutes. Sprinkle with a few drops of vinegar and stir in the tomato. After heating for no more than a minute, add a ladle of broth to better collect all the beets and pour into the pan.

Return the pan to high heat, add a little oil, add carrots and onions. Sauté the vegetables until very deep brown, but you don’t want them to fry. Place the golden onion and carrots in the borscht, which has boiled after adding the beets.

Chop the garlic into smaller pieces and add it along with the chopped herbs a couple of minutes before turning off. Classic borscht is infused for at least half an hour, although it is generally accepted that the real taste of the dish will only become real after a day.

Amazingly quick recipe for simple red stewed borscht

Borscht is a leisurely dish, and borscht is usually prepared and eaten slowly. But what to do if you are short on time, or you are in “camping” conditions - at a dacha or a rotational dormitory? Don’t rush to look for a more accessible cafe; luxurious borscht can be cooked from stew in less than an hour!

Ingredients:

• 400 gram jar of good stew;
• three potatoes;
• a quarter fork of cabbage;
• two small beets;
• one and a half spoons or a “disposable” package of tomato;
• garlic head;
• one small onion and one sweet carrot each;
• dill and parsley - three tablespoons of chopped mixture of young herbs.

How to quickly cook red borscht from pork stew

In three liters of boiling water, add potatoes, cut into cubes, and after boiling, shredded white cabbage. Reduce heat, cover with lid

Peel the beets and carrots and rub them with medium shavings, finely chop the peeled onion. From a can of canned meat, transfer the fat without juice and jelly into the frying pan. If it is not enough, add a little lard. Place the onion evenly in the melted fat, warm it up a little, and scatter the beetroot strips on top.

Heat the vegetables for five minutes in a covered frying pan and only then stir, and lay a layer of carrots on top. Simmer again for the same time without stirring, but this time add the tomato.

Transfer the roast into a bowl, and pour the juice from the stew into the frying pan. Add the mashed meat when the liquid in the pan begins to bubble. Next we put the garlic crushed with a special device. Salt and pepper to taste.

We add the roast, stew and herbs to the boiled vegetables and three minutes after the last boil, the quick borscht is ready.

Ukrainian red borscht with tomato paste

This rather complex recipe is “inspired” by borscht from the northern regions of Ukraine. It turns out to be very rich thanks to beans and two types of meat. According to the recipe, greens are served separately.

Ingredients:

• half a chicken carcass and half a kilo of pork tenderloin;
• two medium-sized onions;
• 200 gram beets;
• tomato, thick, unsalted - half a glass;
• 300 grams of juicy cabbage;
• one carrot;
• 100 grams of lard;
• a glass of large dry beans.

How to cook

Having soaked the white beans in advance, rinse and boil separately, do not pour out the broth. We cut the chicken in the joints and thick pieces of meat, pour 3 liters of boiling water, cook until tender.

Slowly melt the lard in a dry frying pan; cut it into large pieces and keep it covered. Place the onion, peeled and finely chopped, into the melted fat. Bring to a strong blush with constant stirring and set aside from heating. Remove the onion with a slotted spoon, allowing the fat to drain into the frying pan, add the grated carrots and previously removed cracklings, and after two minutes add the beets cut into short strips. Simmer for 7 minutes.

Mix all the sauteed vegetables, remove the cracklings from them. Wash the pan thoroughly and fry the pork slices in oil.

Drop into the broth sequentially, letting it boil after each addition: potato cubes, after five minutes fried pork and deboned chicken. After boiling for ten minutes, add the roast, at the same time the beans, and a little later - salt, tomato, cabbage, bay leaf. Add bean broth to the boiled broth.

After simmering for about three minutes, turn off the stove, tightly closing the pan, and place a thick towel on top. Place the completely cooled borscht in the refrigerator for a day. Serve separately with chopped onions, warmed cracklings and herbs.

Red borsch without potatoes on ribs

Children often catch potatoes from a plate of borscht - many children do not like them. The option of mashing potato slices does not always work, and you may simply not have potatoes on hand. Cook red borscht without potatoes.

