Ukrainian Borscht

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Ukrainian Borscht

Serves: 8 people | Total Time: 1 hour and 45 minutes

Ukrainian-style borscht is commonly made with beets, cabbage, carrots, garlic, and dill. This recipe is perfect as-is, but you can experiment by adding other vegetables that you have on hand. It can be made vegetarian by using vegetable broth and omitting the beef, and vegan if you omit the dollop of sour cream when serving.

INGREDIENTS

  • 1 lb beef stew meat or sirloin tips
  • Olive oil
  • 1 medium onion diced
  • 2 (or more!) cloves garlic minced
  • Splash of white wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar
  • 14 cups broth
  • 2 carrots, grated
  • 1 large beet, grated
  • 2 or 3 medium potatoes diced
  • 1⁄2 medium head of cabbage grated
  • 2 T tomato paste or ketchup
  • Salt to taste
  • 1⁄2 cup chopped fresh dill (or 2 tsp dried)
  • Sour cream or plain yogurt for serving
  • Microgreens

DIRECTIONS

  1. Salt the beef and brown it in a large skillet on high heat. Transfer the meat to a large pot and add the 14 cups of water/broth. Simmer on medium/low.
  2. Peel the beets and carrots and grate using the largest holes on the grater. Grate the cabbage on the largest setting as well. Keep the cabbage separate from the beets and carrots as they will have different cooking times.
  3. In the skillet you used to brown the beef, add a glug of olive oil and saute the onions on medium/low heat until translucent and slightly golden. Add salt. Add the garlic and saute for a few moments just until the aroma fills the kitchen, taking care not to burn it.
  4. Add a splash of the vinegar to the skillet, quickly stir the onions and garlic and then add the grated carrots and beets to the skillet and cook for about 10 minutes.
  5. Add the diced potatoes to the pot with the beef. Cook for about 15-20 minutes, until the potatoes are tender.
  6. Add the shredded cabbage and the tomato paste or ketchup to the skillet and cook for another 10 minutes. Then add the contents of the skillet to the pot with the beef and potatoes.
  7. Add dill. Remove from heat and allow to sit for about 15 minutes so the flavors can blend. Taste, and add more salt or dill if needed.
  8. Serve with a dollop of sour cream or plain yogurt and microgreens.