Sharing my grandma’s authentic Borscht Recipe I grew up eating in Ukraine. This iconic beet soup is made with beef, cabbage, potatoes, carrots, garlic and dill. Then served with a dollop of sour cream and rye bread.

If you like borscht, be sure to try my green borscht, Instant Pot borscht or vegetarian borscht!

This is my grandma’s authentic borscht recipe I grew up with in Ukraine. She made it every week and I still have it in a regular rotation. It’s simply the best borscht recipe!

Everyone in our house loves it and I hope you will too!

What Is Borscht?

If you don’t know what is borscht, it is vibrant red color soup with cabbage, beets, potatoes, carrots, onion and garlic. It can be vegan or vegetarian, as well as made with beef, pork or chicken. Then served with sour cream and dill.

It truly depends what’s in your fridge that day. That’s how this soup came about – out of necessity and hunger.

Essentially, this borscht is a superfood and a meal in itself. According to Healthline, beets are packed with iron, may help fight chronic inflammation and lower blood pressure. Then we add cabbage (vitamins, fiber and cancer fighting properties), potatoes (vitamin C and potassium), carrots (carotene) and optional protein (meat and beans).

“Borscht”, “bortsch”, “borsh” or “борщ” is a true classic soup every Ukrainian or Russian grew up eating almost weekly. It is pronounced without “t” at the end.

Is Borscht Ukrainian or Russian?

According to Wikipedia, borscht is Ukrainian dish that has a history of centuries. It is cooked in every household of any former republic that belonged to USSR – Ukraine, Russia, Moldova, Belorussia etc. Not to mention all over Eastern Europe.

There are as many variations of traditional Ukrainian borscht recipe as there are regions and families. Everyone makes it differently, even within the same household.

Ingredients for Borscht Recipe

Borscht ingredients are very simple and vary on one’s fridge contents and region of Ukraine. Here are the main ingredients you could always find in my grandma’s recipe:

• Beef bones or beef broth: As a base, you can use beef broth or even chicken broth. Or pick up some beef bones like oxtail, shanks, short ribs or even pork ribs and make broth with it first. If your bones are not meaty, add some cubed stew beef. Please see below for more info about it.
• Beets: You want to use red beets because they add the most red deep color to soup. Young beets in fall and summer will also taste more tender and fresh, just a different flavor.
• Cabbage: Traditionally green cabbage is used but you can also use red cabbage because you won’t see its color in this soup and it tastes exactly the same.
• Potatoes: Red or yellow potatoes, Yukon golds, russet potatoes or baby potatoes work.
• Carrots and onion: For bulk and flavor. I use yellow onion but you can use white onion or red onion.
• Tomato paste: To add more flavor and color.
• White vinegar and sugar: You can also use any light color vinegar like white wine vinegar, red wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar. Also any sugar or maple syrup works. It’s just to create that sweet and sour taste at the end of cooking.
• Garlic: Please use only fresh garlic cloves and grate them or press them. Garlic in borscht is a must!
• Dill: Just like with garlic you have to use only fresh dill and not dried dill weed. Fresh dill is an essential flavor profile in this soup!
• Bay leaves, salt and pepper
• Sour cream: For serving.

How to Make Borscht

Here is a quick rundown of how to make borscht. Also there is a video below.

It is actually very easy to make and anyone can do it. I like my borsch with variety of vegetables, with thin flavorful broth, lots of fresh garlic and dill.

Prep veggies: You want to start with cabbage first because it takes the longest time to cook. While it is cooking, you can prep other vegetables.

Cook cabbage in broth with bay leaves and peppercorns for 20 minutes after bringing to a boil. Chop beets, potatoes, carrots and onion in the meanwhile.

Saute onion and carrots in a bit of olive oil until translucent, about 5 minutes. This makes onion flavorful making entire borscht recipe more delicious. Do not skip.

Then add beets and a bit more oil, cook for another 5 minutes. It’s called “zazharka”.

Transfer sauteed veggies to the pot along with potatoes, tomato paste and salt. Cook covered for 20 minutes. In the meantime, prep garlic, dill and other seasonings.

Season borscht with white vinegar, garlic, sugar and pepper.

Stir, turn off heat and let it stand for 10 minutes covered to allow flavors to “marry” each other. Add dill and your borscht is ready to serve.

How to Peel and Cut Beets and Other Vegetables

• Beets: Peel beets with a regular vegetable peeler and cut into thick matchsticks. You can also grate beets on a box grater or in a food processor. If you have fresh beets, you can also chop some beet greens and add to the soup.
• Cabbage: Thin uniformly shredded cabbage is a key to a borscht with right texture. Don’t shred it paper thin so it disintegrates during cooking, and don’t cut into large chunks so all you taste is cabbage. Cut it into reasonably thin strands. I am experienced enough to do it by hand with a chef’s knife, but you can also use a mandoline if you still need practice.
• Potatoes: Cube potatoes into small-medium pieces to soak up more of the soup flavor. Cover them in a bowl with cold water to prevent from browning while they are waiting their turn.
• Onion and carrots: Dice the onion like for frying, a mirepoix size. And carrots into small rounds and wider part into half moons.

What Type of Broth Should I Use?

• Beef bones with meat (my favorite): If you choose to add meat to borscht, first make the broth. Cover beef with cold water, bring to a boil and simmer for about an hour, skimming foam occasionally. After soup is ready, remove meat, separate from bones and discard bones, chop and return meat to the pot.
• Bone broth (my other favorite): This time I was ready, stopped by my local beef farm, got soup bones and made Instant Pot beef bone broth. It came out so rich, I diluted half of it with water and used for borscht. And cooked the other half with more water and same bones for to create more broth. Ukrainian in me will never die.
• Store bought broth: You can use beef soup base or chicken soup base diluted with water. It adds good flavor, I quite like it. Or use broth or stock from a carton. I highly recommend to buy organic and low sodium. What I don’t like is a lot of packaging and price but hopefully you recycle.
• Homemade broth: I often make batches of homemade chicken broth or Instant Pot chicken broth and freeze for later. It is cheaper than store-bought and is more flavorful.
• Water and beans: I also make water based borscht more often than not because it’s easy and I don’t always have beef bones on hand. In this case, I make sure to add a can of low sodium beans to up the protein, a bit more olive oil and maybe an organic bouillon cube, if I have it. As for beans, any large-sized beans like cannellini beans, red kidney beans (I love to make Instant Pot kidney beans) or pinto beans will hold the shape and add volume to this dish.

