Borscht With Meat – A Bright and Hearty Classic 🌿🥣❤️
This borscht is the perfect balance of hearty and fresh, with a vibrant color and rich flavor that's elegant enough to impress guests.
This borscht is the perfect balance of hearty and fresh! With its vibrant color and rich, umami-packed flavor, it's more than just your average borscht. Tender ribs make this a complete, filling meal, while its brightness and depth of flavor keep it feeling light. It's the best of both worlds and fits perfectly into my two philosophies of cooking: a recipe should be either flawless or exceptionally easy and straightforward to prepare.
Unlike many borscht recipes that rely heavily on vinegar, tomatoes, or cabbage, this one takes a more balanced approach. I also prefer to avoid dealing with hard, raw beets. Instead, we'll roast the beets whole until they're tender and easy to chop. (Pro tip: consider wearing disposable gloves when handling the beets for easy clean-up and no stained fingers!)
Adding a bit of sugar ties all the flavors together and balances out any sour notes in the soup. And for a unique twist, I include a touch of Sambal Oelek—a spicy chili paste that elevates this borscht to a whole new level. Start with just ½ teaspoon and adjust to your spice tolerance. A little goes a long way!
If you have the luxury of working from home, this is the perfect dish to make. You can roast the beets and boil the ribs ahead of time, then store them in the fridge until you're ready to assemble the soup. Even if you don't work from home, you can prepare the beets, ribs, and stock the night before and refrigerate them. The next day, your borscht will come together in no time!
This vibrant, flavorful borscht is one of my favourite fall and winter meals. It's a regular on our dinner table, but don't be fooled by its humble nature—it's elegant enough to serve for guests and sure to impress!
Ingredients
- 3 lbs back pork ribs, sliced into individual ribs
- 1 whole yellow onion
- 2 bay leaves
- ¼ tsp red pepper flakes
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 4 medium beets
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 onion, minced
- 2 celery stalks, small dice
- 1 red bell pepper, small dice
- ¼ cup ketchup
- 4 yellow potatoes, cubed
- 2 carrots, sliced
- 1 ½ tsp sugar
- ½ tsp Sambal Oelek
- 1 can white or dark kidney beans, drained and rinsed
- 2 garlic cloves, pressed
- juice of 1/2 lemon, or more to taste
- salt and pepper to taste
- 3 tbsp fresh dill, chopped
- sour cream for serving
Instructions
- 1
Add the ribs to a large pot. Add the bay leaves, red pepper flakes, salt, and onion. Cover with water—you will need about 8 cups (1.9L). Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to maintain a gentle simmer, cover with a lid, and cook for 1.5–2 hours until the ribs are very tender. Once cooked, strain the liquid into a heat-safe bowl through a fine mesh sieve. This liquid will be the base for the soup. Reserve the ribs—we will add them to the soup shortly.
- 2
While the ribs are cooking, preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Scrub the beets and cut off the roots. Cover each beet in aluminium foil and place on a baking sheet. Bake in the preheated oven for 1–1.5 hours until tender when tested with a butter knife (which should go all the way through the beet with little resistance). Remove from the oven, allow to cool slightly, then peel and chop into cubes or matchsticks (with a mandoline). Set aside.
- 3
Make-ahead instructions: Feel free to refrigerate the ribs, reserved liquid from boiling the ribs, and beets. Keep them covered and in separate containers. You can refrigerate them for hours or up to two days. Then your soup will come together in just about half an hour once these items are prepared!
- 4
Heat the olive oil in a large soup pot over medium heat. Add the chopped onions, celery, and red bell pepper. Cook for about 7 minutes until light golden and soft (not brown). Add the ketchup and cook for about 30 seconds. Add the reserved liquid from step 1. Add the potatoes, carrots, sugar, and Sambal Oelek. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to maintain a gentle simmer, cover with a lid, and cook for 12–15 minutes while the potatoes become mostly tender.
- 5
After about 15 minutes, add the reserved beets, beans, and ribs. Cover the pot and allow everything to simmer for about 10 minutes (to reach desired tenderness and to warm through).
- 6
Once done, turn off the heat and add the lemon juice, garlic, and dill. Taste the soup and adjust the seasoning with more sugar, salt, pepper, lemon juice, or Sambal Oelek. Divide between bowls and serve with a dollop of sour cream. Enjoy!
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