Ingredients:

• two beets, two carrots and two onions;
• chopped pork ribs - 0.5 kilograms;
• garlic;
• white cabbage - 180 grams;
• half a kilo of tomatoes;
• a teaspoon each of vinegar and sugar;
• sunflower, frozen oil;
• sour cream is medium fat, not sour.

Step by step recipe

Add one peeled carrot and onion to the washed ribs, add three liters of water and turn on moderate heat. After boiling, remove the heat and lower the temperature a little more. Cover with a lid, slightly loosely, and cook for one and a half to two hours until the meat is cooked on the bone.

Remove the vegetables from the finished broth - they will not be needed, lay out the meat to cool, strain the liquid, and put it on heat again. After boiling, add the grated beets, sugar and vinegar.

Heat a frying pan, pour a little oil and sauté finely diced onion and chopped garlic. When the browning has noticeably darkened, add the grated carrots and simmer for up to five minutes.

Cut fresh tomatoes into cubes, add them to the fryer and stir. Removing or leaving the skin on tomatoes is a matter of taste. Warm up for seven minutes under the lid, turning the heat down to the lowest setting.

After 10 minutes, add the roast, and after another couple of minutes, add the finely chopped white cabbage. Let it boil, add salt and pepper if necessary, and lower the meat separated from the bones. Check the vegetables for readiness after a quarter of an hour. Leave for up to half an hour.

Red borscht with smoked meats

Smoked meats in red borscht are not uncommon. This recipe cannot be called traditional, but it is prepared quickly and turns out to be extremely aromatic.

Ingredients:

• 200 grams of potatoes with cabbage and twice as much beets;
• 300 grams of smoked meats;
• three tablespoons of butter and one of tomato paste;
• one medium carrot and one onion, slightly larger;
• pepper, parsley root, salt and bay leaves.

How to cook

We start by chopping all the vegetables. Peel and chop as follows: potatoes - into cubes no larger than one and a half centimeters; cabbage into small squares; chop parsley; Rub the beets and carrots with medium shavings.

It is advisable to use two frying pans. After pouring a spoonful of oil, brown the carrots on the first one, put the beets in the second, and simmer them under the lid. After seven minutes, add the onion to the carrots and mix. When 10 minutes of stewing the beets have passed, turn off the heat under both frying pans.

Let 1.8 liters of water boil in a saucepan, lower the cabbage. Place the potatoes into the re-boiled water and count down ten minutes. We add all the other vegetables - sautéed and fresh, then, at intervals of five minutes, add and stir: the tomato, followed by salt and spices.

Quick red borscht made from new potatoes

There is often an opinion that young potatoes are of little use for borscht and soups. See for yourself how true this is. Light red borscht with new potatoes is prepared quickly, and if you have broth left over from cooking white chicken meat, it will perfectly replace vegetable broth.

Ingredients:

• two boiled beets;
• 1.2 liters of vegetable broth;
• young potatoes - 4 pcs.;
• a small head of cabbage;
• fresh tomatoes - 350 grams;
• one carrot and one onion;
• two tablespoons each of vinegar and sugar;
• a third of a glass of chopped dill;
• to taste - pepper, sour cream, coarse salt.

Step by step recipe

Cut one beet into cubes, the second into strips. We cut the potatoes into cubes, the cabbage into “noodles”, grate the carrots, chop the onion as desired. Rub the tomatoes through a sieve, or simply cut into small slices.

Leave the beetroot chips for now, pour the remaining chopped products with hot vegetable broth or broth, bring to a boil and set aside for half an hour. After about 25 minutes, check the potatoes; they should be almost ready, otherwise cook until desired softness. Add the remaining beets and sugar to the cooked vegetables, pour in the vinegar. After two minutes, add salt, add pepper and turn off the heat.

Borscht is served sprinkled with herbs, garlic is placed separately, or chopped and mixed with sour cream.

Red borscht Kiev style with beet kvass and apples

The complexity of preparation is more than compensated by the taste of borscht. The recipe is considered to be Central Ukrainian, although borscht is cooked with kvass even further north, and apples are the “highlight” of Black Sea recipes. Traditionally, borscht is served with pampushkas or croutons grated with garlic.

