This Borscht Recipe is One of My Favorite Winter Soup Recpes

This borscht recipe caught my eye as I was scanning one of my favorite cookbooks of the moment, Simply in Season: Recipes that celebrate fresh, local foods in the spirit of More-with-Less.

Having never made or even tasted borscht before, I had no preconceived ideas about what ingredients it should contain.

Usually, this leads me to an exhaustive comparison of borscht soup recipes from various cookbooks and the internet as I attempt to deduce which one would be best (and lose several valuable hours in the process).

But as I continue to simplify my life, I decided to skip all that time and effort, trust that the recipe before me would be delicious and it was!

It’s not to say there are not lots of other delicious recipes for borscht out there or that I won’t try a different variation next time, but for today this was perfect.

It makes 6 – 8 generous servings of winter borscht that is simple and satisfying on a cold day.

Winter Borscht Soup Recipe

Makes 6-8 servings

This recipe calls for 1 cup chopped beets, beet stems or beet greens. I used both 1 cup of chopped beets and 1 cup of chopped beet greens.

Ingredients

1/4 cup olive oil
3/4 – 1 pound /350 – 500 grams stewing beef or chicken (preferably organic, pastured or free range), chopped
1 cup / 250 ml chopped onion
4 cups / 1 L water
4 cups / 1 L beef broth
2 cups / 500 ml peeled and chopped potatoes
1/2 head cabbage, shredded
1 cup / 250 ml peeled chopped beets, beet stems or beet greens
1/2 cup / 125 ml diced carrots
1/2 cup / 125 ml pearl barley
2 bay leaves
1/2 cup / 125 ml chopped fresh dill or 2 tablespoons dried
1 teaspoon salt or to taste
1/4 teaspoon pepper or to taste
1/2 cup / 125 ml fresh chopped chives (optional)
1/2 cup / 125 ml fresh chopped parsley

Preparation

In a large soup pot or Dutch oven, heat the oil over medium heat until it begins to shimmer. Add the beef and onion and cook until the meat has browned, about 10 minutes.

Add the water, broth, potatoes, cabbage, beets, carrots, barley, bay leaves, dried dill (if using), salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, then cover and simmer for 30 minutes. If using beet greens and fresh dill, wait and add in the next step.

Add the beet greens and fresh dill, if using and parsley. Simmer until the barley is cooked and meat is tender, another 10 to 20 minutes. Adjust seasonings as necessary.