MAIN INGREDIENTS
The iconic borsch is probably the most famous Ukrainian dish, also considered the country's national dish. It is a comforting soup made with beetroot, meat or bone stock, and sautéed vegetables. There are many variations - the broth can be made with beef, pork, chicken, or as a vegetarian version.
The soup often includes fermented beetroot juice (kvas), and it is common to add meat, while typical vegetables include root vegetables and cabbage. The essential ingredient in every borsch is beetroot. It gives the dish its distinctive red color and a characteristic earthy flavor.
VARIATIONS OF Borsch
MOST ICONIC Borsch
View moreSorrel soup or green borscht is a hearty, sour-flavored Ukrainian soup made with sorrel leaves, stock, butter, onions, sugar, lemon juice, sour cream, and beaten egg yolks. The soup is also popular in Russia and Belarus, and it can be served warm or chilled.
Today, there are numerous versions of the soup throughout Eastern Europe, so cooks add different ingredients into it, such as spinach, carrots, potatoes, or beetroot. Serve green borscht with a dollop of sour cream and a slice of rye bread.
Kalatusha is a traditional soup originating from Polissya. The soup is usually made with a combination of mushrooms, fish such as carp, flour, butter, oil, roasted vegetables (such as beets, carrots, celery, tomatoes, onions), allspice, bay leaves, dill, parsley, salt, and pepper.
The vegetables (carrots, celery, onions, beets, and tomatoes) are roasted in the oven. The carp is cut into pieces and mixed with mushrooms, bay leaves, dill, parsley, and allspice. The mixture is cooked in order to create a broth that is then strained through a sieve.
TasteAtlas food rankings are based on the ratings of the TasteAtlas audience, with a series of mechanisms that recognize real users and that ignore bot, nationalist or local patriotic ratings, and give additional value to the ratings of users that the system recognizes as knowledgeable. For the “Top 3 Ukrainian Soups” list until March 20, 2025, 1,164 ratings were recorded, of which 558 were recognized by the system as legitimate. TasteAtlas Rankings should not be seen as the final global conclusion about food. Their purpose is to promote excellent local foods, instill pride in traditional dishes, and arouse curiosity about dishes you haven’t tried.