Ukrainian Vegetarian Borscht Recipe

You may have heard that our Ukrainian borscht was inscribed on UNESCO’s List of Intangible Cultural Heritage. You may also know that there are no two families in Ukraine using the same recipe for borsch since every one of us has our own unique recipes. So do I 😊 Being a vegetarian since childhood, I stepped into my adult life with my husband with my version of borsch. So let me show our ultimate Ukrainian meal with tips to make it nourishing and vegetarian.

Ukrainian Vegetarian Borscht

• 1.2 l cold water
• 4 potatoes
• 200 g cabbage
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 small carrot
• 1 small beetroot
• 1/2 red pepper
• 1 small onion
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• canned beans (250 ml)
• 2 cloves of garlic
• parsley
• black pepper
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 1 tablespoon vinegar
• sunflower oil for frying

You can choose the proportions in this recipe anyhow you like: more or less cabbage; experiment with various types of beans; put different greens like dill, cilantro, etc. I took photos on the 30 cm plate, so you can see the ingredients I used for 1.2 liters of water - 6 servings.

1. Cut the potato into cubes and chop the cabbage. Put it in the cold water, add the bay leaf, and bring it to a boil. Set the timer for 20 minutes - that will be your time for cooking borscht.
2. Dice beetroot, red pepper, carrot, and onion and put them into the oiled pan. Stir them, and when they start to become golden, add one tablespoon of tomato paste. Continue stirring and fry it for 1-2 minutes. Turn off the heat and put these fried vegetables into the pot with potato and cabbage. That should be 5-6 minutes to the end.
3. For one minute before the end (remember, you set the timer?), add finely chopped garlic, parsley, and canned beans (without liquid). Season it with salt and black pepper, and add one tablespoon of vinegar. In the traditional recipe, it should be beetroot kvas (Ukrainian fermented drink), but I don't do this. So I use apple or rice vinegar to stabilize the color and balance the taste. Also, you may add 1 tablespoon of sugar, but I don't do it. Bring it to a boil and cook for 1 more minute.
4. Turn off the heat and let it rest for at least 3-4 hours, but the borscht always tastes better the next day. So be forward-looking! And don't forget to prepare sour cream (smetana) and hot chili pepper for serving🌶️

Cut the potato into cubes and chop the cabbage.

Put it in the cold water, add the bay leaf, and bring it to a boil. 

Dice beetroot, red pepper, carrot, and onion.

Add one tablespoon of tomato paste.

The whole time for cooking is 20 minutes.

For one minute before the end, add finely chopped garlic and parsley, and canned beans.

When serving, sour cream (smetana) is a must-have!

And red hot chili pepper for those who like it hot😉

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