Ukrainian borscht recipe from my mother-in-law's cookbook
This recipe starts a series of monthly posts where I share recipes from my Belarusian and Ukrainian families. I want to share with you the taste of my home.
I was thinking about it for a long time, and I finally ventured to share the recipes that are cherished, loved, and passed through generations in both my Belarusian and Ukrainian families. Each month, I’ll publish at least one recipe that I cooked in my kitchen, with detailed descriptions and photos of each step, as well as family cooking secrets and tips. Each post will have a PDF version of the recipe you can download, print, and add to your cookbook. If a recipe includes ingredients mainly sold in Eastern Europe, I’ll guide you on where to find them in the West or which alternatives you can use. I want you to try these recipes, and don’t be afraid to cook something new. I’ll be happy to answer any questions in the comments under each post.
This series of posts is an introduction to Eastern European cuisine and my family. I want you to imagine standing with me in the kitchen, cooking, talking, and trying a delicious homemade meal. This project directly supports my Belarusian and Ukrainian families who became refugees and whose recipes I share with you.
My husband and I grew up eating delicious homemade meals every day. When we moved to the U.S., we noticed that it’s not something people tend to do here. While we were students, we lived on American fast food and pizzas, but as we got older, we started to crave the food that we used to eat at home. Our moms were surprised and delighted when we started to call them and ask for recipes and cooking advice. We don’t have kids yet, but when we do, we want them to know what a good Eastern European homemade meal tastes like, and we want them to have the same warm memories about home food as we do.
I’m not a professional cook, and these recipes don’t claim to be the most right or authentic ones. However, they have been tried for years and are 100% working and delicious. By cooking these recipes, I want you to imagine visiting the homes of my and my husband’s mom – because this is the food that they would put for you on the table. I hope these recipes will bring a taste of Eastern Europe to your home and that some of them will stay and become your family's favorites.
In the early days of dating my future husband, I told him that one of the most proven ways to win my heart is to feed me well, and jokingly said: “Well, you are Ukrainian, so cook me a true Ukrainian borscht.” He took this matter seriously, called his mom, meticulously wrote down the recipe, and cooked the most delicious borscht I’ve ever eaten in my life. That’s when I decided to marry him. I’m kidding, but the borscht was heavenly, and I want to share this recipe with you. Maybe it will help you to win someone’s heart as well!
The step-by-step recipe instructions are available for paid subscribers. By upgrading to paid, you won’t only receive detailed Eastern European recipes each month, but will also allow me to continue my work and support both of my families who became refugees and whose recipes I share with you.
Ukrainian borscht
It can be overwhelming when you cook borscht for the first time, so I hope my detailed explanations and photos will help and guide you through the whole process.
If you want a vegetarian version of borscht, instead of meat broth, cook the vegetable broth (or use a store-bought) and follow the rest of the steps described in the recipe.
Download the PDF version of the recipe: