Instant Pot Borscht is my Ukrainian grandma’s borscht recipe adapted for a pressure cooker. Serve this hearty cabbage and beet soup with lots of dill, garlic and sour cream. So good!
We love cabbage around here, from Instant Pot cabbage rolls, to Instant Pot cabbage soup, to Russian shchi and unstuffed cabbage rolls.
Pressure Cooker Borscht
Instant Pot borscht. Borscht is Ukrainian cabbage and beet soup I grew up eating almost every week. Eventually, I have adapted my grandma’s borscht recipe to a pressure cooker.
And it tastes just like hers. Even without any sauteing of vegetables in tomato sauce called “zazharka”. You throw everything in one pot and walk away!
What is borscht? It’ basically Instant Pot veggie soup meets cooked beets in Instant Pot meets tomato soup.
In summer, we also love to make green borsch with fresh sorrel from our garden.
Ingredients for Borscht
These are a must have ingredients. Borscht is highly versatile!!! You might find recipe too long, but it’s just options for ingredients and different size Instant Pots.
Below I go over other variations depending what you have on hand and corresponding cook times.
- Beets
- Cabbage
- Potato, onion, carrot
- Tomato paste
- Garlic and dill
Borscht Variations and Substitutions
- Meat or soup bones: You can use any chicken pieces like drumsticks, legs, thighs or bones. The more fat or skin, more rich is the borscht. More classic choice would be beef short ribs or bones, and I recommend to make beef broth or Instant Pot beef bone broth first and only then make borscht.
- Tomato sauce or diced tomatoes: I prefer tomato sauce, passata or crushed tomatoes because it’s more hearty where as diced tomatoes contain more water. But I have used both.
- Ketchup: My mom’s trick. Worst case scenario you can add a bit of ketchup if you are out of canned tomato sauce. I am personally not a fan. My mom likes to add a squirt in any case.
- Sauerkraut: Borscht needs acidity (more on it in the next point) and sweetness. Sauerkraut adds that tangy taste that I personally love. It is optional but so good!
- Dried beans: The beauty of any Instant Pot beans recipe is that it can cook dried beans without soaking. I recommend to use white navy, pinto or lima beans. They tend to make Instant Pot cabbage borscht more hearty due to their high starch content.
- Red kidney beans fact: I tried to cook borscht with red kidney beans and found they make borscht very “beany” tasting and also change the color to more orange.
- Canned beans: Reduce water to 5 cups (6 quart) and 8 cups (8 quart) and 15 minutes cook time is enough.
How to Make Instant Pot Borscht
- Prep: I prep ingredients and add them to the pot as I prep. Shred cabbage, rinse beans and meat (if using), dice onions, slice carrots, cube potatoes and cut beets into matchsticks. I like to cut beets last because of their “bleeding”.
- Do not stir and add liquids + seasonings: Pour water, tomato sauce/ paste, maple syrup, bay leaves, salt and pepper on top. Do not stir.
- Cook on High Pressure: Press Pressure Cook on High or Manual button for: any version without dried beans – 15 minutes, with dry beans – 35 minutes. It will take about 30 mins for it to come to pressure.
- While borscht is cooking, prep garnishes: Peel garlic, chop dill, slice lemon in half to prepare for squeezing (if not using vinegar).
- Wait 15 mins and release pressure: After 20 minutes is up, let it stand for 15 minutes. And then release pressure using Quick Release method by turning valve to Venting. It is OK to use Natural Release while you are away.
- Season more: Add lemon juice, grate garlic and add dill. We like lots of everything.
More Tips and Facts
- Cultures: Every Eastern European country has its own version of borscht soup. Every cook even within same family cooks their own version of borscht.
- Vegetarian borscht: Just veggies, would be nice to add canned beans for protein. Cook for 15 minutes.
- Borscht with beef: I recommend to use beef ribs or soup bones and make beef broth or Instant Pot beef bone broth first. So much flavor!!! After cook for 15 minutes.
- Borscht with chicken: Add bone in chicken pieces and cook for 20 minutes.
- Borscht with dried beans: Use white, pinto or lima beans and cook for 35 minutes.
- Borscht develops flavors: Borscht tastes even better next day. Freshly cooked tastes amazing too. Just different.
- It is important to add fresh garlic and dill after borscht has finished cooking!
How Ukrainians Serve Borscht
- Sour cream or plain yogurt. As much as you want, we used sour cream to top syrniki recipe growing up, too. Alex loves a dollop of mayo on his borscht. I don’t but it’s an option too.
- More garlic. Yes! I know you might think I’m crazy but I’m Ukrainian. We always ate borscht while biting on a clove of garlic. So good! Garlic is nature’s antibiotic, did you know?!
- Rye bread. If you could only smell and taste freshly baked Ukrainian rye bread from the bakery, you would understand why I think bagged, sliced and good for 10 days North American bread is a joke. I would cut a garlic clove in half and rub it all around the slice, especially the crust. So good! These days we satisfy ourselves with organic bagged whole grain bread, toasting helps. When I have time I make pampushki, Ukrainian garlic bread.
As a kid, I also would rub a slice of rye bread all over. Spread sour cream on top. And sprinkle with salt. So probably weird to you but so good to me!:) I get it. Eating crickets sounds weird to me to but many do. Can’t argue about tastes and cuisines.
Enjoy, friends!
How to Store and Reheat Borscht
Storing: Refrigerate borscht for up to 5 days. It is like wine and gets only better with time.
Freezing: Freeze in an airtight container leaving some room for expansion. Borscht freezes beautifully. Thaw on a counter for a few hours or bottom shelf of the fridge overnight.
Reheating: Reheat only amount you need in a small pot by simmering and stirring on low.
More Instant Pot Recipes to Try
- Instant Pot lentil soup
- Instant Pot chicken noodle soup
- Instant Pot split pea soup
- Instant Pot chicken and potatoes
- Instant Pot chicken tortilla soup
- Looking for more dinner ideas? Check out my most popular collection of 45 healthy Instant Pot recipes.
Instant Pot Borscht
Instant Pot Borscht is my Ukrainian grandma’s borscht recipe adapted to pressure cooker. Serve this hearty cabbage and beet soup with lots of dill, garlic and sour cream. So good!
Ingredients
For 8 Quart Instant Pot
- 2 lbs cabbage coarsely shredded
- 1.5 lbs 5 large potatoes, cubed
- 1 lb 3 medium beets, cut into sticks
- 2 large carrots sliced
- 1 large onion chopped
- 1 cup white, pinto or lima beans, dried *
- 1 lb any chicken, beef or soup bones (optional)**
- 12 cups water
- 14 oz can tomato sauce low sodium
- 6 oz can tomato paste low sodium
- 1 tbsp any sweetener
- 3 bay leaves
- 2 1/2 tsp salt
- Ground black pepper to taste
- 1 tbsp vinegar or lemon juice
- Lots of freshly grated garlic
- Lots of fresh chopped dill
For 6 Quart Instant Pot
- 1.5 lbs cabbage coarsely shredded
- 1 lb 3 large potatoes, cubed
- 2 medium beets cut into sticks
- 1 large carrot sliced
- 1 small onion chopped
- 3/4 cup white, pinto or lima beans dried*
- 1/2 lb any chicken, beef or soup bones (optional)**
- 8 cups water
- 14 oz can tomato sauce low sodium
- 6 oz can tomato paste low sodium
- 1/2 tbsp any sweetener
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 3/4 tsp salt
- Ground black pepper to taste
- 1/2 tbsp vinegar or lemon juice
- Lots of freshly grated garlic
- Lots of fresh chopped dill
Instructions
- In Instant Pot, add ingredients in the following order: cabbage, beans (if using), potatoes, beets, carrots, onion and chicken or bones (if using). Do not stir.
- Pour water and then add on top tomato sauce and paste, sweetener, bay leaves, salt and pepper. Do not stir.
- Close the lid, turn pressure vent to Sealing and press Pressure Cook on High or Manual for: vegetarian and/or with canned beans – 15 minutes, with chicken – 20 minutes, with dried beans – 35 minutes.
- After Instant Pot has finished cooking, let Instant Pot borscht stand for 15 minutes or longer. And then release pressure using Quick Release method by turning valve to Venting and open the lid.
- Add vinegar, fresh garlic and dill. We like lots. Stir and adjust any seasoning to taste.
- Serve hot with a dollop of sour cream or yogurt, rye or whole wheat bread and more garlic.:)
Notes
- Store: Refrigerate borscht for up to 5 days. It is like wine and gets only better with time.
- Freeze: Freeze in an airtight container leaving some room for expansion. Borscht freezes beautifully. Thaw on a counter for a few hours or bottom shelf of the fridge overnight.
- Red kidney beans fact: I tried and found dry red kidney beans make borscht very “beany” tasting and also change the colour to more orange.
- If using canned beans or no beans at all: Reduce water to 5 cups (6 quart) and 8 cups (8 quart).
- Borscht with beef: I recommend to use beef ribs or soup bones and make beef broth or Instant Pot beef bone broth first. So much flavor!!!
- Borscht with chicken: Add bone in chicken pieces and cook for 20 minutes.
- Vegetarian borscht: Just veggies, would be nice to add canned beans for protein. Cook for 15 minutes.
- Tomato sauce or diced tomatoes: I prefer tomato sauce , passata or crushed tomatoes because it’s more hearty where as diced tomatoes contain more water. But I have used both.
Nutrition
Serving: 2cups | Calories: 211kcal | Carbohydrates: 44g | Protein: 10g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 755mg | Fiber: 11g | Sugar: 13g
Did you make this recipe?Mention @ifoodreal or tag #ifoodreal!
I just made this tonight following your recipe and it was delicious! I think I cooked mine for too long though, because all my cabbage disintegrated and all my beets lost their color, haha! The soup was more orange than the classic borscht color.
But it sure tasted amazing!!
How long did you cook it for? Also different colour is from dried red kidney beans. If you use canned or cooked, should be more red borscht – classic.
I made the vegetarian and used dried great northern beans. I’m fond of puréed soup so puréed, just stirring in the greens at the end. Very good but needs aged. My grandmother also Ukrainian likely used sauerkraut as well as cabbage. I am 2nd generation and remember the rye bread from the bakery at the top of the hill. A good healthy soup shared with neighbors. Thank you Olena
You are very welcome Mary Ann!
Can you please clarify how much vinegar or lemon juice? Says 1 or 1/2 of …??? Thanks!
If you are using the 8 quart recipe, it is 1 tbsp of vinegar/lemon juice. For the 6 quart IP recipe, it is 1/2 tbsp vinegar/lemon juice.
What is the measure for the vinegar? T, C? Will balsamic work? Thanks for the great recipe!
Hi Bethany! Just fixed the measurements (sorry just switched over to a new recipe card program). It is TBSP! I haven’t used balsamic vinegar before. I prefer to use white vinegar.
Bethany, we just made this with red wine vinegar, and it was great! I bet it will be delicious with balsamic too! Maybe half it just in case (since it’s kinda on the stronger side)?
I am truly confused. First a brief ancestry of myself…. I am Ukrainian & Polish (maternal grandfather from Germany over 600 years prior to living in the Ukraine). Mama & baba (both Baba’s family born & brought up in the Ukraine for 8 centuries that we can trace) until they came to the USA in 1953. Papa from Poland (his city is now in Belarus since WWII) I have followers (some who have become good friends from the Ukraine, Poland & the world).
