Clear Red Borscht with Homemade Vegetable Broth Recipe
Clear red borscht with homemade vegetable broth is a transparent beet soup associated with Christmas Eve, but it’s also great for an everyday lunch. It has an intensely ruby color, balanced acidity and the natural sweetness of root vegetables, without floating chunks. In this version all the depth of flavor comes from vegetables and spices, with no stock cubes or concentrates.
Clear red borscht is one of the most recognizable Polish soups and an obligatory element of Christmas Eve dinner in many homes. Outside the holidays it often appears as a quick, warming soup to sip from a mug.
This borscht relies solely on a homemade vegetable broth, without stock cubes or concentrates, which gives it a clean, homemade flavor. The proportions of root vegetables to beets provide natural sweetness that balances the vinegar. Its clear form makes it suitable both in a cup and as a soup for uszka dumplings.
Why this version works
- Thinly sliced beets release color and flavor faster, without long cooking.
- A homemade vegetable broth without stock cubes gives a clean flavor that’s easy to season.
- Adding vinegar and garlic after cooking lets you control the acidity precisely.
- Gentle simmering preserves the ruby color and clarity of the soup.
Chef's tips
If the borscht seems flat after cooking, instead of immediately adding more salt, add a pinch of sugar and a little vinegar – this often restores balance. Remember that the color darkens slightly after cooling, so don’t worry if it seems too light when hot. It’s best to cook it a day ahead – after a night in the fridge the flavor is deeper and in the morning seasoning is just fine-tuning.
How to serve
For the holidays, serve the borscht in small cups with mushroom-filled uszka dumplings or a cabbage-filled croquette. On a daily basis, a deep bowl and a slice of wholemeal bread with butter or lard plus a pickle are enough. It also works great as a warming “drink” after a winter walk – pour it into a thermos and sip it like tea.
Watch out for
- Do not cook the borscht over high heat – the color can turn brown and the soup may become cloudy.
- Add vinegar gradually and taste again after a few minutes; the acidity softens slightly over time.
- Do not char the onion until completely black – burnt skin will add bitterness.
- Do not press the vegetables through the sieve, just press them lightly so you don’t cloud the soup.
Ingredients
- beets raw, medium-sized - 800 g
- carrot medium - 2 piece
- parsley root - 1 piece
- celeriac small piece - 0.25 piece
- onion can be charred over a flame for deeper flavor - 1 piece
- garlic clove - 3 piece
- bay leaf - 2 piece
- allspice berry - 4 piece
- dried marjoram rubbed between your hands before adding - 1 teaspoon
- vinegar apple cider or 10% spirit - 2 tablespoon
- sugar balances the acidity - 1 teaspoon
- salt to taste
- pepper ground black, to taste
- water - 2 l
Preparation
- Peel the beets and slice them into very thin rounds or half-rounds – the thinner they are, the faster they will release their color and flavor. They should be slightly translucent, like chips before frying.
- Peel the carrot, parsley root and celeriac, cut into large pieces. Halve the onion and char it over a gas flame or in a dry pan until it browns in spots and the edges are slightly blackened, but not completely burnt.
- Put the beets, carrot, parsley root, celeriac and onion into a large pot. Add the bay leaves, allspice berries and 2 garlic cloves lightly crushed with a knife so that only the skin cracks.
- Pour 2 l of cold water over the vegetables. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat so the broth only gently “shimmers”, without a strong boil and vegetables jumping to the surface.
- Cook covered for 45–50 minutes, until the beets are soft and a knife slides in easily, and the liquid has taken on an intense red, ruby color and a strong beet aroma.
- Turn off the heat. Add the marjoram rubbed between your hands, the sugar and 1 tablespoon of vinegar, and stir. Taste – the borscht should be lightly sour with noticeable sweetness, but not scratchy in the throat from acid.
- If needed, add the second tablespoon of vinegar, season with salt and freshly ground pepper. Add the last garlic clove pressed through a garlic press, stir and set aside for 10–15 minutes so the flavors meld.
- Strain the borscht through a fine sieve into a clean pot, pressing the vegetables lightly with a spoon but not mashing them – the liquid should remain clear, without sediment or particles.
- If you care about exceptional clarity, filter the soup again through cheesecloth or a coffee filter. The finished borscht should look like strong red tea.
- Before serving, gently reheat the borscht without bringing it to a rolling boil, so it doesn’t darken or develop an earthy taste. Serve hot in cups or bowls, on its own or with uszka dumplings, a croquette or small savory pastries.
Storage
Store the borscht in the fridge for 3–4 days, preferably in a glass container with a lid. Over time the flavor rounds out and deepens; when reheating, bring it only to a light simmer so it doesn’t darken or turn earthy.
When I know a busy week is coming, I cook a big pot of borscht on Sunday and pour it into empty juice bottles. At work I just pour a portion into a mug and heat it in the microwave.