Serving

My favorite part of the whole entire borscht recipe cooking process is serving it. That’s when I go all out!

Ukrainians like to serve it warm, with a dollop of sour cream and sprinkle of fresh dill in bowl, slices of home cured pork belly (salo), pampushky or rye bread and fresh garlic on a side. But on a hot summer day, cold borscht is just as delicious!

Sour cream or yogurt: Sour cream is traditional choice. Often we use plain yogurt with more than 2% fat because it is lighter than sour cream. It really depends what’s in the fridge. I think you are getting that’s the vibe of entire Ukrainian cuisine by now. Some people also love mayo in their soup but it’s not for me.

Rye bread: Rye bread is dense dark color bread. I find mine in a bread section seal wrapped for freshness. It is often German.

Sourdough bread would be great for serving as well! I toast it to resemble freshly baked Ukrainian bread. Nothing compares to pampushky traditionally served with borscht though.

More garlic: Many Ukrainians eat borscht while biting on a clove of garlic in between the spoonfuls. The key is to eat garlic together with your partner and don’t leave the house that night.

More dill: I add dill to the pot and then to individual bowls. There is no such thing as too much garlic and dill, almost never. I’m such Ukrainian at heart.

This is how I enjoyed grandma’s Ukrainian borscht as a kid – rub garlic on a slice of rye bread, spread it with sour cream and sprinkle with salt.

By the way, my Canadian born kids love it! Try on yours and see. Would love to hear how it goes!

What Does It Taste Like?

Traditional borscht definitely tastes like beets, sweet and tangy. Earthy flavors of beets truly shine through in this dish.

It is also kind of sweet and sour soup. We add vinegar and a little bit of sugar to compliment natural sweetness of root vegetables.

And lots of fresh dill and garlic after soup is cooked. As much as you like to personal preference, and us, Ukrainians, like to add a lot!

How to Store and Reheat

The best borscht is like a good bottle of wine, it gets better with time. Therefore, I always make a very large pot and we eat it for days or freeze.

Store: Refrigerate leftovers in a large pot you cooked soup in for up to 5 days. Or transfer to an airtight container.

Reheat by simmering on low in a small pot only amount you are planning to consume. Or microwave in individual bowls for 2-3 minutes.

Freeze in an airtight glass container for up to 3 months. Then thaw in the fridge overnight and reheat.

More Eastern European Recipes to Try

• Unstuffed cabbage rolls
• Russian cabbage soup
• Buckwheat soup
• Split pea soup
• Beef barley soup

Have you ever tried it? Would love to hear your experience. I promise traditional Ukrainian borscht recipe would be one of the most delicious and healthiest soups you have ever tried. Enjoy!

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Ukrainian Borscht Recipe

Sharing my grandma's authentic Ukrainian Borscht Recipe I grew up with. This iconic beet soup is served with a dollop of sour cream and rye bread.

Course Soup

Cuisine Ukrainian

Diet Gluten Free

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time 1 hour hour 5 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour 25 minutes minutes

Servings 8 servings

Calories 174kcal

Author Olena Osipov

Equipment

• Dutch oven
• Glass bowls
• Ceramic skillet

Ingredients

• 12 cups beef or vegetable broth or stock low sodium
• 5 cups green or red cabbage thinly sliced
• 1 large onion chopped
• 3 medium carrots chopped
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 3 large beets peeled and cut into matchsticks
• 4 large potatoes peeled and cubed
• 6 ounces can tomato paste low sodium
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 3 bay leaves
• 1 tablespoon white vinegar
• Pinch of sugar or maple syrup
• 3 large garlic cloves grated
• Ground black pepper to taste
• 1/4 cup dill or parsley finely chopped
• Yogurt, sour cream and rye bread for serving

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

• In a large pot (I use 6 quart Dutch oven), add broth, bay leaves and bring to a boil. In the meanwhile, wash, peel and cut vegetables.
• Once broth is boiling, add cabbage, cover and bring to a boil. Then reduce heat to low and cook for 20 minutes.
• In the meanwhile, preheat large skillet on medium heat and swirl 1 tbsp of oil to coat. Add onion, carrots and saute for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Add beets, remaining 1 tablespoon of oil and cook for another 3-4 minutes.
• Transfer sauteed veggies to a pot along with potatoes, tomato paste and salt. Cover, bring to a boil and cook on low heat for 20 minutes.
• Turn off heat. Add vinegar, sugar, garlic and pepper. Stir and let borscht sit for 10 minutes to allow flavours to marry each other. Add dill, stir and adjust any seasonings to taste.
• Serve hot with a dollop of yogurt or sour cream, bread and garlic clove on the side (this is not for everyone).

Video

Notes

• Store: Refrigerate borscht in a large pot you cooked it in for up to 5 days. Reheat by simmering on low in small pot only amount you are planning to consume.
• Freeze: Freeze in an airtight glass container for up to 3 months. Then thaw on a counter overnight and reheat.
• Store bought stock: You can use regular stock from a carton. Preferably organic and low sodium, if you can.
• Beef bones: If you choose to add meat, cook broth with ribs, soup bones or any cut with a bit of fat first. Cover with cold water, bring to a boil and simmer for about an hour, skimming foam occasionally. After borscht is ready, remove meat, separate from bones and discard bones, finely chop and return meat to the pot.
• Vegetarian: I make water based borscht more often than not because it’s easy. In this case, I make sure to add a can of low sodium beans to up the protein, a bit more olive oil and maybe an organic bouillon cube, if I have it. Any large white, red kidney or pinto beans work.
• Sauerkraut: If you replace 2 cups of cabbage with 2 cups of sauerkraut, borscht will have even more umph.

Nutrition

Serving: 2cups | Calories: 174kcal | Carbohydrates: 32g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 647mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 8g

The post Ukrainian Borscht Recipe appeared first on iFoodReal.com.

This is a very easy beef stew recipe from my grandma that I have been making for over a decade. Over the years, I’ve turned it into an Instant Pot beef stew recipe and even made beef stew with quinoa.

This homemade beef stew is a very simple stew recipe that has a ton of flavor! Perfect for whenever you need a little comfort on your plate.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• Foolproof recipe: I made sure the beef is browned, and the broth is well seasoned for a rich, delicious taste.
• Easy to make: One pot meal on the stovetop, no oven! Prep is actually enjoyable and comforting on a cold fall or winter day.
• Simple ingredients: No red wine or Worcestershire sauce and yet so flavorful.
• So delicious: Sear the beef until golden brown, then combine ingredients, simmer, and finish with fresh garlic and dill at the end. Yum!

