Borsch - Classic Russian Beet Soup (30 minute meal)

There are as many variations to this classic Russian beet soup as there are home cooks.  This one is easy and quick to make when you have nutrient-dense bone broth already on hand.

Ask any Slavic person and they'll all renounce in unison one of the bestest most comforting foods on a cold wintry night is the classic borsch.  But in reality, this traditional soup is often made all throughout the year.  This soup is incredibly inviting and hearty.  Rich in magnesium, potassium, fiber, iron, Vitamins A, B & C not to mention the beta-carotene found in carrots and beets.  Borsch is a win especially when the flu and cold season kicks in.

As the kids are getting older and life is becoming more full with each passing year - I rely on quick and simple tips to get dinner on the table with as little prep work as possible.   Not necessarily because of laziness or poor time management, but more because I appreciate the value of streamlining things and maximizing my time in the kitchen.  One of the ways I can consolidate my cooking duties is to use nutrient-dense bone broth in my soups.

This step is twofold.  One, it saves time that I would otherwise have to spend cooking the meat and making broth out of it, which can take upwards to two hours.  With this method, the broth will most likely be mediocre at best because of the short cooking time.  Further, the convenience of having available bone broth in the fridge is reassuring on a busy night. Two, it provides my family essential nutrients via the health benefits of slow cooked bone broth.  Two-hour broth doesn't just doesn't cut it.  Every time I set the dinner table with food, I am making a conscious decision to nurture my family.  I don't nail this every time but I do make a genuine effort (on most nights).

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Every family has their version of it and every babushka (grandma in Russian) adds her special touch to the pot containing this rich ruby goodness.  And just as all families are different, so are the recipes to this classic Russian beet soup.  This one is mine.

Borsch traditionally calls for beans.  But this can easily be omitted if you are on a healing diet such as paleo or GAPS (or use cannellini beans if tolerated on GAPS).  Likewise, you can easily swap potatoes for yams, celeriac or even squash to make it Whole30.  Think of this as a black canvas to add whatever ingredients you tolerate.  Also, borsch is topped with sour cream but again simply omit it if not tolerated or not compliant with your diet. 

This version should only take between 30-40 minutes from start to finish, provided you have the bone broth, cooked beans (if using), and leftover chicken ready.  It looks intimidating because of the vast amount of ingredients, but once you get into the rhythm of making this soup, you'll see how simple and easy this version really is.

We love to eat this with sourdough bread or gluten free crackers and raw garlic cloves dipped in sea salt.

Borsch – Classic Russian Beet Soup – 30 Minute Method

Anya @ Prepare & Nourish

This much-simpler version of Classic Russian Borsch will get your dinner on the table in under 40 minutes flat.

5 from 1 vote

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Prep Time 10 mins

Cook Time 30 mins

Total Time 40 mins

Ingredients

  

• T lard tallow, ghee, or butter
• 1 onion diced
• 2 carrots julienned
• 1 lg beet juliennned
• 1 cup tomato sauce OR ½ tomato paste combined well with ½ cup of hot water
• 3 qt. bone broth
• 2 bay leaves
• 3 russet potatoes peeled and chopped
• 1 cup cooked beans
• 1 cup cooked leftover chicken beef or pork
• 1 green bell pepper sliced
• 2 cups shredded cabbage ¼ head of small cabbage
• 1 bunch parsley/dill chopped
• salt & pepper to taste

Instructions

 

• Saute onions on medium-high heat in the fat in a large heavy-bottomed pot until the edges start turning brown, about 5 minutes.
• Add the julienned carrot and beet to the onions and cook for about 5 more minutes.
• Pour in the tomato sauce or paste and combine well.
• Pour in your prepared bone broth, chopped potatoes and bay leaves. Cover the pot and turn to high heat to bring to a boil.
• Add cooked beans and meat, bell pepper, cabbage, and parsley or dill, and season to taste.
• Give your borsch a stir and immediately turn off the heat and close the lid again. Allow to stand for 5 minutes so all flavors are integrated.
• Enjoy your borsch with a dollop of sour cream and toast. And with fresh garlic on the side.

Notes

Tips & Tricks:

- Forgot to take out the cooked beans and/or meat out of the freezer this morning? No worries, just run it under lukewarm water to release it from its container and throw the frozen chunk into the pot during step 4. It will defrost and warm the contents along with cooking the potatoes.

Here’s some further instruction as to how to eat Borsch:

Dip the garlic clove in salt. Take a small bite. Then, take a bite of the toasted sourdough bread. Heaping tablespoon of borsch. Garlic clove. Bread. Spoon of borsch. Garlic. Bread. Borsch. Garlic. Bread. Borsch. Repeat until bowl is empty. Sometimes, we’ll add cured lard/bacon or what’s known as salo but that’s a post on it’s own. Right now, I’ll just enjoy my garlic, toast and a hot bowl of borsch.

-My all-time favorite herb is hands-down...dill. But I use parsley and dill interchangeably in this soup.

- I turn the heat off immediately after throwing in the last of the ingredients because I prefer the crunch of the bell peppers and cabbage. Besides, the leftover portion of the borsh when reheated will generate fully cooked vegetables. This way, you can enjoy different textures from the same pot of soup.

Nutrition Information

The information shown is an estimate provided for your convenience by an online calculator. It should not be considered as a substitute for a professional nutritionist's advice. See our complete Nutritional Information Disclaimer.

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