Ukrainian Borscht Soup (with beef)

NO CHOPPING REQUIRED! This Ukrainian Borscht is a Shortcut borscht soup (with beef) recipe using canned beets. It's a quick (done in 30 minutes), homemade healthy and easy dinner recipe that is low-fat and delicious.

You can realistically get home from work and make it that evening. If you are not a red meat eater, then substitute ground chicken or turkey. I have done this and you really can't tell the difference. Or for a vegetarian borsct, simply leave out the meat and use vegetable soup broth instead of beef. Even with the extra lean ground beef, this Shortcut Ukrainian borscht is very Weight Watchers friendly too!

I love being Ukrainian for a multitude of reasons....

We have awesome food and dancing, among other things. Really, the only part I am not a fan of is the long, complicated last names, of which I was plagued with for the majority of my life (then happily ditched when I got married). And then there's also the stereotype of being cheap (like borscht). That is not a fun part of being Ukrainian either. Because, well, I'm not cheap.

Although I do love borscht (and all Ukrainian cuisine)! I grew up on it. But Baba's traditional Ukrainian borscht takes a long time to make and I don't have the time that she had in the kitchen. I'm guessing you don't either. That is exactly why I created this quick and easy Ukrainian beef borscht recipe with canned beets. And it is THE BEST! Baba would definitely have approved.

When I had kids and became a working Mom, I had even less time for making traditional recipes, so shortcut cooking became even more necessary. You don't have to chop anything for this borscht and it calls for canned beets. And you don't have to be Ukrainian to love it either, especially when it's this quick and delicious!

🥘Ingredients

Along with lean ground beef, I have also added non-fat evaporated milk as an option in this recipe. I love using it, as it gives the soup a rich, creaminess. I got the idea from a friend who once made me borscht with whipping cream and it was absolutely magical! But since I don't want all the fat and calories from whipping cream, I used non-fat evaporated milk and trust me, it's just as divine.

For this Beef Borscht recipe, you'll need:

• ground beef (extra lean)
• broccoli slaw
• beef broth/beef stock
• canned beets (sliced)
• canned tomatoes (diced)
• garlic
• onion powder
• onion flakes
• celery seed
• brown sugar
• red wine vinegar
• bay leaves
• dill (fresh is best)
• evaporated milk (fat-free) optional

NOTE: It will lighten the borscht a little. Here is how it looks with the evaporated milk added in:

📖 Variations & Substitutions

• Vegetarian Borscht: skip the meat and use vegetable broth/vegetable stock
• Ground beef: you can use ground turkey or ground chicken to further lighten up this recipe
• Dill: fresh dill is ideal, but you can use dried dill (just use ½ the amount)
• Broccoli Slaw - you can substitute a coleslaw mix

💭Top Tips

• Cook up ground beef ahead of time and keep it portioned in zip lock bags in the freezer until needed. Then just drop it into the soup and it defrosts while cooking.
• Cook up the whole bag of broccoli slaw, then freeze the remainder for next time
• Use minced or pureed garlic in a jar- this saves a lot of time mincing garlic

👪 Serving Size

This Ukrainian borscht soup makes 6 servings. However, you can half, double or triple the recipe by clicking on the blue serving number and selecting the number of servings you'd like. The ingredient quantities will automatically adjust.

🔢WW Points

This Beef Borscht is Weight Watchers friendly @ 2 WW points on my plan. You can plug it into the app to see how many WW points it is on your plan!

🥖Side Dishes

You can eat this Ukrainian Borscht as a side dish, but it's a hearty soup and really is a meal in and of itself. I love to serve it with a side salad or rye bread, crusty bread or bread sticks. For a lighter bread, try it with WW friendly Cloud Bread!

However, if you want to serve it as a side, it's a great starter for my Ukrainian Daughter's Crock pot Casserole (shown) and goes well with a Ukrainian meal of Potato and Cottage Cheese Perogies, Ukrainian Cabbage Rolls and Air Fryer Kielbasa (Kovbasa).

🍽Equipment

You can use a Dutch oven(affiliate link) to brown the ground beef, then make the borscht soup in the same pot (after draining the beef) or simply use a frying pan and a large pot.

🌡️Storage

Store this leftover Ukrainian Borscht in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. This beef borscht soup freezes well for up to 3 months.

❔Frequently Asked Questions

🦺FOOD SAFETY

• Cook ground beef to a minimum temperature of 160 °F (71 °C)
• Do not use the same utensils on cooked food, that previously touched raw meat
• Wash hands after touching raw meat
• Don't leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods
• Never leave cooking food unattended
• Use oils with high smoking point to avoid harmful compounds
• Always have good ventilation when using a gas stove

See more guidelines at USDA.gov.