Ingredients for Homemade Beef Stew

• Beef stew meat: Sirloin tip roast or chuck roast are great for stew because they become melt-in-your-mouth tender when slow cooked.
• Potatoes: I love using russet potatoes because they’re starchy and help thicken the gravy even more. However, you can also use other types like Yukon Gold or red potatoes.
• Other vegetables: Onion, carrots, celery, and frozen peas.
• Tomato paste: Adds depth of flavor with a subtle sweetness and acidity. I used low sodium tomato paste, so if yours isn’t low sodium, just add less salt.
• Beef broth: I used low sodium beef broth. Add less salt if your broth is not low sodium.
• Spices: Italian seasoning, salt, pepper, and bay leaves.
• Thickening agent: Cold water mixed with cornstarch or arrowroot powder.
• Fresh dill and fresh garlic: My grandma’s secret ingredients that add a burst of flavor and aromatic goodness to the stew.
• Oil: A touch of oil is needed for frying.

How to Make Beef Stew

Here’s a quick overview on making beef stew using just your Dutch oven.

• Sear the beef: Heat your large Dutch oven over medium-high heat and add a little oil. Add half the beef, sprinkle with salt and pepper. Let it cook undisturbed for 2-3 minutes, then stir and cook until browned. Transfer the beef to a large plate and repeat with the remaining beef, transferring it to the plate when done.
• Saute the mirepoix: Add a little more oil to the pot, then toss in the onion, carrot, and celery. Sauté for 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally. Next, add the Italian seasoning and sauté for another 30 seconds, stirring often. Mix in the tomato paste until well combined.
• Combine and simmer: Add the potatoes, beef, broth, bay leaves, and the remaining salt and pepper. Stir, cover, and bring to a boil. Then reduce the heat to low and let it simmer for 60-70 minutes, or until the meat is tender.
• Thicken the stew: In a small bowl, mix cold water with cornstarch. Add it to the pot and stir gently. Let it simmer for a few minutes until it thickens, then turn off the heat.

• Add final touches: Add peas, garlic and dill. Stir and let stew sit for 5 minutes.

Tips for Best Results

I always stick to these tips whenever I whip up this cozy stew.

• Take your time to sear the meat: It’s your one chance to achieve that delicious caramelization on the meat, which makes a huge difference in flavor.
• Use Dutch oven or heavy bottom pot: For two reasons, they retain and distribute heat evenly, and the thick walls help maintain moisture and enhance flavors.
• No need to coat meat in flour: Remember this is an easy stew recipe! I find that coated meat sticks to the bottom of the pot, which means you’ll need to use more oil. We thicken it up at the end with a slurry.
• Use beef broth: It really adds to the flavor. Don’t use chicken broth or vegetable broth.
• Don’t skip garlic at the end: It adds different flavor than if we sauteed it with the onions.

Serving Suggestions

This healthy dinner has meat and potatoes, so to me it’s a one pot meal already.

You can serve it with bread options like sourdough, biscuits, or soft dinner rolls. Or for more protein with cottage cheese bread or Greek yogurt bread. And if you want to keep it traditional, Ukrainian pampushky are a great choice.

You could also try warm, buttery cornbread or cornbread muffins. And I find light salads, like cucumber salad or a simple butter lettuce salad pair nicely with stew too!

How to Store and Reheat

Store: Refrigerate leftovers for up to 5 days in an airtight container. 

Reheat: Reheat in a small pot on the stove by simmering over low heat.

Freeze: I’m not a fan of freezing beef stew because of the potatoes. Freezing strains low-fiber potatoes, causing water to expand and form ice crystals, which makes them mushy when thawed.

FAQs

More Soup and Stew Recipes to Try

• Vegetable beef soup
• Beef barley soup
• Lamb stew recipe
• Instant Pot beef barley soup
• Chicken stew
• Borscht

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Easy Beef Stew Recipe

This Easy Beef Stew is the perfect one pot comfort meal loaded with tender beef and veggies. It has simple ingredients and prep time is quick and fun!

Course Soup and Stew

Cuisine Ukrainian

Diet Gluten Free

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time 1 hour hour 25 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour 45 minutes minutes

Servings 8 servings

Calories 357kcal

Author Olena Osipov

Equipment

• Dutch oven

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 pounds sirloin tip or chuck roast cut into 2" pieces
• 2 pounds russet or any potatoes cubed into 2" pieces
• 1 large onion coarsely chopped
• 4 large carrots cut into 1-2" pieces
• 3 large celery stalks chopped
• 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
• 3 tablespoons tomato paste low sodium
• 4 cups beef broth low sodium
• 1 teaspoon salt divided
• 3/4 teaspoon ground black pepper divided
• 4 bay leaves
• 2 tablespoons cold water
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch or arrowroot powder
• 1 cup frozen peas
• 2 large garlic cloves grated
• 3 tablespoons fresh dill finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons oil for frying

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

• Preheat Dutch oven on medium-high heat and add a bit of oil and half of the beef, sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Cook undisturbed for 2-3 minutes, stir and cook a bit more until browned. Transfer to a large plate and repeat with remaining beef, transferring to the plate.
• To the pot, add a bit more oil, onion, carrot and celery. Saute for 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add Italian seasoning and saute for 30 more seconds, stirring often. Then add tomato paste and stir until incorporated.
• Add browned beef, potatoes, beef broth, bay leaves, remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Stir, cover and bring to a boil. Then reduce heat to low and simmer for 60-70 minutes or until meat is tender.
• In a small bowl, whisk cold water with cornstarch and add to the pot. Stir gently and simmer for a few minutes until thickened. Turn off heat.
• Add peas, garlic and dill. Stir and let stew sit for 5 minutes.
• Serve hot with bread and salad or on its own.

Notes

• Store: Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
• Freeze: I am not a fan of freezing beef stew because it contains potatoes. Freezing puts a lot of strain on potatoes that are low in fiber. The water expands and forms ice crystals which makes potatoes mushy upon thawed.

 

Nutrition

Calories: 357kcal | Carbohydrates: 32g | Protein: 36g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 78mg | Sodium: 473mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 5g

The post Easy Homemade Beef Stew appeared first on iFoodReal.com.

Do you love meatballs? We sure do! I make Mexican meatballs, porcupine meatballs in slow cooker and even Thai meatballs. And soup with meatballs is a childhood favorite!

I posted this turkey meatball soup a while back, but since then “Martha Stewart” part of me grew up. This soup is great any time of the year! I have a vivid memory of my grandma making it during hot summer days.

