Give your school cafeteria soup a second chance. Classic Russian borscht is full of aromas and flavors

You can find borscht in many different forms – although it is based on beetroot and cabbage, some variations are tomato-based and there are even meatless versions of this soup. Today, however, we will focus on the classic Russian borscht.

How to cook classic Russian borscht

• For
• 6 servings of classic Russian borscht you will need
• 200 g cabbage
• 200 g potatoes
• 500 g beef with bone
• 300 g beetroot
• 5 whole black peppercorns
• 2 bay leaves
• 100 g onion
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 100 g carrots
• 2 cloves garlic
• Prepare a pot with a capacity of 2–2.5 liters.
• Cook the meat broth – wash the beef with bones in cold water, place in a pot, cover with cold water and bring to a boil.
• Bring to the boil several times, reduce the heat and skim off the foam that forms on the surface. Season with salt and simmer over low heat for about 1.5 hours.
• About 10-15 minutes before the end of cooking the broth, add the whole peppercorns and bay leaf.
• Remove the meat, strain the broth. The meat should be beautifully soft. Use your hands to separate it into fibers about 2–3 cm long, or cut it into cubes.
• Put the pieces of meat back into the broth and increase the heat.
• Cut the peeled potatoes into 2 x 2 cm cubes and add them to the broth. Bring to the boil and reduce the heat. Let it cook for about 15 minutes.
• Cut the cabbage into strips and place in a pot, bring to a boil again, then reduce to a simmer. Cook over low heat.
• Prepare the remaining vegetables – peel the onion and cut it into small cubes, peel and grate the carrots and beetroot.
• Fry the onion in a pan until golden brown, then add the carrots and fry briefly.
• Add the grated beetroot and fry the mixture briefly.
• Remove about 2 ladles of broth from the pot with the cabbage and potatoes and pour it into the pan. Season lightly with salt and pepper, add the tomato paste, mix everything carefully and then simmer until soft.
• Once the beets are soft, pour the entire mixture from the pan into a pot and bring to a boil. Then reduce the heat, cook the borscht for just 2 minutes and turn off the stove.
• Add the crushed garlic and stir. Cover the borscht with a lid and let it stand for about 15 minutes.
• Serve classic Russian borscht with sour cream, chopped dill and parsley.

Tip: You can add ground black pepper, dill, parsley or salt to taste.

If you are attracted to the composition of borscht, but you are not a fan of thick, hot and hearty soups, don't worry. You will be pleased to know that there is another variant of it, namely cold borscht, which you can enjoy even during the challenging hot summer days.