So, if you are looking for an easy beef borscht recipe, this is your soup! Enjoy....

If you love Ukrainian food, then give my other Ukrainian recipes a try!

For more great Ukrainian recipes, follow my Ukrainian Food Board on Pinterest!~

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📋 Ukrainian Borscht Soup Recipe (with beef) Recipe

This homemade Ukrainian Borscht soup (with beef) is a shortcut recipe using canned beets with no chopping required. It's easy, quick (cook time of 15 minutes), healthy, low fat, WW friendly and delicious!

5 from 11 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: Main Course, Soup

Cuisine: Ukrainian

Keyword: beef, borscht, cream of mushroom soup, Ukrainian

Special Diet: Weight Watchers

Servings: 6 servings

Calories: 48kcal

Author: Terri Gilson

Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes minutes

Total Time: 25 minutes minutes

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Ingredients

• ▢ 1 500 g pkg extra lean ground beef approximately, or substitute ground chicken or turkey or no meat for vegetarian
• ▢ ½ pkg (340g/12 oz) fresh washed broccoli slaw about 1.5 cooked cups - see NOTES for recipe for remaining ½ bag of broccoli slaw
• ▢ 4 cups water
• ▢ 6 cups beef broth use vegetable broth for vegetarian
• ▢ 2 14 oz cans sliced beets drained
• ▢ 1 28 oz can diced tomatoes and juices
• ▢ 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• ▢ 3 tablespoon onion flakes
• ▢ 1 teaspoon onion powder
• ▢ ½ teaspoon celery seed
• ▢ 2 tablespoon brown sugar
• ▢ ½ cup red wine vinegar
• ▢ 1 bay leaf
• ▢ 2 ½ tablespoon dill fresh is best, but freeze-dried or dry is fine (just use ½ the amount)
• ▢ ½ 12 oz can fat-free evaporated milk OPTIONAL

Garnish:

• ▢ Dollop of sour cream (light or fat-free) or non fat greek yogurt (optional)

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

• Add 4 cups of water to broccoli slaw and cook in microwave safe bowl with lid for 10 minutes in microwave, removing and stirring during cooking time (at halfway point – 5 minutes). Drain when done.
• While broccoli slaw is cooking, brown ground beef.
• Add all the remaining ingredients (except evaporated milk and Greek yogurt/sour cream) to large pot and bring to a boil on high on stove top.
• Reduce to medium and add drained ground beef and drained broccoli slaw. Continue to simmer on medium for about 15 minutes until broccoli slaw pieces are tender.
• Remove from heat and stir in evaporated milk (if desired). Remove bay leaf and serve with dollop of sour cream (about 1-2 tsp), if desired.

Notes

📖 Variations

You can make this dish vegetarian, without meat, using vegetable broth or you can lighten it up even more, using ground turkey.

*NOTE: The final version actually looks a bit lighter if you use the evaporated milk (which I highly recommend)! 

** If you use the evaporated milk, do not cook it any longer after you add it, or it will curdle. 

NOTE: You will have a ½ bag of broccoli slaw left, so why not try my Easy Two Cheese Tuna Mexi Melts to use up the rest. It's another delicious, quick and easy weeknight meal. 

 

Nutrition Facts

📋 Ukrainian Borscht Soup Recipe (with beef) Recipe

Amount Per Serving (1 cup)

Calories 48 Calories from Fat 9

% Daily Value*

Fat 1g2%

Saturated Fat 1g6%

Polyunsaturated Fat 1g

Monounsaturated Fat 1g

Cholesterol 1mg0%

Sodium 906mg39%

Potassium 194mg6%

Carbohydrates 7g2%

Fiber 1g4%

Sugar 5g6%

Protein 3g6%

Vitamin A 15IU0%

Vitamin C 2mg2%

Calcium 36mg4%

Iron 1mg6%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Nutrition

Serving: 1cup | Calories: 48kcal (2%) | Carbohydrates: 7g (2%) | Protein: 3g (6%) | Fat: 1g (2%) | Saturated Fat: 1g (6%) | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 1mg | Sodium: 906mg (39%) | Potassium: 194mg (6%) | Fiber: 1g (4%) | Sugar: 5g (6%) | Vitamin A: 15IU | Vitamin C: 2mg (2%) | Calcium: 36mg (4%) | Iron: 1mg (6%)

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