Ingredients:

• pork belly - 300 grams and the same amount of tenderloin;
• 400 grams each of boiled potatoes and ripe cabbage, without green leaves;
• large beets;
• a little more than half a glass of dry colored beans;
• half a glass of tomato, or full of pureed tomatoes;
• sweet carrot, medium size;
• a root of celery and parsley;
• two small aromatic apples, any sour variety;
• onion;
• beet kvass - 0.7 liters;
• half a pack of “Farmer” butter;
• pepper - peas and ground;
• 70 grams of lard.

How to cook

We wash the beans to remove debris and soak them “in three waters” - change the water every 2-4 hours as soon as they begin to darken. It is advisable to place the beans in a cool place, but not in the refrigerator. Drain the last water and cook in clean water until tender.

Dilute the kvass with two liters of water and set it to boil, add the brisket, bay leaves and peppercorns. Do not add salt, cook until done. Separate the cooked meat from the bone and put it in the broth.

Cut the tenderloin into narrow slices, cook in half the butter until golden brown and add grated beets. After simmering for a short time over moderate heat, add two small ladles of meat and bone broth and leave under the lid on low heat for about twenty minutes.

We cut the carrots and celery with parsley thinly or grate them into medium shavings, cut the onion smaller and set aside a tablespoon. Saute the chopped vegetables until softened and stir in the tomato one spoon at a time. Warm up for a few minutes.

Finely chop the lard and parsley, grind with a blender at minimum speed. Cut the potatoes into slices, cut the cabbage into thin strips, peeled and cored, apples into thin slices.

Place the potatoes into the broth, and after boiling, add the apples and cabbage. Time it for 12 minutes, stir and sequentially add all the other products, along with the frying. It is advisable to let it boil at least slightly before each next product. The last step is to add beans and lard grout. We taste, add salt, cook for up to twenty minutes, and leave for the same time.

Vegetarian red borscht with dried mushrooms

Considering the amount of vegetables in any borscht, would vegetarians, who also love a tasty lunch, really refuse such a dish? Mushroom borscht is also popular among adherents of traditional cuisine; in short, the dish is also universal.

Ingredients:

• dried mushrooms - 100 grams;
• three potatoes;
• a glass of beans;
• one carrot, one beet and one onion;
• 250 grams of cabbage;
• fleshy fruit of sweet pepper;
• one spoon each of tomato and flour;
• a quarter glass of oil;
• spoon of sugar;
• pepper, herbs and bay leaves - to taste.

Step by step recipe

Let's soak the beans ahead of time, it is advisable to change the water several times, especially if the beans are not white, but colored. We drain the last of the water and boil for about an hour and a half - until the skin on individual beans begins to burst.

We do the same with mushrooms, but we do not drain the water in which they were soaked, but on the contrary, we cook it in it. It goes without saying that the mushrooms are carefully sorted and rinsed.

Cut the finished mushrooms into strips, and dilute the broth with boiled water to a three-liter volume. Bring to a boil, lower the mushrooms and peeled, grated beets, and set aside for a quarter of an hour.

Meanwhile, peel and chop the vegetables. As usual, dice the potatoes, three or cut the carrots into strips, and chop the onion into cubes. After boiling the mushrooms and beets for the specified time, put the potatoes in the pan, and place a frying pan next to it to heat.

At medium temperature, sauté the onions and carrots for about five minutes, sprinkle with flour and stir. Stir in the tomato and heat for a few minutes on low heat. After the aroma has strongly intensified, transfer the roast to the pan.

Cut the peeled peppers and cabbage into strips - wider peppers, thinner cabbage. After adding to the borscht, stir and taste for salt - add salt to taste, you can add a spoonful of sugar. Simmer the vegetarian red borscht for about ten minutes and serve with herbs.

Classic red borscht with beef broth

This recipe will use beef broth, but you can cook another type of meat or poultry, leaving the pieces if desired. Classic red borscht uses beets and tomato paste; together they complement each other perfectly, allowing you to get a beautiful color and a pleasant sour taste.

