Every cook's classic borscht turns out a little differently, no matter which recipes are used. Look through the various ways to make it and choose the best one for yourself. Beyond a different set of products, there are several ways to prepare them, as well as the order in which they go into the pot. Of course, there's a bit of culinary "magic" involved — every cook puts a piece of their own effort into the dish. That's why the very same recipes yield different tastes.
There is a basic set of must-have ingredients for classic borscht:
- beetroot;
- cabbage;
- carrots;
- onion.
Potatoes are used very often, though sometimes cooks prefer to make it without them. They also add sweet peppers, herbs, and tomatoes. The main thing here is to keep the right proportions: cabbage and beets should take up about two to three times more volume than the other vegetables.
An important part of classic borscht is the broth. Several kinds of meat are traditionally used for it: beef, pork, and chicken.
The five most commonly used ingredients in classic borscht:
It's very important to follow the order in which the vegetables go into the pot while making borscht.
- First, the broth is made. The meat is simmered for two or three hours with spices.
- The beets are pre-treated so they keep their color. They're sautéed in a pan, baked, or boiled in their skins with a little acid added.
- The vegetables go in this order: cabbage, potatoes, sweet peppers, sautéed onion and carrot, tomato paste, and the prepared beets.
- You can change the order — the cabbage will stay crisp if you add it at the end of cooking. The only rule is that the potatoes go in before the acid, or they won't cook through.
The five fastest borscht recipes:
| Name of the dish | Cooking time | Calories per 100g | User Rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| Classic cold beet soup on kefir | 30 min | 56 | +394 |
| Classic borscht with chicken | 50 min | 71 | +128 |
| Classic hot beet soup with meat | 1 hour | 123 | +260 |
| Classic cold borscht with boiled beets and their tops | 1 hour 20 min | 36 | +102 |
| Classic borscht with pork | 1 hour 50 min | 150 | +81 |
Every cook has their own secrets for making delicious borscht. Here are the most interesting ones:
- for a richer taste, add a little sugar to the beets before stewing them;
- a couple of apple slices and a bit of mustard will add a piquant touch;
- classic borscht is served with sour cream and garlic pampushky.