Red Borscht is a soup of Ukrainian origin that is popular in many Eastern and Central European countries. Though not sure if Ukrainian make it that way – this is the name it is used in Poland for Red Borscht with vegetables.

Polish ‘Ukrainian’ borscht (barszcz) recipe includes red beetroot, beet greens, onions, garlic, and other vegetables such as potatoes, carrots and celery or root parsley.

Borscht in its strictly vegetarian version is the first course during the Christmas Eve feast. It’s served with ravioli-type dumplings called “uszka” (lit. “little ears”) with mushroom or sauerkraut filling.

A key component to the taste of barszcz is acidity. While borscht can be made easily within a few hours by simply cooking the ingredients and adding vinegar, lemon juice or citric acid; the traditional way is to prepare barszcz several days before and allow it to naturally sour. Depending on the technique; the level of acidity required and the ingredients available, barszcz takes 3–7 days to prepare in this way.

Borscht can be served hot or cold.

Hot borscht is a hearty soup. It usually contains vegetables (shredded or diced) and is thickened with flour and sour cream. It can be eaten as a meal or as an appetizer. It might be served over hard boiled egg or beans (red or white).

Cold borscht is called “chÅ‚odnik” which literally means cooler.

In this video, I will show you an easy way to make this healthy and full of antioxidants Polish traditional soup.

Red Borscht Ingredients:
-Bunch of Beets with Beet Greens
-2 Potatoes
-1 Carrot
-small Onion
-Garlic clove
-Salt, Pepper
-1-2 bouillon cubes (optional)
-2 tbsp Vinegar
-1-2 tbsp Lemon Juice
-Dill

To thicken it:
-Sour Cream
-1 tbsp Flour/Cornstarch