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Russian Borsch

Course Soup
Cuisine Russian
Servings 25

Ingredients
  

  • 1 large pot about 25 servings
  • 1.5 lbs beef chuck roast
  • 3 medium beets
  • 3 large carrots
  • 1 brown onion
  • 3 large potatoes
  • 1/2 head cabbage
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 3 Tbsp salt
  • 2 Tbsp black pepper
  • 2-2.5 gallons water
  • 6 oz can tomato paste
  • vegetable oil for frying
  • Sour cream fresh parsley, fresh dill for topping.

Instructions
 

  • Add the water and bay leaves to a large pot. Bring the water to a boil.
  • Meanwhile, coat the beef roast with approximately 2 Tbsp of the salt and the pepper. When the water starts to boil, add the roast and reduce heat down to a simmer. Simmer for about 1 hour.
  • While the beef is boiling, peel and shred the beets and carrots. Fry the beets and carrots in vegetable oil until slightly reduced, about 10 minutes. Dice the onion, add it to the beets and carrots and fry until tender.
  • Peel the potatoes and cut into bite-sized chunks. Finely chop the cabbage.
  • When the 1 hour is up, remove the beef from the pot and add the potatoes and cabbage into the pot. Let boil until the potatoes are fork-tender. Meanwhile, cut the beef into bite-sized chunks.
  • When the potatoes are done, add the beef, tomato paste, and beet mixture to the pot. Simmer at least 10 minutes. Meanwhile, chop the fresh parsley and dill for garnish.
  • Taste and add the remaining 1 Tbsp salt or more as needed. Serve immediately topped with fresh parsley and dill and a dollop of sour cream.

Notes

You may want to wear rubber gloves while handling the beets to prevent staining your hands, especially if shredding by hand. Rinse any stains with cold water. I recommend Yukon or red potatoes for this recipe.