Short Rib Borscht

prep time:

30 min

cook time:

3 hours

total time:

3.5 hours

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If you think borscht is just a beet soup, this recipe will change your mind- it changed mine.

Before I really understood Ukrainian food, I thought of borscht as a single thing. One dish, one flavor, one color. It wasn’t until I married into a Ukrainian family that I learned how much world exists inside that word. Borscht isn’t one recipe- it’s many. It shifts with the region, the season, the occasion, and the cook making it.

This short rib version is the one I fell hardest for. It’s slow, rich, and deeply satisfying in a way that feels almost old-world. The kind of dish you start in the early afternoon, let simmer while the house fills with smell, and sit down to when the light outside has already gone low. Bone-in short ribs braise until they’re falling off the bone, beets turn sweet and earthy in the broth, and everything comes together into something that’s more than the sum of its parts.

It takes patience- but that’s kind of the point.

A few tips before you start:

  • Sear the short ribs well- deep browning is where the flavor base starts
  • Low and slow is non-negotiable-  give it the full 2½ to 3 hours
  • Finish with fresh dill and a generous spoonful of sour cream or crème fraîche- don’t skip it

Ingredients

for the borscht

  • 1 kilo bone-in beef short ribs
  • 30 gr olive oil
  • 1 large yellow onion, diced
  • 4 medium carrots, peeled and diced
  • 3 celery stalks, diced
  • 5 medium beets, peeled and cubed
  • 8 mushrooms, roughly chopped
  • 30 gr tomato paste
  • 1 liter beef broth
  • water, as needed
  • 1 bay leaf
  • salt and black pepper, to taste

Ingredients

for serving

  • fresh dill, finely chopped
  • sour cream or crème fraîche
  • extra virgin olive oil
  • freshly cracked black pepper

Ingredients

for the borscht

  • 1 kilo bone-in beef short ribs
  • 30 gr olive oil
  • 1 large yellow onion, diced
  • 4 medium carrots, peeled and diced
  • 3 celery stalks, diced
  • 5 medium beets, peeled and cubed
  • 8 mushrooms, roughly chopped
  • 30 gr tomato paste
  • 1 liter beef broth
  • water, as needed
  • 1 bay leaf
  • salt and black pepper, to taste

Ingredients

for serving

  • fresh dill, finely chopped
  • sour cream or crème fraîche
  • extra virgin olive oil
  • freshly cracked black pepper

Ingredients

for the borscht

  • 1 kilo bone-in beef short ribs
  • 30 gr olive oil
  • 1 large yellow onion, diced
  • 4 medium carrots, peeled and diced
  • 3 celery stalks, diced
  • 5 medium beets, peeled and cubed
  • 8 mushrooms, roughly chopped
  • 30 gr tomato paste
  • 1 liter beef broth
  • water, as needed
  • 1 bay leaf
  • salt and black pepper, to taste

Ingredients

for serving

  • fresh dill, finely chopped
  • sour cream or crème fraîche
  • extra virgin olive oil
  • freshly cracked black pepper

Lets Start Cooking!

step 1

Season the short ribs generously with salt and black pepper.

step 2

Heat olive oil in a large heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat. Sear the short ribs on all sides until deeply browned. Remove and set aside.

step 3

In the same pot, add onion, carrots, celery, and mushrooms. Cook until softened and lightly caramelized, about 6–8 minutes.

step 4

Stir in tomato paste and cook for 1–2 minutes, allowing it to deepen in color and flavor.

step 5

Return short ribs to the pot. Add in beef broth, and bring to boil. Add bay leaf.

step 6

Add the cubed beets.

step 7

Add water as needed so the ribs are mostly submerged. Bring to a gentle simmer, cover, and cook for 2½–3 hours, until the short ribs are tender and falling off the bone.

step 8

Remove bones, shred the meat, and return it to the soup. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.

step 9

Serve hot, finished with fresh dill, a spoon of sour cream or crème fraîche, extra virgin olive oil, and freshly cracked black pepper.

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