We would play outside all morning, then she would call us for lunch. You come in the kitchen and here it is – a bowl of this soup, chicken noodle soup, buckwheat soup or borscht. Steam going up in the air, the smell of fresh herbs, with a piece of fresh and soft Ukrainian rye bread. Take me back!

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• One pot meal: You brown the meatballs and cook the soup in same pot!
• Quick and easy: Prep time is only 15 minutes and hands on cooking time is another 15 minutes, perfect for weeknight dinners. Although it’s not true 30 minute meal, I feel like you get a lot of food in short amount of time.
• Lasts for days: My absolutely favorite part about this soup is leftovers. I usually double the recipe and we eat it for a few days. Usually twice on the day I make it. Kids love this soup and have some right away after school and later for dinner.

Ingredients for Turkey Meatball Soup

• Meatballs: Ground turkey, chicken, beef or pork. Onion adds flavor and makes meatballs juicy. And egg holds meatballs together.
• Veggies: Carrots, celery, potatoes.
• Pasta: Any short pasta works and can be white, whole wheat or gluten free pasta. I love using brown rice pasta for when making a soup because I feel like kids are eating brown rice and not pasta.
• Broth: You can use chicken broth or vegetable broth, homemade or from a carton. Or grandma also always made soup with water.
• Fresh herbs: Fresh parsley or dill are my top two flavor boosters for broth based soups. They add another layer of flavor. Green onion is good too!

How to Make Turkey Meatball Soup

I am using 5-6 quart Dutch oven because it makes this soup a one pot meal. Alternatively you can use a skillet for frying and then a large pot for soup.

• Make meatballs: In a food processor or blender, puree onion, egg, 1/4 tsp salt and pepper to taste. Alternatively, you can use grater to grate an onion. Then mix with ground turkey and fry meatballs for 1 minute per side in batches, removing onto a plate and setting aside.
• Saute carrots and celery: Add a bit more oil and saute veggies in the meat drippings, this will make them more flavorful.
• Deglaze the pot with broth: Now we want to add broth and bring it to a boil. First of all, to incorporate delicious drippings and brown bits. Secondly, we always want to add veggies and pasta to a boiling liquid in order to cook properly.
• Add potatoes, meatballs and pasta: Once you add them to a boiling broth, you want to wait for mixture to boil again. Then cover, reduce heat to low and cook for 12 minutes.

• Let soup rest and add fresh herbs: Turn off heat, so cooking slowly subsides. Let it rest for 10 minutes for flavors to marry each other and then add fresh parsley or dill.

Variations

• Spinach: Like with lentil spinach soup or chicken lentil soup recipe, you can throw in a few handfuls of fresh or frozen spinach at the end, stir and it will wilt. My kids are not fans and my grandma never had it on hand, that’s why I skipped this time.
• Orzo: You can use orzo pasta that will make this soup an Italian wedding soup. especially if you add spinach and Parmesan cheese.
• Skip browning meatballs: Original recipe I had posted for a while didn’t call for browning the meatballs. You can totally skip it in a rush, I like a bit more flavor. In a step where broth is boiling with veggies, drop meatballs carefully as you roll them into boiling broth.
• Leftover cooked grain: Skip pasta and add about 3 cups of any leftover cooked grains you have in the fridge. Like quinoa, buckwheat kasha, couscous or even cooked pasta.

How to Store and Reheat

Store: Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 5 days. If you have room in the fridge, store right in the pot. Pasta does get more soggy with time and soaks up liquids. You might have to add more broth or water and a bit more seasonings to taste to compensate for added liquid, when reheating.

Freeze? Because of soggy pasta, I do not recommend to freeze this soup. If you plan on freezing, you can cook pasta separately and add to individual bowls.

Reheat: Reheat desired amount of soup in a small pot by simmering on low for 5-7 minutes. Don’t let soup boil vigorously to disturb already delicate structure of potatoes and pasta.

More Meatball Recipes to Try

• Chicken meatballs
• Instant Pot meatballs
• Sweet and sour meatballs
• Cranberry turkey meatballs

You may also love to browse these 45 ground turkey recipes!

More Favorite Soup Recipes

• Turkey noodle soup
• Turkey taco soup
• Turkey and rice soup

Check out this collection of healthy soup recipes.

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Turkey Meatball Soup

Turkey Meatball Soup with pasta and vegetables is super easy to make and is healthy. Kids love anything with meatballs, so this soup should be a crowd pleaser.

Course Soup and Stew

Cuisine Ukrainian

Diet Gluten Free

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 35 minutes minutes

Total Time 50 minutes minutes

Servings 6 servings

Calories 324kcal

Author Olena Osipov

Equipment

• Dutch oven

Ingredients

For Meatballs:

• 1 pound ground turkey extra lean
• 1 small onion
• 1 large egg
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• Ground black pepper to taste
• 2 tablespoons olive oil for frying

For Soup:

• 2 large carrots chopped
• 2 large celery stalks chopped
• 2 cups potatoes cubed (11 ounces)
• 8 cups vegetable or chicken broth low sodium
• 2 teaspoons oil for frying
• 2 cups short pasta like shells or macaroni uncooked (6 ounces)
• 3 bay leaves
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• Ground black pepper to taste
• 1/3 cup fresh parsley, dill or green onions finely chopped

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

• Make meatballs: In a food processor or blender, puree onion, egg, 1/4 teaspoon of salt and pepper to taste. Alternatively, you can use grater to grate onion and mix with other meatball ingredients.
• Transfer to a medium bowl along with ground turkey and mix well with your hands.
• Preheat 5-6 quart Dutch oven or skillet on medium heat and swirl 1 tbsp of oil to coat. Alternatively you can use skillet for frying and then large pot for soup. Dutch oven makes this soup one pot.
• Using a small scoop or tablespoon, form golf size meatballs and add in a single layer to the pot with oil, leaving some room between balls for easy flipping.
• Fry for a minute or so or until browned (happens fast), carefully flip with small silicone spatula, and fry for another minute. Transfer to a plate and repeat this step with remaining meat and adding more oil. Set meatballs aside.
• Make soup: Add 2 teaspoons of oil, carrots and celery; saute for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Add broth, cover and bring to a boil.
• Add potatoes, meatballs, pasta, bay leaves, 3/4 tsp salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat to very low and cook for 12 minutes.
• Turn off heat and let soup sit for 10 minutes covered. Flavours will really "marry each other" and soup will thicken a bit and pasta "get there".
• Add parsley, stir and serve hot.