Ingredients

• 2 liters of beef broth;
• 0.1 kg of onion;
• 0.3 kg potatoes;
• 0.4 kg cabbage;
• 0.2 kg beets;
• 50 ml oil (sunflower);
• 70 g carrots;
• 20 g fresh dill;
• 40 g tomato paste;
• bay leaf, salt.

Step-by-step recipe for classic borscht (red)

We immediately peel the beets, since they do not cook quickly, grate them, put the oil in a small frying pan with a heated spoon, and start frying. After about five minutes, add a couple of tablespoons of water or a little broth, cover, and simmer until soft. To keep the beets a beautiful color and not turn brown, you can add a few drops of vinegar or squeeze a little lemon juice.

If the broth was prepared in advance, then put it on the stove, bring it to a boil, and add the chopped potatoes. It doesn’t matter how you cut it, some people like large pieces, while other people like small strips. We just watch the time, cook until half cooked, add salt and add shredded cabbage to the potatoes.

Immediately after adding the potatoes, place a large frying pan on the stove. Heat the oil, add the chopped onion, fry a little, grate the carrots, add. Cook the vegetables until soft, add tomato paste, 0.5 ladle of broth and simmer.

Are the cabbage and potatoes ready? First add onions and carrots to them, and after boiling, add beets. Let's taste the borscht for salt, season with pepper, let it simmer for about five minutes, but on low heat. Season with dill and bay leaf, then immediately turn off.

A vegetarian version of classic red borscht is prepared in the same way, only instead of broth, plain water or mushroom broth is used.

Quick recipe for classic red borscht with chicken

Don't have time to prepare meat broth? You can cook classic borscht with chicken, but it’s important to do it right. There is no need to cook the bird in advance until done, otherwise by the end there will be nothing left of it, it will fall apart and spoil the appearance of the dish.

Ingredients

• 600 g poultry;
• 3 potatoes;
• 2 spoons of pasta;
• 1 small beet;
• 1 onion (medium sized head);
• 300 g white cabbage;
• small carrot;
• oil, herbs.

How to quickly cook classic borscht with chicken

Rinse the bird; it is better to immediately cut it into pieces at the joints, so that you don’t have to take anything out of the broth later. Place the chicken in a saucepan, add about 2.5 liters of water, and place on the stove. Foam always appears when the broth boils. It needs to be carefully caught, it is important not to miss this moment.

After the bird boils, immediately add the peeled, quartered beets. Boil for a quarter of an hour, add potatoes. We cook about the same amount more, periodically check the beets, and as soon as they are cooked, we catch them. Add cabbage, cut into strips, to the potatoes, salt the borscht.

Fry carrots and onions in oil, add pasta. The beets that were boiled in chicken broth need to be cut and poured into a frying pan, leave it all on the stove until the cabbage is cooked.

Combine the vegetables from the frying pan and the borscht base, stir, boil for a few more minutes, add herbs and seasonings.

If you already have boiled beets at home, then simply chop them and add them to the frying pan; in this case, you don’t need to add anything other than potatoes and cabbage to the chicken when cooking.

Classic borscht with meat without beets

Very often they prepare classic borscht with meat, but without beets. At the same time, they are red, rich, and incredibly tasty. How do you manage to cook such a dish? Any meat can be used. With beef, the broth cooking time may increase by 40-50 minutes, but the principle is absolutely the same.

Ingredients

• 700 g meat (preferably on the bone);
• five potatoes;
• two onions;
• three tomatoes;
• half a kilo of cabbage;
• 70 g paste (tomato);
• large carrot;
• Bell pepper;
• spices, herbs;
• 60 ml oil;
• a little garlic.

How to cook

We wash a piece of meat, you can take a little less that you can find at home. Fill with three liters of water and send to boil. After a few minutes, remove the foam, after an hour, throw in one peeled potato and a whole onion. Cook the broth until the meat begins to separate from the bone. We take out a piece, take out the onion, take out the potato, mash it, and return it to the broth.

Chop the rest of the potatoes and add them next. Let it simmer for 8-9 minutes, add shredded cabbage, add salt to the borscht, and continue cooking.

