I studied Russian in college. During my second year, my professor, who was Ukrainian, invited the class over to his house to celebrate the end of the semester with borscht and kotleti. Since then, I’ve eaten borscht in many restaurants, both in America and in various states of the former USSR, and never had borscht as good as his. I remember asking him at the time for his recipe, but of course it was a family secret.
I’ve tried various recipes at home as well, and the one that comes closest to re-creating my professor’s amazing borscht is a recipe by Olga’s Flavor Factory.
Olga’s borscht recipe takes a little bit more work (and more dirty dishes) than some other recipes I’ve tried, but the end result is so flavorful that it’s totally worth it.
I strongly second Olga’s recommendation to roast the beets before adding them to the borscht. It makes them so sweet and delicious. Olga also recommends finely julienning the beets and I love the texture that this adds to the soup. I don’t have a food processor with a julienne blade, so I use a mandoline slicer (I have an older Börner) and protect my hands with these cut-resistant gloves.
Besides being tasty, Olga’s recipe is also very detailed. She takes you step by step through the process of making borscht with very clear photos, lots of tips and detailed explanations, and even a video. I follow her recipe and methods pretty closely. The only major change I make is that I usually add more carrots, celery, and cabbage than her recipe calls for, even to the point of doubling the amount sometimes, because I like my borscht quite thick and full of veggies.
Here is a link to her recipe:
I hope you enjoy it as much as my family has!
Image credit: Emma-Jane Hobden via Unsplash
