Embrace cosy cooking with this vibrant borscht recipe. This version is complete with tender beef chunks, so it’s substantial enough to be a main meal.
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Heat the oil in a large heavy-based saucepan over medium-high heat. Cook the beef, in 2 batches, for 6-8 mins or until brown all over. Transfer to a heatproof bowl.
Melt the butter in the pan. Add the onion, carrot, potato, celery and beetroot. Cook, stirring, for 5 mins or until the onion starts to soften. Add the garlic, celery salt and tomato paste. Cook, stirring, for 1 min or until aromatic.
Return the beef and any resting juices in the bowl to the pan. Stir in stock. Season. Bring to the boil, then reduce heat to low. Cover and cook for 2 hours or until the beef is tender.
Add the cabbage, dill and parsley and cook for a further 5-10 mins or until the cabbage softens.
Ladle the soup among serving bowls to serve.
Serve with chopped dill, chopped flat-leaf parsley, sour cream and Coles Bakery Stone Baked by Laurent Rye Sourdough Vienna*
COOK. STORE. SAVE.
Store any leftover borscht in an airtight container in fridge for up to 2 days. Reheat in a saucepan over medium heat.
*Selected stores only.
Feeling the chill this winter? Warm up from the inside out with a bowl of this homemade chunky beef and beetroot soup known as borscht. With origins in the Eastern European countries of Ukraine and Russia, the distinct red-hued slow-cooked soup is the perfect hearty main to feed your family.
The earthy, savoury and tangy flavour of borscht (thanks to the use of beetroots) is perfectly balanced in every spoonful. Don’t be intimidated by the long cooking time of this recipe for borscht – once the beef has been browned in a saucepan and the veggies have been stirred through, beef stock is added to the pot and the dish essentially cooks itself over low heat. Serve borscht with fresh herbs like dill and parsley, as well as a dollop of sour cream and some crusty bread to mop up all that goodness.
When choosing the best beetroot to use in borscht soup, look for deep maroon beets that are firm to the touch with smooth skin. If the leaves are still connected, they should be bright in colour and the taproot (the thin, pointy end of the beetroot) should also be attached. Beetroot can be messy to prepare. Wash well under water to remove any dirt and use a vegetable peeler with a firm grip to peel the beet. When cutting the beetroot, slice a small piece off one end to create a flat base to help stabilise the vegetable when finely chopping. You can wear food-safe gloves to prevent beet stains on your hands and wash stained chopping boards with lemon and coarse salt.
For more recipes that feature beetroot, try this roasted beetroot salad with spiced chickpeas or Courtney Roulston’s beetroot hummus. If you want to try your hand at more Eastern European-inspired recipes, give this Hungarian pulled pork soup a go.