Pour the oil into a large frying pan and heat. First add the chopped onion, let it fry, add the carrots, and after another couple of minutes the pepper. As soon as the vegetables are browned, add tomato paste. Mix it well and pour in the grated tomatoes. After boiling, turn off the heat and simmer the dressing for at least 10 minutes.

Next, combine everything in a saucepan, stir, cover and simmer over low heat for about 12-15 minutes. To add flavor to the borscht, add spices, laurel, and greens would be helpful. Previously cooked meat can be added to plates, as can fresh garlic.

You can also cook classic red borscht with canned tomatoes. Just don’t forget to fry the tomato to avoid heartburn.

Classic red borscht with beef and beans

To prepare classic borscht with beef, natural dry beans will be used. It is important to fill it with cold water in the evening or at least 5 hours before cooking. For the broth we take beef with a bone.

Ingredients

• 200 g beets;
• 0.5 kg cabbage;
• 0.6-0.7 kg of beef;
• 0.1 kg beans;
• 3 potatoes;
• 0.5 cups pasta;
• 0.3 cups oil;
• 1 onion.

Step by step recipe

We put the beef in one saucepan to cook in broth, which you will need about three liters. In another pan, boil the beans, previously soaked. We make sure that it does not fall apart or crack, do not overexpose it, and immediately drain the water.

As soon as the meat is cooked, add the potatoes. It is better to immediately remove the beef and cut it into pieces. As soon as the potatoes have boiled for about ten minutes, add shredded fresh cabbage to it, let it simmer for a minute, add the beans and salt. Cook the borscht over low heat until the cabbage is soft.

Immediately, as soon as you add the potatoes, grate the beets, fry in the mixture for a minute, add a little water, cover, simmer until soft. In another pan, fry the onion and season with tomato paste. You can add carrots if you wish.

Transfer the vegetable dressings into the pan with the borscht, stir, and continue to simmer for another ten minutes. Herbs and spices are added as desired.

Classic borscht with canned beans is cooked in the same way, it’s just added after the cabbage has boiled without pre-processing.

Classic red borscht with pork

You can simply cook a dish with meat, as in the recipes above, but this is a slightly different option. For classic borscht with pork, you need ribs; if you are confused by the large amount of fat, you can trim a little.

Ingredients

• 1 beet;
• 1 onion;
• 500 g ribs;
• 500 g cabbage;
• 30 g fat or oil;
• 1 carrot;
• 2 spoons of pasta;
• herbs, spices.

How to cook

Cut the ribs, put them in a saucepan, add a couple of liters of water, and cook for 35-40 minutes after boiling. This is enough for pork. Borscht without potatoes, so immediately add chopped beets, boil together with the ribs for ten minutes, and add shredded cabbage.

We heat the fat or use oil. Chop the onion and fry. Peel the carrots, grate them, and add them to the onions. Fry until golden brown. We dilute the paste with water and pour in the vegetables. Simmer the sauce in the tomato over low heat until a bright color appears.

Transfer the tomato and vegetables into a pan with cooked cabbage and ribs. Stir the borscht and add spices to taste. Cover and simmer on low for a quarter of an hour. Throw in greens, garlic to taste.

You can cook this borscht with smoked ribs; in this case, you don’t need to cook the broth for a long time. Or just add 1-2 pieces to the pan for flavor at the stage of adding cabbage.

Borscht with beets is the most correct borscht recipe. Recipes without beets cannot be called red borscht - this is not borscht, but rather a regular soup with cabbage.

In the recipe for borscht with beets, the composition is important; to prepare a real red dish, you should choose the right beets - this is the main ingredient in borscht.

Advice from the Wonder Chef. Before preparing borscht, special attention should be paid to the color of the root vegetable - its color should be dark red or burgundy.

How to cook borscht with beets? The recipe is simple, the dish is cooked in several ways: the beets are cooked whole in borscht, quickly in a separate pan to preserve the red color, or immediately cut into pieces.

Beets cooked in pieces in broth or water lose their red color, and vegetables are boiled while boiling. To preserve the red beet color during cooking, borscht is cooked with tomatoes, vinegar, lemon juice, and acid.

The required ingredients for borscht with beets, prepared at home, are fresh or pickled white cabbage, potatoes, and meat.

Ingredients for red borscht with beets and tomatoes

• meat on the bone (I had brisket) – 300-400 g;
• beets – 2 pcs.;
• fresh cabbage - half a small head of cabbage;
• carrots – 2 pcs.;
• onion – 1 pc.;
• potatoes – 4-5 pcs.;
• table vinegar – 2 tbsp;
• fresh tomatoes or – 2 pcs.;
• garlic;
• salt;
• ground black pepper;
• granulated sugar – 1 tbsp;
• greenery.

Recipe for borscht with beets and cabbage

We cook borscht with beets and tomatoes in meat broth, so we start preparing the dish by cooking the broth for the borscht.

It is better to use meat in borscht with a marrow bone; pieces of meat on the bone give the broth a rich meaty taste.

In addition to the sugared meat bone, the broth for borscht is made from pork ribs, neck and back part of pork, and beef.

How long to cook the broth (time) depends on the freshness of the meat.

1. Pour water into the pan, lower the washed piece of meat. To eliminate the too strong beetroot smell during further cooking, you can add the whole peeled parsley root, which at the end will need to be thrown away along with the onion.
2. Bring the water to a boil, skim off the resulting foam, and cook over high heat for 5 minutes.
3. Then take out the meat, drain the water, and rinse the pan. We do this step to make the broth clear and more healthy.
4. Place the pan with clean water on the stove again, after boiling, add the meat, peeled onion (parsley root) and cook over low heat until tender. Do not cover the pan with a lid.
5. Next, add the peeled potatoes, cut into cubes or strips. We take out the onion and throw it away.
6. After a few minutes, add the finely shredded cabbage. When the borscht boils, reduce the heat and continue cooking the mixture.
7. Pour oil into a preheated frying pan and place the carrots, previously grated on a coarse grater, on one half and the beets on the other. By the way, we can cut the beets into cubes; this will not affect the taste of the finished dish.
8. Pour vinegar over the beets, stir, and cover with a lid. Simmer the vegetables over low heat for 15-20 minutes. If necessary, add oil to prevent the mixture from burning.
9. Once the vegetables are soft, add the crushed peeled tomatoes along with the juice. Stir and simmer for another 5 minutes.
10. Then transfer the stewed vegetables into the broth and reduce the heat. Salt, pepper, mix. Warm up for 5-7 minutes.

Of the available ingredients in the recipe for borscht with beets, we still have garlic and herbs; we chop them and add them to the almost finished dish.

The final touch is to cover the borscht with a lid and let it sit for a while, then pour it into plates and add sour cream to each plate of borscht and beets.

Borscht with beets and cabbage is a rich, aromatic first course, which becomes even tastier the next day, therefore, unlike cabbage soup, it is better to prepare borscht at home for future use for several days, providing the family with a hearty, tasty home-cooked lunch.

There are as many correct recipes for red borscht as there are housewives who undertake to cook it. There are especially many Ukrainian and Polish options. Borscht is prepared with kvass, with meat, fish, mushrooms, beans, turnips, apples, and dumplings in the form of tiny dumplings. But most of the technological secrets are associated with the main ingredient - beets.

Why does borscht lose its red color?

Borscht with beets should be red. Everyone who sits down at the table knows this. But anyone who has ever tried to cook it knows how quickly an almost finished soup becomes brown and unappetizing.

The color of beets, and therefore borscht, is given by the unique phytonutrient betacyanin.

It is quite rare in nature, only in rhubarb, several types of cacti and flowers. Its beneficial properties are simply off the charts; its main actions are antioxidant and anti-inflammatory. Unfortunately, this flavonoid is very unstable; it is easily oxidized and dissolves in water.

Therefore, once in the pan, the beets generously share their blush with all the products and with the broth. But, at the finish line, just before it’s ready, it itself becomes like boiled cabbage, without color or taste, and the broth loses its color in a matter of minutes. The air bubbles that form in the actively boiling broth instantly destroy betacyanin.

Although the taste of borscht does not change, the dish loses its attractiveness and some of its beneficial properties.

How to make borscht red

Beets are a stubborn root vegetable. It takes longer to cook than all other ingredients, so it is often added to the pan first. This is a fatal mistake of an inexperienced housewife.

