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Borscht with Pickled Beets and Sauerkraut
Borscht with pickled beets and sauerkraut is good for its diversity. We will prepare meat borscht with sauerkraut, no beans, but using pickled beets. Unlike fresh beets, the pickled version does not have the strong beet taste that not everyone enjoys, and it gives the finished borscht a pleasant natural sourness. The fermented elements add complexity that fresh-vegetable borscht cannot match. The technique is no more difficult than classic borscht; it just requires planning ahead to ferment the beets a week before cooking. The result is a deeply flavored, brilliantly colored soup with the rich umami depth that comes only from properly fermented vegetables.
Ingredients
Show ingredients
Necessary products to prepare borscht with pickled beets and sauerkraut:
- 0.3 kg of meat;
- 1 large onion;
- 1 medium carrot;
- 1 medium pickled beet;
- 4-5 medium potatoes;
- 300-400 grams of raw cabbage;
- 1 tablespoon of sauerkraut;
- a bunch of dill or parsley;
- 1 small sweet pepper;
- salt, ground pepper, bay leaf to taste;
- 300 ml of tomato juice;
- vegetable oil for frying;
- 1 clove of garlic.
The pickled beets need to be prepared in advance, at least a week before use, and they are very easy to ferment:
- in a liter jar, place cleaned and cut into large pieces of any shape beets;
- pour the beet pieces with cooled boiled water, cover the jar with a napkin or gauze from dust, and place in a warm place for a week;
- during this time, remove the foam that forms as needed;
- after a week, move the jar with the beets to the refrigerator and use for making borscht.
Preparation
- The meat for borscht can be any cut, but to cook the broth faster, cut the meat into small pieces immediately. Smaller pieces release flavor faster and shorten the simmer time considerably.
- Fill a 3-liter pot halfway with water, add the meat, and put on the heat. The half-fill leaves room for the vegetables and toppings without risk of overflow.
- When the water in the pot boils, remove the scum if necessary. Add salt, black and allspice to taste, and cook the broth on low heat for 30-40 minutes. The slow simmer extracts the deepest flavor from the meat.
- Meanwhile, prepare the sauté. Clean the vegetables, finely chop the onion, cut the carrot, pickled beet, and sweet pepper into strips. If it is winter and you have sauerkraut on hand, just a small handful improves the taste of the dish significantly.
- Fry the chopped vegetables in heated vegetable oil over high heat for a few minutes, stirring constantly. The vegetables should fry but keep their density and remain slightly crunchy — not soft.
- Then pour all the tomato juice into the pan, let the sauté come to a boil, and immediately remove from the heat. The brief boil concentrates the tomato flavor without overcooking the vegetables.
- When the broth is ready, add the potatoes cut into strips, bay leaf, and cook until the potatoes are almost done. Strip-cut potatoes look attractive in the bowl and cook faster than cubed.
- Meanwhile, finely chop the cabbage. The finer the chop, the easier the borscht is to eat with a spoon — large pieces require fork work that the soup format does not support.
- When the potatoes are almost ready, carefully pour the contents of the pan into the pot. Add the chopped cabbage, and after the borscht comes to a boil again, cook for another 3-5 minutes over low heat. Ideally, the cabbage should be slightly boiled but remain crunchy. At this stage, add salt if necessary, and if the broth has significantly evaporated, add boiling water.
- While the borscht is cooking, chop the washed greens and minced garlic any way you like. The fresh herbs added at the end provide bright contrast against the rich cooked broth.
- Add the greens and garlic to the pot. Let the borscht come to a boil again and remove from the heat. The brief return to boil unlocks the garlic aroma without cooking it into bitterness.
- Borscht with pickled beets and sauerkraut is ready. Serve hot with sour cream and dark rye bread for the complete traditional Russian winter lunch experience. Enjoy your meal.
Tips and Tricks
Tip 1. Plan ahead for the pickled beets. The week-long fermentation cannot be rushed. Start the beets early, and they keep in the fridge for months once ready — one batch supports many borscht-making sessions. Pickled beets also work in salads, vinaigrettes, and as a condiment alongside cured meats. The fermented version is more interesting than fresh beets in many applications.
Tip 2. Add the pickled beet at the end rather than during the long cook. The slow simmer dulls the brilliant red color and degrades the beneficial probiotics from the fermentation. Add the cut beets and their brine in the last 5 minutes for the brightest color and best nutritional profile. The same end-of-cooking strategy preserves the brilliant color of classic borscht with beets and cabbage.
Tip 3. Save the beet brine for cocktails and dressings. The pink-magenta liquid is delicious in salad dressings, kvass-style drinks, and as a Bloody Mary base for adventurous brunches. The brine carries the same probiotic benefits as the beets themselves and adds beautiful color to anything you mix it into. Do not throw it away when the jar empties.
Tip 4. Let the borscht rest at least 30 minutes off the heat before serving. The brief rest allows flavors to meld and round out, transforming a good borscht into something genuinely memorable. Serve with thick slices of homemade bread, sour cream, and a clove of raw garlic on the side for the fully authentic Russian experience.
FAQ
What if I do not have time to ferment beets a week ahead?
Use fresh beets and add a tablespoon of vinegar to the broth for similar acidity. The flavor will be different from properly fermented beets but acceptable for a quick borscht. For a faster fermentation, slice the beets thinner and use warmer water (35-40°C) — this can produce usable pickled beets in 3-4 days instead of 7. Plan your borscht making with the fermentation time in mind.
What kind of meat works best?
Beef shank, brisket, or short ribs produce the deepest flavor with collagen-rich broth. Pork ribs or shoulder also work beautifully. Chicken makes a lighter version that some prefer for everyday meals. Whatever meat you choose, bone-in cuts add the most flavor through extracted collagen during the simmer. The amount in the recipe (300g) is modest; use up to 500g for a heartier soup.
Can I make this borscht vegetarian?
Absolutely. Skip the meat and build a deep vegetable broth from carrot, onion, celery, parsnip, and dried mushrooms. The pickled beet, sauerkraut, and tomato juice all carry plenty of flavor on their own. Add a tablespoon of soy sauce or miso for umami depth that meat usually provides. Vegetarian borscht is naturally Lenten-compliant and quite popular during fasting periods in Eastern Europe.
How long does the borscht keep?
Borscht actually improves on day two as flavors deepen. Stored covered in the fridge, it keeps for 4-5 days. The probiotic compounds from the pickled beet and sauerkraut may even multiply slightly during storage. Reheat gently on the stove without boiling vigorously, which would dull the color further. The dish freezes well for up to 3 months in portion-sized containers; thaw in the fridge overnight.