Can you explain why you have beets & beans in your “Authentic Ukrainian Borscht”? Russian & Polish Borscht have beets, but no tomato & certainty no beans. From every Ukrainian & references in history, Ukrainian Authentic Borscht has Beef / beef bone broth, cabbage, tomato, potato & a few spices… Sour cream or plain thick yogurt (what people calk Greek style) dollop at the end. Served with Pirozhki (soft yeast based hand pie stuffed with beef and/or beef with rice mixture & baked). I am curious to know why your “Authentic Ukrainian Borscht” has beets & beans. I love learning new things.
Hi Anna. There are as many variations of borscht in Ukraine as regions and families. Even within same family women cooked borscht differently. And yet born and raised in Ukraine I have never heard of borscht without beets. That’s not borscht but rather cabbage soup. No tomato is not borscht either – cabbage soup “Schi”. Poland and Croatia etc. have their own borscht.
Borscht is a peasant food. It started way back then when people had nothing, no beef, and to give it protein and volume they used beans. As my recipe states they are a variation and optional.
“Served with Pirozhki” is from a movie lol. Borscht is served with rye bread in real life. Nobody had time to go to work, do laundry by hand, walk to grocery store every day and make pirozhky when I was growing up.
Overall, one thing I learnt from people born in North America but with ancestry from Ukraine is that their family recipes, first and last names have been modified with years and are far from “authentic”.
Perfect answer! Agree, beets are a must and my favorite bowls of borshch growing up in Ukraine had hearty beans in them. We just made it today, and this was perfect! So glad my first borshch turned out so good! Thx for the excellent recipe! We used a variation with 4 chicken thighs, a can of cannellini beans, and slightly more cabbage, but less potatoes. So glad we have plenty of delicious leftovers to be had for a while!
So happy to hear this Olga 🙂
I know I’m late to the party, but I just read Anna’s comment & am sitting here fuming (lol) in disbelief. I’m from Ukraine & have never heard of borsht without beets or tomatoes. That just does not compute. My mother uses white beans. I rarely do, simply because I forget. I love borsht with veal tails. That’s my preference, or meatless in the summer. But ALWAYS with beets and tomatoes. Come on, people, get with the program! LOL And rubbing fresh garlic clove on rye bread, preferably gorbushka… YUMMMM I also like it with vareniki s kartoshkoy, although I don’t make them.
Hi! I am born and raised Ukrainian! Growing up, my mom cooked borscht with either beef (prefered) or beans ( we were poor and beef was a luxury item). So, yes, this recipe is VERY authentic! Haven’t made in yet but super excited to adopt it to my instant pot! Thank you!
I made it, but I was in a hurry and I use can beet and boneless chicken on pieces and I cook in 15 minutes, not bad for the first time with non fresh beets
This is amazing!! I found the 5 c of fluid fills it to the top, when using canned beans!!! We LOVE THIS SOUP!! fast, easy and delicious
Just made this tonight and it was an easy to follow recipe. Next time I make borscht I might try to do it on the stove as I find the instant pot makes the vegetables too soft for my liking. But… I loved the flavour of this soup! The sour cream & fresh dill and fresh garlic are what makes it taste wonderful. Thanks for sharing your recipe.
You are very welcome Alisa!
THIS IS AWESOME!!!! Such a nutritious and easy recipe, and the 5C of water filled it to capacity in my 6L instant pot!! Could NOT be better!!
Is the tomato paste a must in this recipe. I find it sours a soup. I have made borscht
Only using canned plum tomatoes that I chop up. Thanks
You are welcome to try the borscht without the tomato paste. I have always made my borscht with it.
The sour cream turns this wonderfully earthy dish into a gourmet meal. I am amazed at the flavor of the simple recipe, and it is so nutritious. This will be a staple on our menu.
Hi Randy! I am thrilled to hear that you enjoyed this recipe so much!