Another mistake is boiling borscht for a long time so that all the vegetables are boiled until soft.

To preserve betacyanin, you will have to cook the beets separately, do not let them boil and add them to the borscht last. For additional guarantee, the environment into which the beets will fall, that is, the broth, must be acidified.

Following these principles, housewives and professional chefs choose suitable technological solutions. The properties of beets were also taken into account in primordial, ancient recipes.

• One of the first tricks is to supplement the broth with beet kvass 1:1. Kvass will add piquancy, sourness and sweetness to the taste at the same time, while preserving the color of the beets. This ancient technique can be used in a modern kitchen. Beets, filled with cold water, are kept in a warm room for eight days. Thanks to the work of the sugars it contains and the yeast floating in the air, the process does not require intervention. In the old days, borscht was prepared almost every day and kvass was constantly updated. A modern housewife can freeze it in portioned bags and, as needed, add it to the broth during cooking or to ready-made borscht along with beets.
• An acidic environment can be created by using pickled beets or sauerkraut. In winter, this technique is very popular. The preparations are first slightly stewed or fried to make the vegetables softer.
• You can acidify the broth with vinegar or lemon juice.
• Mild acid is contained in tomatoes; they are added in pureed form to the dishes where beets are prepared.

To make the beets soft and edible, suitable for adding to ready-made borscht,:

• cut into strips and simmer in a small amount of water, not allowing it to boil;
• sauté separately or together with other vegetables;
• bake in the oven whole, cut and add to soup before cooking;
• they are boiled separately, whole, in their uniform or without, and grated into the soup so that it gives off its color.

Often beets are divided into two parts: one is boiled in borscht, the other is cooked separately and added before cooking. Adding a small amount of sugar to stewed or sautéed beets, or directly to the broth, also helps preserve color.

Classic red borscht with beets and cabbage

How to cook red borscht using technological tricks and get a 100% successful result? First of all, you need to maintain a sense of proportion and often taste the broth for salt, sugar and acid content.

Ingredients:

• rich meat broth;
• beet;
• cabbage;
• potato;
• carrot;
• tomato paste;
• garlic;
• vinegar;
• sugar;
• salt;
• a mixture of peppers and bay leaf to taste.

Beets are an important ingredient, but not the main one. The number of vegetables should be approximately the same. Excess beets can spoil the taste of the dish.

1. Pre-prepare the borscht dressing: saute the carrots, onions and beets. Add salt and sugar to taste. Season with tomato paste and remove from heat.
2. Add chopped cabbage to the broth. After 5 - 7 minutes - potatoes.
3. When the vegetables are ready, pour in a couple of tablespoons of vinegar. It is better to use wine or apple instead of alcohol.
4. Pour in the dressing, add crushed garlic, pepper and bay leaf.
5. Immediately remove from heat and leave to steep for 15 - 20 minutes.
6. Borscht, like all soups with cabbage, tastes better the next day. An important point: you need to heat it in small portions, avoiding boiling. Otherwise, the color obtained with such difficulty will disappear along with the first bubbles.

Cooking in Ukrainian

Real Ukrainian borscht is akin to a work of art. The three pillars on which it is based are juicy beetroot, rich broth and lard.

Other ingredients:

• cabbage;
• potato;
• beans;
• tomatoes;
• carrot;
• garlic;
• salt;
• sugar;
• pepper.

The best borscht is made in the summer, when the garden is full of fresh vegetables and herbs.

1. Beets are prepared separately - stewed, fried or baked. Author's options are possible here.
2. The tomatoes need to be scalded and turned into puree. Be sure to remove the skin. Pour tomato puree into beets. Add salt and sugar.
3. Stew carrots and onions together. If desired, you can add bell pepper.
4. Young milk beans do not require soaking, but they take longer to cook than other vegetables.
5. You can add one whole potato. When it is boiled, it is mashed into a puree and returned to the broth - this will make it thicker and denser.
6. When the beans, cabbage and potatoes are cooked in the broth, add the sauteed sauce to the borscht, pour in beet kvass or vinegar and only then add the beets.
7. The borscht is immediately removed from the heat.
8. Garlic and lard are converted into a homogeneous puree using a blender. Previously, this dressing was carefully pounded in a mortar. It can be spread on bread and served separately. However, borscht requires a final touch - a couple of spoons of lard with garlic should slowly melt in the pan, combining and softening all the flavors. After half an hour, the borscht can be seasoned with herbs, sour cream and served with traditional donuts.