Notes

• Store: Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 5 days. Reheat desired amount by simmering on low heat while covered.
• Freeze: I do not recommend to freeze this soup because it contains pasta. If you plan on freezing, you can cook pasta separately and add to individual bowls.
• Other meat: You can also use ground chicken, beef or pork instead of turkey.
• Pasta: I used brown rice pasta this time. Any pasta works! Even long pasta like spaghetti can be broken and used. You can use orzo pasta that will make this soup an Italian wedding soup.
• Soup thickens with time: It is normal to see the soup thickening more in a few hours and next day. You can always add more broth to thin it out.
• Skip browning meatballs: Original recipe I had posted for a while didn’t call for browning meatballs. You can totally skip it in a rush, I like a bit more flavor. 
• Leftover cooked grain: Skip pasta and add about 3 cups of any leftover cooked grains you have in the fridge. 

Nutrition

Serving: 2cups | Calories: 324kcal | Carbohydrates: 41g | Protein: 26g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 69mg | Sodium: 469mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 3g

The post Turkey Meatball Soup appeared first on iFoodReal.com.

We also love this slow cooker chicken stew and Instant Pot chicken stew.

This chicken stew recipe comes from my grandma. Growing up in Ukraine, she made it whenever she had chicken available. It is a very simple stew recipe, the way I like to cook and I think you will appreciate its simplicity as well.

It’s everything you need to get you through cold days!

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• One pot meal: Everything cooks in one pot, I love to use my Lodge Dutch oven but regular pot works too.
• Easy: Basic pantry and fridge ingredients with minimal effort but that get you maximum flavor.
• Delicious: Loads of tender chicken breasts, chunky potatoes, and a flavorful broth make this one of the tastiest stews you’ll ever try!

Ingredients for Chicken Stew

• Chicken: You can use boneless skinless chicken thighs or chicken breasts. Chicken thighs are more juicy and fatty, where as chicken breast is more lean and a bit more dry.
• Onion and garlic: Chopped onion and minced garlic to add flavor.
• Veggies: Diced carrots, diced celery and cubed potatoes. You can use any potatoes, just keep in mind russet potatoes will fall apart more, thickening the stew, which is delicious.
• Oil: Any oil for frying. I used extra virgin olive oil because we are not cooking at high heat and I love the taste it adds to the stew.
• Herbs and spices: Dried rosemary, oregano, and thyme. Ground cumin, red pepper flakes, bay leaves, salt, and pepper.
• Broth: Low sodium store-bought or homemade chicken broth.
• Garnish: Fresh parsley, dill, or green onion. They add another layer of flavor, don’t skip!

How to Make Chicken Stew

• Sauté the veggies: Preheat a 6 quart Dutch oven or large pot and add the oil to coat the bottom. Add the onion, garlic, carrots, and celery to sauté and stir occasionally.
• Add chicken: Next, add the chicken, dried herbs, and spices with exception of the bay leaves. Continue to sauté just until browned a bit, stirring once.
• Simmer the stew: To the pot, add chicken broth, potatoes, and bay leaves and scrape off any bits off the bottom of the pot. Stir then cover and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer until potatoes are tender. Pierce with a fork to check.
• Garnish: Turn off the heat, discard bay leaves and add fresh herbs. Taste and if you wish, season with more salt and pepper to taste.

Variations

• Potatoes: Red potatoes, white potatoes or baby potatoes are great for roasting and soups because they hold their shape better. This is essential if you are using bone-in chicken and will be cooking your chicken stew longer. In all other cases, russet potatoes will make a more starchy stew and give it more body, like in Instant Pot potato soup.
• Chicken drumsticks: If bone-in, skin-on chicken drumsticks is what you prefer, you can use it. Brown them on both sides first, remove onto a plate and then brown the vegetables. Then cook with potatoes for about 30 minutes.
• Other vegetables: You can also add chopped cauliflower, sliced mushrooms, rutabaga, or okra. I would saute mushrooms first.
• Thicken the stew: If you like thick stew, mash a few potatoes and add them back to the pot. Especially works very well with russet potatoes. Or make a slurry with 2 tablespoons of cold water mixed with 2 tablespoons of cornstarch.
• Finishers: A squirt of lemon and a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese are always a great way to put the finishing touch on a soup or stew.

Serving Recommendations

Keep this chicken stew recipe on hand for making a quick and hearty weeknight dinner or a simple comforting meal on a weekend afternoon. Pack the rest away for leftovers and allow the flavors to marry even more the next day!

Serve hot in a small bowl with a basket of Greek yogurt bread or cottage cheese bread along with this amazing olive oil bread dip and a nice light lemon kale salad.

How to Store and Reheat

Store: Stew will keep in the fridge for up to 5 days in an airtight container.

Freeze: Although freezing a stew containing potatoes is possible, it’s not highly recommended. Potatoes may change the texture and taste over time and might be a disappointment when reheated. If you do freeze it, make sure to use an airtight container and freeze for up to 3 months.

Reheat: If frozen, thaw in the fridge overnight or on the counter for 6 hours. Simmer on low heat for approximately 5-7 minutes.

FAQs

More Stew Recipes to Try

• Chicken chickpea stew
• Instant Pot beef stew
• Beef stew
• Ground turkey stew
• Lamb stew
• Ratatouille

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Chicken Stew

This quick and easy one pot Chicken Stew is made with chicken, potatoes, and carrots simmered in a deliciously seasoned broth and garnished with fresh herbs.

Course Soup and Stew

Cuisine Ukrainian

Diet Gluten Free

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes minutes

Total Time 45 minutes minutes

Servings 6 servings

Calories 379kcal

Author Olena Osipov

Equipment

• Dutch oven
• Measuring tools
• Measuring cups

Ingredients

• 1 large onion finely chopped
• 5 garlic cloves 4 minced, 1 grated
• 4 large carrots diced
• 2 large celery stalks diced
• 2 lbs boneless & skinless chicken thighs or breasts cubed
• 2 lbs potatoes cubed
• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tbsp dried rosemary
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1/2 tsp dried thyme
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
• Pinch red pepper flakes
• 4 bay leaves
• 2 1/2 cups low sodium chicken broth
• 3 tbsp fresh dill or parsley finely chopped

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

• Preheat 6 quart Dutch oven or large pot on medium heat and swirl oil to coat. Add onion, minced garlic, carrots and celery. Saute for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Add chicken, rosemary, oregano, thyme, cumin, salt, pepper and red pepper flakes. Saute for 2 minutes, stirring once.
• Add chicken broth, potatoes and bay leaves and stir. Cover, bring to a boil, reduce heat to low and simmer for 20 minutes or until potatoes are fork tender.
• Turn off heat, add dill, stir and serve hot. Add grated clove of garlic – yum!

