Main Page
Soups
Borscht with beans and chicken

Borscht with Beans and Chicken

Borscht is a classic of Ukrainian cuisine, and there's really no single "right" recipe. There are countless versions, all of them different. Every cook has her own tricks for making borscht the way she likes it — or simply the way her family loves it best. This is the recipe handed down in my family. It's shifted and grown a little with each generation, so it's truly been tested by time. Give it a try!

BLUE-EYED

Recipe author

Composition / ingredients

Servings:

Water

Chicken thigh

Chicken breast (dark or white)

200

Pork knuckle

430

Beet

Carrot

Bell pepper (I use frozen)

Onion

Green cabbage

150

Potato (large)

Canned beans

300

Tomato paste

Garlic

Bay leaf

Fresh herbs (dill, parsley, green onion — best fresh, but dried or frozen work too)

Sugar

Salt

Vegetable oil

Translation table of volumetric measures

Nutrients and energy value of the composition of the recipe

By weight of the composition:

Proteins 36 % 5 g

Fats 36 % 5 g

Carbohydrates 29 % 4 g

75 kcal

GI: 50 / 0 / 50

Cooking method

Step 1:

Gather all your ingredients.
Step 2:

Start the bone broth: rinse the meat and add it to a pot of cold water (everything except the chicken breast). Add 1/2 onion, 1/4 carrot, 1 garlic clove, and the dill and parsley stems.
Step 3:

Bring to a boil, skim off the foam, reduce the heat to low, season with a little salt, and simmer until the meat is fully cooked (about 1 hour).
Step 4:

Rinse the beans and drain them in a colander. Peel and cut the vegetables: dice the onion small and the garlic very fine. Cut the cabbage and bell pepper into thin strips. I shred the beet and carrot on a julienne (Korean-carrot) grater, but you can also cut them into matchsticks with a knife.
Step 5:

While the broth simmers, make the sauté: cook the onion in hot oil until translucent or a touch longer.
Step 6:

Add the carrot.
Step 7:

Add the beet, 1 tsp sugar, and a little salt. If you like, add 1/2 tsp of vinegar to keep the beet's vivid color.
Step 8:

Add the tomato paste, stir, and let it cook for a moment. (You can also dissolve the paste in some broth and add it that way, but I think frying it first tastes better.)
Step 9:

Add a little broth so the vegetables can stew, covered, over low heat for 1-2 minutes. Then take the pan off the heat — the sauté is ready.
Step 10:

Add the chicken breast to the nearly finished broth (it cooks very fast, so there's no need to add it sooner).
Step 11:

Peel the potato and cut it into medium dice.
Step 12:

Remove all the meat from the broth and let it cool. Then pull it from the bones and cut it into small pieces. Leave a little meat on the knuckle for anyone who likes to gnaw on the bone.
Step 13:

Bring the broth back to a boil and add the potato. Once it boils again, skim the foam and cook over medium heat until halfway done.
Step 14:

Test the potato with a fork; once it's tender, stir in the sauté.
Step 15:

Once it returns to a boil, add the bell pepper, followed by the cabbage.
Step 16:

Return the cut-up meat to the pot. Taste for salt and add more if needed.
Step 17:

Add the drained beans.
Step 18:

About 3-5 minutes before it's done (I usually go by the potato), add the bay leaf, garlic, and herbs. Turn off the heat and let the borscht rest, covered, for 20-30 minutes.
Step 19:

Serve with a dollop of sour cream and garlic pampushky (garlic rolls) — though it's delicious on its own. Enjoy!