Delicious first course with beef

It is best to cook red borscht in beef broth with sugar bone.

The broth will not be very greasy, but strong and flavorful. This is exactly the character of borscht.

Ingredients:

• beef on the bone, such as ribs;
• beets and other vegetables to taste;
• salt, sugar, wine vinegar;
• garlic.

Beef broth will require special herbs - lovage, tarragon and thyme.

1. Beef broth for borscht is cooked according to all the rules: the meat is loaded into cold water, and the foam that rises during boiling must be removed. The broth simmers slowly for about 2 - 2.5 hours; it should not boil. The finished broth must be strained so that there are no small bones left in it. Chop the meat and return to the pan.
2. Separately prepare borscht dressing from beets, carrots and onions. Be sure to taste it for salt and sugar before adding it to the borscht.
3. Boil cabbage and potatoes until tender. Once the broth is acidified with vinegar, nothing will boil in it.
4. Before cooking, add the dressing to the borscht. Taste the broth again, if necessary, at this stage the taste can be adjusted.
5. Season with garlic and herbs. Remove the pan from the stove.

Red borscht with chicken broth

You can cook light, almost dietary borscht with chicken broth.

Ingredients:

• chicken;
• beets and other vegetables;
• salt, sugar, lemon;
• garlic.

Herbs that go well with tender chicken meat include basil, marjoram and oregano.

1. Broiler chicken is cooked for no more than an hour, making sure to remove the foam. The laying hen will have to be cooked for 2 - 3 hours, but it will give off more flavor and nutrients without turning into a rag. It is usually recommended to strain the broth. Salt it before cooking and be sure to taste it. All the salt can be added to the borscht dressing, but the broth should not be salted at all.
2. Add cabbage and potatoes to the meat in the pan. To reduce the calorie content of the dish, you can omit the potatoes or replace them with young turnips, as the Lithuanians and Ukrainians do.
3. Separately cook the beets, season them with salt and sugar. You don’t need to add tomatoes to this version of borscht.
4. Sauté carrots and onions.
5. Acidify the broth with lemon juice.
6. Add borscht dressing.
7. Add chopped garlic and herbs.
8. Leave the soup to steam under the lid, removing from heat.

1. Cut the beets into strips and simmer in a small amount of water until soft. Before ready, add salt, sugar, tomato puree.
2. Saute carrots, colored peppers and onions, avoiding the formation of a crust.
3. Place beans, cabbage and potatoes into the pan. Beans take longer to cook, so vegetables are added at short intervals.
4. When all the vegetables are cooked, add the sauté and acidify the broth.
5. Transfer the beets to the pan and remove from the heat.
6. Season with garlic and herbs. Let rest covered for a quarter of an hour.

How to make red cold borscht

The summer version is prepared extremely quickly, pleases with a low amount of calories and a fresh taste.

Ingredients:

• beet;
• potatoes (for those who are not on a diet);
• eggs;
• fresh cucumbers;
• fresh herbs;
• lemon juice;
• sugar;
• salt;
• sour cream.

Separately prepare beetroot broth and dressing from cucumbers and herbs. To make the dish more satisfying, you can cut lean boiled meat, sausage, and fish.

1. For the decoction, cut the beets into strips or grate them.
2. Season boiling water with salt, sugar and lemon juice to taste. Carefully lay out the beets. Depending on the cut, simmer it without boiling for 5 to 20 minutes. Cool and chill in the refrigerator.
3. Boil potatoes and eggs separately. Cool and peel. Cut into small pieces or large slices. In Lithuania, hot boiled potatoes with herbs are served separately with cold borscht.
4. Chop cucumbers and greens and place on plates.
5. Pour beet broth and season with sour cream.

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!