Video

Notes

• Store: Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 5 days. Reheat portions by simmering in small pot on low heat.
• Freeze: Technically you can freeze this stew. I am personally not a fan but some people do not mind that potatoes change texture. Freeze in a glass container or resealable silicone bags  for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight or on the counter for 6 hours.
• Potatoes: Red potatoes, white potatoes and baby potatoes will hold their shape better, especially if you are using bone-in chicken pieces and cooking stew longer. However, I love starchy stew russet potatoes make.

Nutrition

Serving: 2cups | Calories: 379kcal | Carbohydrates: 35g | Protein: 38g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 97mg | Sodium: 547mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 4g

The post Chicken Stew appeared first on iFoodReal.com.

We are a Ukrainian-Russian household, so cabbage for dinner makes a frequent appearance at our table. Instant Pot cabbage rolls and grandma’s borscht recipe, adults and kids love them all!

I think you are going to love these unstuffed cabbage rolls! As much as the old fashioned cabbage rolls are worth the wait, sometimes we just don’t have the time or energy for “holubtsi”.

I was born and raised in Ukraine, and I never do roll cabbage rolls. Instead, I like to chop cabbage into coarse square chunks and cook with rice and meat in flavorful tomato sauce in one pot. And grandma did the same on busy days. Otherwise, she rolled the rolls before going to work. Can you imagine?!

Ingredients for Unstuffed Cabbage Rolls

How to Make Unstuffed Cabbage Rolls

Start by chopping garlic, onion and cabbage before you begin to cook. Peel and mince the garlic, chop the onion not too finely, and peel a few outer leaves from the cabbage and chop into big chunks.

Time to saute it all. Preheat a deep non-stick pan or a 5-6 quart Dutch oven. I absolutely love my Lodge dutch oven and cook most one pot meals in it. Food doesn’t burn and cooks evenly!

Swirl oil to coat and add onion and garlic, stirring occasionally. Then add ground meat, uncooked brown rice, dried oregano and thyme, salt and pepper. Continue cooking, breaking the meat into pieces.

Sauteing rice now cuts back its cook time. If you are using white rice, the cook time will be approximately 30 minutes. For pre-cooked brown rice, use 3 cups of cooked rice, reduce the liquids to 1 cup and cut the cooking time to 30 minutes.

Now it’s time to add the broth, tomato sauce, vinegar, maple syrup, and cabbage. Stir well to combine and bring to a boil.

Once boiling, cover, reduce heat, and cook on low for about an hour. As tempting as it might be to open the lid to check on it! Not until it’s completely done.

Tips for Best Results

• If your rice is a bit firm at the end: If rice is not cooked by the end, add 1/4 cup water, cover, and cook for another 5-10 minutes.
• To feed smaller crowd: When I say this recipe feeds a hungry crowd, I mean it! It yields close to 14 cups of food. If you don’t need that much, cut the recipe in half and keep the same cook time.
• Use heavy duty pot: Otherwise you risk cabbage rolls burning on the bottom. 
• Don’t open the lid: Cooking time will lengthen because steam releases.

Variations

• More protein: Feel free to add an extra 1 pound of ground turkey. Also ground beef, chicken or pork work great!
• Sauerkraut: You can replace some of fresh cabbage with sauerkraut but cut salt in half and then season to taste after, if necessary.
• White rice: Cooking time will be around 30 minutes.
• Cooked brown rice: Use 3 cups cooked brown rice, reduce liquids to 1 cup and cook for 30 minutes.

How We Serve Them in Ukraine

At home, we serve unstuffed cabbage rolls as a meal on its own. It is a true one pot meal. Serve warm almost hot, with a generous dollop of yogurt or sour cream for the most authentic flavor.

Add a lot of chopped fresh dill and freshly cracked ground pepper. A slice of a rye bread or whole grain toast is a must to sop up the sauces, juices and bit of meat and rice at the bottom of the plate. So good!

You can add hot sauce on top if you feel like things spicy.

If you would like a true Ukrainian side salad for this dish, make lettuce salad or cucumber and tomato salad.

How to Store

Store: You’ll have leftovers for days! Enjoy up for 4 days later, being kept in the fridge in an airtight container. This dish actually gets better with time.

Freeze: Once fully cooked, freeze in an airtight container for up to 3 months. If you have a ton leftover, might be wise to freeze individually and only take out what you need.

Reheat: Thaw in the refrigerator overnight and reheat in the microwave. You can also use the pot with a splash of water or broth to simmer while covered for 10 minutes.

FAQs

More Cabbage Recipes to Try

• Cabbage stir fry
• Russian cabbage soup
• Braised cabbage and apples
• Instant Pot cabbage soup

Print

Ukrainian Unstuffed Cabbage Rolls

Grandma's Unstuffed Cabbage Rolls with ground meat, rice and cabbage cooked in savory tomato sauce. This one pot meal is is perfect for busy weeknights!

Course Casserole

Cuisine Ukrainian

Diet Gluten Free

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 1 hour hour

Total Time 1 hour hour 15 minutes minutes

Servings 6 servings

Calories 352kcal

Author Olena Osipov

Equipment

• Dutch oven
• Measuring tools
• Measuring cups

Ingredients

• 1 large onion chopped
• 4 garlic cloves minced
• 1 tbsp oil
• 1 lb ground turkey extra lean
• 1 cup brown rice uncooked
• 3 lbs cabbage coarsely chopped
• 28 oz can tomato sauce low sodium
• 14 oz can diced tomatoes low sodium
• 2 cups water or any low sodium stock
• 1 tbsp oregano dried
• 1 tsp thyme dried
• 1 tbsp vinegar
• 1 tbsp honey or maple syrup
• 1 tsp salt
• Ground black pepper to taste
• 3 bay leaves
• Fresh dill, parsley, green onions and yogurt/sour cream for serving

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

• Preheat large and very deep non-stick skillet or 5-6 quart Dutch oven on medium-high heat and swirl oil to coat. Add onion and garlic; cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Add turkey, rice, oregano, thyme, salt and pepper; cook for 10 more minutes, breaking into small pieces and stirring often.
• Add broth, tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, vinegar, maple syrup, cabbage, bay leaves and stir well. Bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat to low and cook for 60-70 minutes. Do not open!
• After check if rice is cooked and if not (mine was) add 1/4 cup water, cover and cook for another 5 – 10 minutes.
• Serve warm topped with Greek yogurt and herbs.

