Polish Beet Soup Recipe (Borscht) (2025)

Polish Beet Soup, Barszcz or Borscht, is an easy and delicious vegetable-packed soup that is bright in color and flavor! Your family will love this sweet and sour soup.

You will love this Borscht Soup

My dad has raved about his mother’s Polish Beet Soup (Barszcz or Borscht) for as long as I could remember. I, unfortunately, never had the opportunity to taste it, but I have been using my dad’s palateand memory to try and recreate her Polish Beet Soup.

After years of trying, my dad says I’ve got it!Over the years, I’ve tried different broths—vegetable, beef, and beef bone broth—and have found that the beef bone broth gives the best flavor.

It helps richen and elevate this simple soup into a meal itself! I like to serve it with some nice crusty bread and a simple green salad.

I’ve also experimented with the vegetable that the soup is cooked with: I’ve drained the vegetables from the soup right before serving, pureed them in the soup with an immersion blender, and just left them in the soup as is. Personally, I like to leave them in the soup as is. It’s simpler this way, and the veggies make the soup a bit more substantial.

Eating Barszcz makes me happy. The color is beautiful, and the soup warms me to my Polish core.

Do be careful while eating the soup, though, because little droplets of beet soup are hard stains to remove from clothing and tablecloths (trust me, I know from experience).

What is Borscht?

Borscht is a hearty, sour soup originating in Eastern Europe, particularly in Ukraine, Russia, and Poland. Make it with beets, cabbage, carrots, onions, potatoes, tomatoes, and beef or pork broth. It’s typically served hot with a dollop of sour cream.

Borscht Recipe ingredients

• butter
• yellow onion
• garlic cloves
• beef bone broth
• beets
• carrots
• celery stalks
• bay leaves
• caraway seeds
• allspice
• apple cider vinegar
• granulated sugar
• salt
• ground black pepper
• sour cream
• fresh chopped dill

Cook’s Tools – Beet Soup

• large heavy-bottomed pot
• spoon
• ladle

How to make Borscht Soup

1. In a large, heavy-bottomed pot, melt the butter over medium-high heat.
2. Add the onion and cook until translucent and soft, about 5 minutes.
3. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
4. Slowly add the beef bone broth while scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot.
5. Add beets, carrots, celery, bay leaves, caraway seeds, and allspice.
6. Bring the mixture to a low boil and cook until the vegetables are tender, about 10-15 minutes.
7. Turn off the heat and remove the bay leaves.
8. Add in the vinegar, sugar, salt, and pepper to taste.
9. Ladle soup into bowls and serve with sour cream and fresh chopped dill (optional).

Cook’s Note – Polish Beet Soup:

• If you prefer your beet soup to be more of a broth, drain the vegetables from the soup right before serving. I personally don’t because I think the soup is delicious with the vegetables in it.
• If you cannot find beef bone broth, then use beef stock.
• I know it’s not exactly authentic, but sometimes I throw in some stew meat while the onions cook in step 1 of the recipe below.

How to serve this Beet Soup Recipe

Serve beet soup hot or cold. Enjoy it as a starter, main course, or light lunch. Traditionally, it’s served with a dollop of sour cream or crème fraîche. It can also be garnished with fresh dill, chopped green onions, or a sprinkle of paprika.

How to store Polish Beet Soup

Beet soup can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 4 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.

To store beet soup in the refrigerator:

1. Let the soup cool completely to room temperature.
2. Transfer the soup to an airtight container.
3. Store the soup in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.

To store beet soup in the freezer:

1. Let the soup cool completely to room temperature.
2. Transfer the soup to freezer-safe containers.
3. Leave about an inch of headspace at the top of the containers to allow for expansion.
4. Freeze the soup for up to 3 months.

Borscht Soup Recipe FAQs

ONE YEAR AGO: Skillet Pork Chops

TWO YEARS AGO: Slow Cooker Sausage and Peppers

THREE YEARS AGO: Creamy Tomato Tortellini Soup

Do you have a family recipe for beet soup, Barszcz, or Borscht? Leave me a comment below; I’d love to hear how you prepare it!

If you love Polish food, then you must check out my Grandma’s Golumpki andKielbasa Kapusta!