Borsch
A weekend Ukrainian dinner made with beef. Ready in about 5 hours 10 minutes. Difficulty: more effort.
- 10 minPrep (about)
- 5 hrCook (about)
- 5 hr 10 minTotal time
- 4Servings
- More effortDifficulty
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Join the waitlist Not nowIngredients
Main ingredient
- 2.2 lb beef shin
Fresh & other
- 1 onion
- 5.5 lb potatoes
- 1 onion
- 1 carrot
- 7 oz beets Shopping tip: Beets (UK: beetroot). Pre-cooked beets work.
- 1 red bell pepper Shopping tip: Bell pepper (UK recipes call it pepper).
- 7 oz tinned tomatoes Shopping tip: Canned diced tomatoes (14.5 oz can = about 1¾ cups).
- 6 prunes
- ½ white cabbage Shopping tip: Green cabbage (UK: white cabbage).
- 14 oz kidney beans
- ⅓ cup + 1 tbsp creme fraiche
- Bunch dill Shopping tip: Fresh dill.
- To serve crusty bread
Sauces & oils
- 2 tbsp sunflower oil
Spices & seasonings (1): bay leaf
- 1 bay leaf
How to make it
Steps in our own plain words.
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To make the stock.
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Put the 8 ½ cups of lightly, bay leaf, whole onion and meat salted cold water in a large pot.
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Heat over low heat for 1 hr 30 mins till the beef shin is tender plus falls apart – this can take up to 3 hrs.
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Skim off your scum using a spoon from time to time.
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Break up any larger bits of beef into the broth.
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Remove the whole onion and discard.
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Add the potatoes to the borscht.
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Season well with salt and pepper.
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Cook for 10-15 mins until soft.
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While that cooks, heat the sunflower oil in a big, deep frying pan.
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Add the diced onion and carrot.
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Heat over a medium heat, stirring, till the carrot is tender and is about to start caramelising.
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Add the beetroot.
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Cook for around 5 mins.
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Stir every so often.
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Add the red pepper, if using.
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Cook for another 2 mins.
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Add the tomatoes and prunes.
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Stir.
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Increase the heat.
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Boil to reduce a bit, before adding everything to the borscht.
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Add your shredded cabbage and the kidney beans.
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Cook for 7-10 mins until soft.
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Dish up using dollop of sour cream crème fraîche, lots chopped dill and some crusty bread.
On the side: Green salad
A side we added to round out the meal. It is not part of the original recipe.
How to make it (10 min)
- Rinse the salad greens. Slice the cucumber.
- Put it all in a bowl and toss with the dressing just before eating.
More beef recipes
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Join the waitlistRecipe from TheMealDB, adapted from the original. Steps rewritten in our own words. Times are estimates.