Video

Notes

• Store: Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
• Freeze: Fully cook, cool completely, and freeze in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Thaw in a refrigerator overnight. Reheat in a microwave or in the oven at 375 F for 10 minutes.

Nutrition

Serving: 2.25cups | Calories: 352kcal | Carbohydrates: 52g | Protein: 25g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 42mg | Sodium: 715mg | Fiber: 10g | Sugar: 16g

The post Unstuffed Cabbage Rolls appeared first on iFoodReal.com.

It is one of our favorite dump-and-go dinners just like Instant Pot chicken fried rice and Instant Pot chicken and potatoes.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• Rice comes out fluffy and each grain separate: Combined with tender chicken pieces and fragrant spices, this Instant Pot chicken and rice recipe is the ultimate comfort food.
• Easy one pot meal: Paired with boneless skinless chicken breasts or thighs, all ingredients cook in one pot without hovering over them on the stove.
• A version of Eastern European pilaf: If you are like me and are originally from former USSR, you know how time consuming “plov” is. So this recipe is my version of it. The only difference is that everything cooks in one pot, Instant Pot. Also, now I have a stovetop chicken and rice recipe!
• Simple fridge and pantry staples: We love the simplicity of the ingredients and yet how flavorful, comforting and healthy this dinner turns out!

Ingredients for Instant Pot Chicken and Rice

This recipe uses only a handful of simple ingredients you more likely have in your house right now.

• Chicken: Boneless chicken breasts, boneless chicken thighs or cut up whole chicken (here is a quick tutorial how to cut a whole chicken) will work in this recipe. Just add a bit different amount of water or chicken broth. Please see recipe notes.
• Rice: You can use white rice or brown rice, just cook times will be different. The best brown rice to use is long grain or basmati. Short grain will result in more mushy but still tasty dish. As for white rice, best rice to use is jasmine rice but long grain white rice or basmati rice will be great too. In a pinch, you can use even sushi rice but dish will come out more mushy.
• Vegetables: Onion, garlic and carrots.
• Broth or water: Low sodium chicken stock from a carton, bouillon cube diluted in water, chicken broth or chicken broth made in Instant Pot will work. Or just use cold water but this dish will be less flavorful.
• Spices: Ground cumin, dried thyme, dried oregano, salt and pepper. You can also add any of your favorite spices like garlic powder, onion powder or Italian seasoning to taste.
• Fresh herbs: While an optional ingredient, fresh herbs like parsley, dill, cilantro or green onion always add lovely flavor at the end.

How to Make Instant Pot Chicken and Rice

Here is quick overview how to make chicken and rice in Instant Pot step-by-step. There is detailed recipe card below. If you would rather make it in a Crock Pot, check out my slow cooker chicken and rice recipe.

• Saute onion and garlic with spices: To the bottom of the pot, add oil and onion, then saute just until fragrant. I like to do so under a hood fan with a stove off, of course. Press Cancel and add dried thyme, dried oregano and ground cumin, and cook another 30 seconds. This step will make spices and dried herbs fragrant.
• Add remaining ingredients in the following order: Add the chicken, carrots, rice, water, salt, pepper and bay leaves. It is best to add ingredients in this order and not to stir the rice mixture afterwards in order to prevent Burn notice.
• Cook on high pressure: Turn valve to Sealing position and pressure cook for 10 minutes if using white rice, and for 22 minutes if using brown rice.
• Release pressure: Then release pressure right away by turning pressure release valve to Venting. It is called Quick Release. I do not recommend to do Natural Pressure Release because rice will over cook. Then stir gently with a wooden spoon and discard bay leaves.

How Long to Cook Chicken and Rice in Instant Pot?

Cooking time will mostly depend on the type of rice you use. It does not matter if you use chicken breasts or chicken thighs, pressure cooking time will remain the same.

Here is a timetable for your quick reference and perfect results every time:

• With white rice: Pressure cook for 10 minutes with Quick Release.
• With brown rice: Pressure cook for 22 minutes with Quick Release.
• With red rice, yellow rice, purple rice: Pressure cook for 22 minutes with Quick Release.

Tips for Best Results

• If your rice comes out undercooked: Stir, close the lid and let it sit for 20 more minutes. It will get there. Also try to add a few more minutes to cook time next time. Unfortunately, you can’t re-close the lid, cook for extra 2 minutes and say that’s your new cooking time. When it comes to rice cooked in an Instant Pot, it can be a little bit of a trial and error. Sometimes different varieties of rice cook differently or it could be old.
• If your rice comes out mushy: Cook it a few minutes less next time. Easy-peasy.
• If you stirred by accident, let it be: More likely it will not cause Burn warning.
• Using less rice: I use 3 cups of rice per 2 pounds of chicken for a few reasons, to stretch the meal and to eat less meat. A few readers commented they would prefer less rice. In this case, reduce rice to 2 cups, water or broth to 2 1/2 cups, and salt to 1 teaspoon.
• Add frozen vegetables: I know some people like peas and corn in chicken and rice. Add them unthawed and stir gently one more time. Sometimes I like to add broccoli, reminds me chicken and rice casserole.

Serving Suggestions

We serve Instant Pot chicken and rice as is as it is a complete meal with juicy chicken and fluffy rice.

Some readers said they prefer more flavor and have added chopped fresh cilantro and green onion. I guess it all comes down to individual taste buds and what you have on hand.

Also fresh parsley or fresh dill would go so well with it! Add a squirt of fresh lemon juice or a sprinkle of freshly grated Parmesan cheese. Delicious!

How to Store

Store: Leftovers can be refrigerated right in the inner pot with silicone or glass lid for up to 5 days. Or transfer cooked and cooled food to an airtight container.

To reheat: You will notice chicken and rice will thicken in the fridge into a block. That’s because there is fat, especially if you use chicken thighs. Reheat in a medium pot with a splash of water or chicken broth while breaking gently into pieces and stirring, on low heat for 10 minutes or so. Use a lid to steam it through.

Always reheat only desired amount to keep leftovers fresh.

Freeze: I understand some of you do not feed a small army like me. Yes, you can freeze leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight and then follow reheating instructions above.

FAQs

Other Chicken and Rice Recipes

• Crock Pot chicken and rice
• Healthy chicken and rice casserole
• Chicken wild rice soup
• Mexican chicken and rice

More Instant Pot Chicken Recipes

• Instant Pot chicken and rice soup
• Instant Pot whole frozen chicken
• Instant Pot chicken stew
• Instant Pot jambalaya
• Instant Pot chicken breast
• Instant Pot chicken wild rice soup

Browse all healthy Instant Pot recipes.

