Siberian Borscht with Meatballs and Tomato Paste

An extraordinarily delicious borscht the whole family will love!

Recipe author

Servings:

Pork

250

Onion

Eggs

Milk

Salt

Water

1.5

White beans

Potatoes

Beets

Carrot

Onion

White cabbage

200

Tomato paste

Garlic

Salt

Sugar

Peppercorns

Vinegar

Bay leaf

Vegetable oil

Dill

Sour cream

100

Nutrients and energy value of the composition of the recipe

By weight of the composition:

Proteins 18 % 2 g

Fats 27 % 3 g

Carbohydrates 55 % 6 g

57 kcal

GI: 67 / 0 / 33

Cooking method

Step 1:

How do you make Siberian borscht with meatballs and tomato paste? Gather your ingredients.
Step 2:

Soak the white beans in cold water overnight, then drain and boil them until tender.
Step 3:

Grate the beets on the coarse side of a box grater.
Step 4:

Sauté the beets in an oiled skillet with the vinegar and tomato paste until tender, adding a little water if needed.
Step 5:

Peel and cut the potatoes, cover them with cold water, and cook until soft.
Step 6:

Cut the onion into half-moons, fry it in vegetable oil, and set aside half for the meatballs.
Step 7:

Add the carrot to the other half of the onion and fry until done.
Step 8:

Grind the pork and the reserved fried onion through a meat grinder, then add the egg, milk, and salt.
Step 9:

Shape the mixture into meatballs.
Step 10:

Shred the cabbage and add it to the potatoes.
Step 11:

Add the beets, carrot, onion, and meatballs to the potatoes. Cook until the cabbage is half done.
Step 12:

Add the beans, salt, sugar, spices, and pressed garlic. Cook another 10 minutes.
Step 13:

Serve with sour cream and chopped dill. Enjoy!

Tip: whether or not the recipe specifies an amount of water, it's best to go by your own preference (thick or brothy soup), the size of your pot, and the ingredients you're using. If you're making it for the first time, don't cook a whole pot at once — make a small test batch for one or two people. Scale all the ingredients down to 1–2 servings and figure on about 1 cup of water per serving for a very thick soup, up to 1.5–2 cups for a brothier one, remembering that some liquid boils off as it cooks. Tasting that small batch lets you fine-tune both the liquid and the proportions to your liking. After that, like most experienced cooks, you'll be able to eyeball it.
To keep your eyes from stinging while you cut onions, rinse the onion and your knife in cold water. Rubbing the cutting board with a piece of lemon first keeps it from absorbing the onion smell.