Borscht in a Cauldron over a Fire
This hearty borscht is cooked outdoors in a cauldron over a fire with pork, beetroot, cabbage, potatoes and tomatoes. The broth can also be prepared with beef or chicken.
Updated : 22 October, 2026
Easy
About 45 min.
Ingredients
1 kilograms
Any type of meat
0.5
Cabbage
8
Potato
2
Onion
1
Carrot
2
Beetroot
3
Tomato
200 grams
Tomato sauce
100 grams
Tomato paste
100 milliliters
Vegetable oil
to taste
Salt
to taste
Garlic
to taste
Greens
Table
Table of volume measurements:
- teaspoon - 5 ml
- dessert spoon - 10 ml
- tablespoon - 20 ml
- glass - 200 ml
Preparation
Step 1
Prepare all the ingredients. This version uses pork together with meaty bones, but you can also make the soup with beef or chicken; the broth cooking time will vary depending on the meat. Meat on the bone will give the broth a richer flavor.
Step 2
Peel the onion and carrot. Rinse and dry them, then cut the carrot into thin sticks and the onion into cubes or quarter-rings.
Step 3
Pat the pork thoroughly dry with paper towels and cut it into medium-size serving pieces.
Step 4
Place the cauldron over the fire and heat it well. Pour in the refined vegetable oil. Add the onion and carrot and cook, stirring constantly, until the onion is lightly browned. Remove the vegetables with a slotted spoon and set aside, leaving the oil in the cauldron.
Step 5
Add the pork to the cauldron and cook for a couple of minutes, stirring.
Step 6
Pour in clean water, adjusting the amount depending on how thick you want the soup; the original recipe uses about 5.5–6 liters. Bring to a boil and skim off any foam. Reduce the fire so the broth simmers gently and cook for about 1 hour, leaving the lid slightly ajar.
Step 7
Meanwhile, peel the potatoes, beetroot and garlic. Rinse them together with the tomatoes. Peel the tomatoes if desired.
Step 8
Cut the potatoes into medium-size pieces.
Step 9
Dice the tomatoes and cut the beetroot into thin strips.
Step 10
Remove the outer leaves from the cabbage, rinse the head and finely shred it.
Step 11
When the meat is tender, remove it from the broth with a slotted spoon and set aside. Increase the fire to bring the broth back to a boil, then add the potatoes.
Step 12
Add the shredded cabbage.
Step 13
Pour in the tomato sauce and add the tomato paste. Season with salt to taste, cover and cook for 15–25 minutes.
Step 14
Meanwhile, rinse and finely chop the fresh herbs. Press or finely chop the garlic. Prepare the bay leaf if using.
Step 15
When the potatoes are cooked, add the sautéed onion and carrot, tomatoes and beetroot. Stir and cook uncovered for about 5–10 minutes.
Step 16
At the end, add the fresh herbs, garlic and bay leaf. Cook for another 5 minutes. Return the pork to the cauldron or serve it separately in each bowl.
Step 17
Serve the borscht hot with sour cream and ground black pepper to taste.
Author note
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