Borsht is beet soup, simply.
Cook beets in meat broth and add anything you have in house, vegies, leftovers, sausage, stuff, anything!
Adding sour cream or heavy cream ( after cooking) makes a White Borscht.
There is also a Polish Borsht, which is just a clear beet soup with nothing (or almost nothing) in it. This can be bought in Jewish food sections of many grocery shops in the USA.
Quite different from Ukrainian Borsht, which is very hearty, full of stuff!
Great food!
I had Borsht in Kazahstan. It was remarkable. The best I could describe it was a hearty chicken soup with beets and cabbage. It was not served with sour cream, and did not have any vinegar.
...a Polish Borsht, which is just a clear beet soup with nothing (or almost nothing) in it.
______________________________________
Love this chilled with a lot of sour cream stirred in until it becomes bright magenta. Just perfect on a hot summer day.
The juice from canned beets is an acceptable quick substitute, IMO. Add 1 tsp of lemon juice if you want it sour and 1/2 tsp sugar to balance the earthy and sour w/a bit of sweet. Cut the beet slices into matchsticks and add.
Use full fat sour cream and serve in a tall glass with a spoon for the cream and sliced beets.
Strange that this is my birth family’s version, as my maternal grandmother was Ukrainian Jewish. We never had the meat version of borsht when I was growing up, always the clear chilled w/sliced beets and served with sour cream.
As for the sour soup made with sorrel....you can have all mine, although I make a Green Soup with sauteed onions, chicken broth and braised greens of any kind pureed into a soup, served cold with sour cream. Sorrel soup is too puckery for me.