Easy Homemade Borscht

Name: Easy Homemade Borscht (15-Minute Ukrainian)
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 25 min
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: Ukrainian
Ingredients: 4 cups low-sodium vegetable or chicken broth; 2 Tbsp. cooking oil; 1 medium potato, peeled and finely chopped; 1 cup carrot matchsticks; 1 small onion, chopped; ½ tsp. salt; ¼ tsp. coarse black pepper; 1/2 cup fresh dill, chopped, divided; 1 cup frozen green peas, thawed; 1 cup frozen cut green beans, thawed; 2 (15 oz.) cans “original cut” beets; 2 tsp. white vinegar; 6 Tbsp. whipping cream or sour cream to serve

This Easy Homemade Borscht is a traditional Ukrainian beet soup that comes together in under 15 minutes with simple vegetables, broth, and fresh dill. It captures the authentic flavor of a Christmas Eve classic without the long cook time.

🌍Ukrainian 🏷️Beets 🏷️Soup 🏷️Borscht

Total

25 min

Servings

6

Difficulty

Hard

Est. Cost

$25–$41

Recipe Source

View original recipe

From Cookthestory · by Christine Pittman

Ingredients

4 cups low-sodium vegetable or chicken broth
2 Tbsp. cooking oil
1 medium potato, peeled and finely chopped
1 cup carrot matchsticks
1 small onion, chopped
½ tsp. salt
¼ tsp. coarse black pepper
1/2 cup fresh dill, chopped, divided
1 cup frozen green peas, thawed
1 cup frozen cut green beans, thawed
2 (15 oz.) cans “original cut” beets
2 tsp. white vinegar
6 Tbsp. whipping cream or sour cream to serve

13 Ingredients

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Instructions

1
Measure the broth into a large microwave-safe bowl and microwave it for 5 minutes.
2
Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the potato. Increase the heat to medium-high. Stir and then cover the pot.
3
Roughly chop the carrot matchsticks. Add them to the pot along with the onion. Stir and cover.
4
When the broth is done heating, add it to the pot along with the salt and pepper. Stir well.
5
Increase heat to high, cover and let it come to a simmer. Reduce heat to a moderate simmer.
6
Add half of the dill to the pot of soup.
7
Put a colander over a bowl and pour in the cans of beets to drain them. Set the liquid aside and do not discard it because you’ll need it soon.
8
Put the drained beets into a food processor and process until they’re in small pieces.
9
When the potatoes in the pot are fork-tender, add the vinegar and stir. Then add the processed beets, the reserved beet liquid, the peas, and the beans. Heat on high until simmering.
10
Stir in the remaining dill. Taste and add more vinegar and black pepper if needed.
11
Ladle into bowls and serve with either whipping cream or sour cream on the side for people to add to their bowls of soup.

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Tips & Notes

Pro tips

Chop the potato very finely so it softens completely within the 15-minute window—larger chunks won't cook through.
Add fresh dill at the end: half stirred into the soup and half as a garnish preserves its bright flavor.
Cut carrots into thin matchsticks to match the fast cooking time; thicker cuts will remain crunchy.
Use thawed frozen vegetables to avoid adding extra cooking time; add them in the final 2 minutes just to warm through.

Substitutions

Low-sodium broth → regular broth (reduce added salt to 1/4 tsp.)
Fresh dill → 1 Tbsp. dried dill or 2 Tbsp. fresh parsley (dill is traditional; substitutes will shift the flavor)
Frozen green beans and peas → 1 cup fresh chopped vegetables (add 2-3 minutes cooking time)
Cooking oil → butter (use 2 Tbsp. for richer flavor)