Beef Borscht (with canned beets)

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

You can realistically get home from work and make this beet soup 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 borscht, simply leave out the meat and use vegetable soup broth instead of beef. Even with the extra lean ground beef, this Shortcut Ukrainian borscht soup is very Weight Watchers friendly too. It's also a very comforting soup! And if you're looking for more soup recipes, check out these Easy Fall Soups!

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!

If you also love shortcut Ukrainian food, give my Shortcut Lazy Pierogies and Lazy Slow Cooker Cabbage Rolls a try!

🥘Borscht with Canned Beets Ingredient Notes

Of course, the main ingredient in this borscht soup is beets. I use canned beets, instead of fresh beets because they are much easier to use. Along with lean ground beef, for this version of borscht, I also use 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 beet 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). Ground beef adds a meaty heartiness to this soup, making it filling enough for a meal.
• Broccoli slaw. You get more nutrition from brocolli slaw than you do from regular coleslaw and it adds texture.
• Beef broth/beef stock. Beef broth is a great base for this meaty beefy borscht!
• Canned beets (sliced). Canned beets are economical, convenient, as well as quick, and easy!
• Canned tomatoes (diced). Canned tomatoes are economical and convenient. They add a rich tomatoey flavor to the base, giving the soup texture.
• Garlic. An aromatic that adds a delicious buttery flavor.
• Onion powder and onion flakes/Minced onion. Since I don't chop up onions for this soup, I like to use both onion powder and onion flakes so there's enough onion flavor and texture.
• Celery seed. Celery seed lends a delicious celery flavor without having to chop up celery.
• Brown sugar. Brown sugar balances the acidity of the tomatoes and wine vinegar.
• Red wine vinegar. Red wine vinegar adds a welcome tartness to this soup, which traditional borscht is known for.
• Bay leaves. Bay leaves add depth of flavor.
• Dill (fresh is best). Dill adds a fresh and authentic Ukrainian flavor to this iconic beet soup.
• Evaporated milk (fat-free) is optional. Evaporated milk adds the same delicious creaminess that adding whipping cream does, but with far less calories!

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

📖 VARIATIONS & SUBSTITUTIONS

• Vegetarian Borscht recipe: skip the meat and use vegetable broth/vegetable stock for a vegetarian version of this soup
• Ground beef: you can use ground turkey or ground chicken to further lighten up this recipe. *Use chicken broth if you are making this with ground chicken or turkey.
• Dill: fresh dill is ideal, but you can use dried dill (just use ½ the amount)
• Broccoli Slaw - you can substitute a coleslaw mix or a bagged broccoli salad (my husband once brought this home by accident and I used it).
• Beets: you can use canned whole rosebud beets- just slice them up!*Do NOT use pickled beets.
• Red Wine Vinegar: you can use apple cider vinegar or white wine vinegar instead

👪 Serving Size

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

OR you can make this borscht a SIDE or STARTER with:

🌡️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.