Red borsch - a tasty and healthy first course. However, it is not always possible to maintain a beautiful and rich red color, sometimes borsch has an orange or pink hue.

Secrets of how to cook borscht to be red

For this reason, many housewives are interested in how to make borscht red. In many respects it depends on beets. It is necessary to give preference to salad varieties having a juicy maroon shade.

First you need to understand why borscht is losing red color. Most often this happens due to a violation of cooking technology.

The beets are laid in the borscht too early, and it is completely digested, turning into a pale and unappetizing mass. Water cooking is one of the most unfortunate options. It is best to pre-bake or boil the beets, and then cut into strips and add to the borsch.

Before you throw the chopped beets into a saucepan, you need to sprinkle it with lemon juice. The secret is that acid helps preserve the rich and appetizing color of beets. It is best to use natural acidifiers - lemon juice, sour tomato puree, tomato paste, wine or apple vinegar, pickled cabbage brine. Also, when frying beets, it is recommended to add a little sugar to the pan.

Classic recipe with beets and cabbage

Cooking borsch according to the classic recipe requires some skill. The list of components is quite large, and a lot of operations need to be redone in the preparation process.

Necessary components:

  • meat - 350 g (pork or beef);
  • beets - 2 pcs.;
  • cabbage - a third of the head of cabbage;
  • carrots, onions, peppers - 1 pc.;
  • potatoes -4-5 tubers;
  • lemon juice - 3 tbsp. l .;
  • tomato paste - 2 tbsp. l .;
  • garlic - 3 cloves;
  • salt, spices, oil, herbs - at your own discretion.

Sequencing:

  1. Cut the meat into pieces, add water and cook. After boiling, remove the foam, add laurel and cook for 30 minutes.
  2. Chop the cabbage, cut the potatoes into bars. Add to broth.
  3. Grind the remaining vegetables and fry in a pan. Pour juice from lemon, season with tomato paste, add sugar and salt to taste. Quench a quarter of an hour. Pour some water if necessary.
  4. Add the frying to the pan and cook over low heat until cooked. At the end, take a sample, add garlic and spices.

Sprinkle with chopped herbs before serving. Serve with garlic donuts.

Cooking in Ukrainian

Borsch is good because the next day it becomes even tastier. Therefore, if the dish is freshly prepared, it is necessary to let it brew for at least an hour, so that all the ingredients are saturated with each other's aromas.

A set of components:

  • pork and beef - 400 g each;
  • potatoes - 3 tubers;
  • beans - a glass;
  • red beets - 1-2 pcs. (depending on size);
  • onions with carrots - 1 pc.;
  • parsley and celery roots - 1 pc.;
  • cabbage - half a fork;
  • garlic - 3tooth;
  • tomato paste - 3 tbsp. l .;
  • salt and spices - at personal discretion.

Step by step recipe:

  1. Cut the meat into pieces, add water, boil and remove the foam. If there is a brain bone, then it can also be added here.
  2. In the water with meat add roots, laurel, salt and pepper. Cook a strong broth.
  3. Remove roots and laurel, add pre-soaked beans. Cook for 20 minutes from the beginning of boiling.
  4. Cut into slices carrots with onions and peppers, add to the pan along with crushed cloves of garlic. Cook for a quarter of an hour.
  5. Grind the beets on a grater or cut into thin strips, introduce into the borsch with potatoes.
  6. After a quarter of an hour add tomato paste and shredded cabbage.
  7. Salt, pepper, sprinkle with herbs if desired. Let it brew.

Serve with homemade sour cream.

First dish with beans

You can cook red borsch with beans. The dish is hearty and rich, so this ingredient is used for cooking lean borsch.

 

Necessary components:

  • beans - 300 g;
  • potato - a pound;
  • onions with carrots - 1 pc.;
  • beets - 1 root crop;
  • cabbage - half a fork;
  • garlic - 3 cloves;
  • tomato paste - 4 tbsp. l .;
  • salt, pepper, herbs - at your own discretion.

Sequencing:

  1. Boil the beans over low heat until cooked.
  2. Pour 2 liters of water into the pan, put the whole peeled beets in it and cook for an hour until it becomes soft.
  3. Grind the remaining vegetables and herbs.
  4. Remove the beets from boiling water and put on a plate.
  5. Put potatoes in beetroot broth, a little later onions with carrots. Salt and cook for 10 minutes.
  6. Add cabbage, after 10 minutes - beans. Cook for 7 minutes.
  7. Meanwhile, grate the beets coarsely, mix with tomato paste, herbs and garlic. Put in a pan and mix.
  8. Boil and cook for 2 minutes.

Let stand with the lid closed for at least a third of an hour.

Red borsch with sauerkraut and meat

For cooking borsch, you can use not only fresh cabbage, but also sauerkraut. She gives the dish a pleasant sourness.

What do you need:

  • meat - 300 g;
  • potatoes - 4 tubers;
  • sauerkraut - 300 g;
  • onions with carrots and beets - 1 pc.;
  • beans - 100 g;
  • tomato paste - 1 tbsp. l .;
  • salt, spices, oil - as needed.

How to cook:

  1. Pour a piece of meat with water and bring to a boil. Remove the foam, add the beans and cook for an hour and a half.
  2. Introduce diced potatoes.
  3. Peel and chop vegetables. Make frying from onions and carrots. Add sauerkraut to the pan, pour in a little water and simmer until soft.
  4. Season with tomato paste, add beets.
  5. Salt and season the broth.
  6. When the potatoes become soft, pour the contents of the pan into the pan, boil and turn it off.

Before serving, season with sour cream and sprinkle with fresh herbs if desired.

How to cook in a slow cooker

Smart Casserole can also cook borscht deliciously.

Necessary components:

  • meat on the bone - 400 g;
  • cabbage - a third of the head of cabbage;
  • beets, onions and carrots - 1 pc.;
  • potatoes - 3 tubers;
  • garlic - 2 cloves;
  • tomato paste, salt, spices - to taste.

Sequencing:

  1. Grind vegetables in a convenient way (beets just cut into several parts).
  2. Run the “Baking” program, pour the oil into the bowl of the device and fry the onions and carrots.
  3. Put meat, potatoes and cabbage in a container. Add salt, pepper, laurel, tomato.
  4. Pour with water to the maximum mark. Set the steaming basket.
  5. Put the beets in a container. Close the lid and start the "Extinguishing" program for an hour and a half.
  6. When the signal sounds, remove the root pieces and grind on a coarse grater. Enter into borsch, mix.
  7. Run the “Steam cooking” program for 10 minutes.

Season the finished dish with homemade sour cream.

Cooking borsch in a slow cooker takes much less power than using traditional methods.

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