Roger had lived in Russia for a while and had been asking me to make borscht as well. I changed just about everything around in the recipe to make it more efficient, but Roger and Mila both deemed the final taste to be very authentic, despite the shortcuts. Borscht has suddenly become a weeknight dish, rather than an all-day affair. You can serve this with a side of toasted dark rye bread brushed with olive oil and rubbed with a garlic clove.
Ingredients
For the First Cooking Cycle
- 4 slices bacon, chopped
- 2 pounds beef short ribs, meat trimmed from the bones and cut into bite-size pieces
- 1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes, undrained
- 2 cups water
- 1 cup chopped yellow onions
- 2 large carrots, coarsely chopped
- 5 garlic cloves, chopped
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
For the Second Cooking Cycle
- 2 cups shredded cabbage or coleslaw mix
- 1½ cups water
- 1 cup coarsely shredded beets
- 1 cup coarsely shredded carrots
- 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
For Serving
- Sour cream
- Chopped fresh dill
How to Make It
-
For the first Cooking Cycle
- Select saute on the Instant Pot. When the pot is hot, add the bacon and cook, stirring occasionally, until the edges are crisped, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the beef, tomatoes with their juices, water, onions, carrots, garlic, bay leaves, salt, red pepper flakes, and black pepper. Select cancel.
- Secure the lid on the pot. Close the pressure-release valve. Select manual and set the pot at high pressure for 20 minutes. At the end of the cooking time, allow the pot to sit undisturbed for 10 minutes, then release any remaining pressure. For the second Cooking Cycle
- Add the cabbage, water, beets, carrots, and vinegar to the pot.
- Secure the lid on the pot. Close the pressure-release valve. Select manual and set the pot at high pressure for 1 minute. At the end of the cooking time, quick release the pressure. Discard the bay leaves.
- Divide the borscht into individual bowls and serve topped with sour cream and fresh dill.
