In regions where borscht is popular, every home has a cherished recipe. My approach is to make it using whatever is handy, in the house or in shops nearby. The ingredients listed from most to least typically include ... beef stock or beef bones cooked in the soup green cabbage potato beetroot onion carrot celery tomato butter vegetable oil garlic salt black pepper dill / bay leaf / coriander The quantities are very flexible. Versions of the soup sometimes include ... dried beans sausage slices salt cured pork fat / Salo chilli for a bit of heat For a mild flavoured soup, just boil everything. For more flavour, fry the onions, garlic and meat. Roasting bones adds to the flavour and might extract marrow. It might not be authentic but oxtail vertebrae would be good. Cooking times. The soup will be best if the meat is well cooked to extract flavour. The vegetables should be cooked just right and not turned to mush.