Borsch - Ukrainian Beet Soup {In Pressure Cooker} (2024)

Borsch – Beef and Beet Soup is a traditional Ukrainian soup that is hearty, healthy and delicious! Made with beef, lots of vegetables and beans it is bound to become your favorite, just like it has been ours!

As a true-born Ukrainian, it is my duty to share a recipe for an authentic Borsch that graces our tables weekly and is the first thing that is requested when we come back from vacations. Rich with vegetables, beef, beans, and vibrant beets this Borschis our family’s definition of comfort food.

Every single Ukrainian home cook has their own version of this soup and here I will show you mine. Growing up, we didn’t make this soup with meat but did add lots of beans as a replacement. Beans add lots of protein and make thisUkrainian Beet Soup very filling.

Variations in Beef Borscht

Some people make this ruby-colored borsch with shredded cabbage, but in our family, we don’t add any. If you do decide that you want some cabbage in it, just shred 1/4 of a medium-sized head of cabbage and add it to the pot at the same time you add cubed potatoes.

Why Use a Pressure Cooker

The base of this delicious beet soup is made with beef broth. Cooking beef until tender usually takes several hours. Using my beloved pressure cooker (I haveInstantpot Pressure Cooker) I can get the same delicious flavor, just at a fraction of the time.

Can I use a regular pot to cook Borsch?

Of course! That is how it’s been done for generations and generations. Just account for the fact that if you do choose to start with beef broth for the soup, you might want to start several hours ahead to allow the beef to cook through and become tender.

Now here’s the recipe!

Ingredients forUkrainian Beet Soup – Borsch {In Pressure Cooker}:

To cook the beef:

• water
• beef, chuck, or tenderloin
• onion, whole, peeled
• medium/large carrot, peeled
• black peppercorns
• salt

For Sautéed Vegetables:

• onion
• carrots
• beets
• bacon
• tomato paste orcan of tomato sauce
• kosher salt
• black ground pepper

Also:

• yellow potatoes
• Better than Bullion Beef or Chicken Base.
• white beans, drained
• black beans, drained
• Kosher salt, to taste
• chopped dill
• chopped parsley

To serve:

• Sour cream

How to makeUkrainian Beet Soup – Borsch in the Pressure Cooker:

• To a large 6 qt pot add 2 Qts of water, 1.5 lbs of beef, 1 whole onion, one whole carrot, 1/2 tbsp salt & 5-7 black peppercorns. Cover with lid, close the lid valve to “pressure” and set the pot to “pressure cook” for 60 minutes.

While the meat is cooking render the bacon andsautéthe vegetables:

• Render 4 strips of chopped bacon in a skillet over medium heat until crispy. Remove the bacon and discard the fat.
• Add 2-3 tablespoons of oil to the same skillet and 1.5 cups of diced onions and sauté, stirring continuously, until golden brown, about 5-8 minutes.
• To the onions add 1.5 cups shredded carrots, stir and continue cooking over medium heat for about 5 minutes until lightly golden.
• Now add 3 cups of shredded beets and stir.
• Season with 1 tsp of kosher salt, 2 tsp of black ground pepper, 2 tbsp of tomato paste, or 7.4 oz of tomato sauce and stir everything to combine. Cover with lid, turn the heat to low, and cook until the beets are soft, string several times throughout, about 25 minutes.
• After the time has expired on the pressure cooker, open the valve to “steam”, cover the valve with a towel so that the steam does not splatter as it escapes the valve, and allow the pressure to be released.
  Open the lid, remove beef to a separate bowl and shred it to smaller pieces. Collect and discard the cooked vegetables, peppercorns, and any impurities with a fine mesh skimmer.

  

• Add 4 cups of cubed potatoes and 1 heaping spoon of Better than Bullion Beef or Chicken Baseto the broth. If using cabbage, add 1/4 head of shredded cabbage at this time as well.

  Cover with lid, close the steam valve to “pressure”, set the pot to “pressure cooker” and timer to 3 minutes. Then open the steam valve to “steam”, cover with a towel and release pressure.
  

• Open the lid, check the potatoes for doneness by pressing one piece against the side of the pot. If the peace breaks easily, with little resistance the potatoes are done. If they’re not, just cook for another minute or so.
  After that, add the drained beans, bacon, and shredded beef.
• Bring to a boil, then add the sautéed vegetables and turn off the heat. Stir. Taste and adjust the seasoning.
• Add 1/3 cup chopped parsley, 1/4 cups chopped dill, stir, cover with lid.
• For the best flavor profile, allow the flavors to mend for 2-3 hours as the soup cools before serving. This soup makes really good leftovers because it tastes even better the next day.

Serve with a dollop of sour cream, a good piece of bread, a wedge of purple or sweet onion and salt.
Enjoy!