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Easy Instant Pot Chicken and Rice

Instant Pot Chicken and Rice is delicious one pot meal with chicken breasts or chicken thighs, white rice or brown rice and vegetables. It is ideal for busy nights!

Course Dinner

Cuisine Ukrainian American

Diet Gluten Free

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 26 minutes minutes

Pressure Build Up Time 20 minutes minutes

Total Time 56 minutes minutes

Servings 8 servings

Calories 552kcal

Author Olena Osipov

Equipment

• Instant Pot
• Steam diverter
• Measuring tools

Ingredients

• 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs or chicken breasts* cut into 1” pieces
• 1 large onion finely chopped
• 2 large garlic cloves minced
• 3 large carrots shredded
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 2 teaspoons thyme dried
• 2 teaspoons oregano dried
• 2 teaspoons cumin
• 1 1/4 teaspoons salt
• Ground black pepper to taste
• 3 bay leaves
• 3 cups white rice or brown rice** rinsed & drained
• 3 3/4 cups water
• 3 tablespoons fresh dill or parsley finely chopped (optional)

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

• On Instant Pot, press Sauté and let appliance preheat a few minutes until display says Hot.
• Add olive oil, onion and garlic; sauté for 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally. Press Cancel and add thyme, oregano and cumin; cook another 30 seconds, stirring constantly.
• Add remaining ingredients in the following order: chicken, carrots, rice, water, salt, pepper and bay leaves. Do not stir.
• Close the lid, set pressure vent to Sealing and press Pressure Cook on High or Manual: white rice – 10 minutes, brown rice – 22 minutes.
• Display will say ON, Instant Pot will take about 15-20 minutes to come to pressure, you will see a bit of steam coming out from a valve, then float valve will rise and countdown will begin.
• When display says OFF, release the pressure using Quick Release method by turning pressure valve to Venting position, which takes 2-3 minutes. Then open the lid.
• Add dill or parsley, gently stir and serve hot.

Video

Notes

• Store: Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 5 days. Reheat with a splash of water or broth breaking into pieces and stirring in a pot. Use lid to steam it through.
• Freeze: Fully cook, cool completely and freeze in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight.
• *If using chicken thighs or cut up chicken pieces, add a bit less water ( 3 2/3 cups total) because thighs are fattier and add to the liquid content during cooking.
• **Less rice: I use 3 cups of rice per 2 lbs of chicken for a few reasons, to stretch the meal and to eat less meat. If you prefer less rice, reduce rice to 2 cups, water to 2 1/2 cups and salt to 1 teaspoon.
• Frozen chicken: Use only with brown rice because of longer cook time. Make sure pieces are separated. Instant Pot will take 5-10 minutes longer to come to pressure with but keep same cook time.
• If your rice comes out crunchy: Stir, close the lid and let it sit for 20 minutes. It will get there. Also try to add a few more minutes to cooking time next time.
• If your rice comes out mushy: Cook a few minutes less next time.

Nutrition

Calories: 552kcal | Carbohydrates: 58g | Protein: 27g | Fat: 23g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Cholesterol: 85mg | Sodium: 469mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 2g

The post Instant Pot Chicken and Rice appeared first on iFoodReal.com.

Got a bounty of garden zucchini? You might also love grilled zucchini and zucchini tomato bake.

During summer, along with healthy zucchini casserole and Parmesan zucchini sticks, simple side dishes like this sautéed zucchini are a must.

Learning how to sauté zucchini to perfection couldn’t be easier! The high heat softens the zucchini with a light sear so that it’s tender without being mushy.

Even better, the combination of garlic, dill, and a little freshly grated Parmesan cheese makes for a veggie side dish that even your kids will be coming back for seconds.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• Easy to make: It takes only 10 minutes. Just slice, season and sauté!
• Simple ingredients: All you need is 5 ingredients plus salt and pepper.
• Year round side dish: Locally sourced, from the garden, or at the grocery store this vegetable is easy to find and budget friendly.
• Versatile: This zucchini recipe is low carb, gluten free, and adaptable to suite many diets.

Ingredients for Sauteed Zucchini

If you currently have zucchini in your kitchen, then chances are you could make this recipe right now!

• Zucchini: You can use smaller or larger zucchini and simply adjust the way they’re chopped. This recipe will also work with summer squash.  
• Garlic: Feel free to adjust the amount of grated or minced garlic to personal preference. But I don’t recommend omitting it as it really helps to pack in flavor.
• Herbs: As a Ukrainian, my favorite is dill. However, you can use basil or Italian parsley too. I recommend flat leaf parsley for the best flavor.
• Oil: Use a neutral flavored cooking oil like avocado oil, olive oil, or coconut oil.
• Salt and pepper: To season and taste.

How to Saute Zucchini

• Chop the zucchini: First, chop the zucchini. If it’s a large one, then you can chop them into 1/2 inch thick cubes or quarter moons. For smaller ones, half moons will work. And with baby zucchini, even whole rounds will be fine.
• Heat the skillet: Make sure your skillet is hot and add the oil, wait for it to get hot as well. I do this more towards the end of chopping the zucchini, so it’s ready to go when the squash is ready.
• Sauté zucchini: Add zucchini slices to the heated pan and cook for 3 minutes, stirring just a couple of times. This will help the outside of some pieces sear and brown a little.
• Season them: Meanwhile, as it sautés, quickly grate the garlic, chop the herbs, and add them to the pan, stirring in. Finally, add in the grated Parmesan cheese, stir, and serve!

Tips for Best Results

• Avoid “dry” ingredients: Fresh is the key to this sautéed zucchini recipe. Fresh herbs, fresh garlic and not garlic powder, and fresh Parmesan cheese and not from a shaker, will yield the best results.
• Don’t slice zucchini too thin: The thinner you slice the zucchini, the more likely that you’ll end up with results that are mushy. I recommend 1/2 inch in thickness for the best results.
• Make sure slices are uniform: Cut zucchini in same size pieces for even cooking.
• Allow zucchini to sear: Make sure to allow zucchini to touch the hot skillet surface for some time without stirring too often. This way crispy and browned sides and edges will develop.
• Remove from the heat: Remember that your zucchini will continue to cook slightly from residual heat, so it’s best to transfer it from he skillet onto plates or a platter immediately after cooking.
• Cook in batches: If you want to make a large amount, it’s best to cook zucchini in batches, so it can brown properly.

Variations

I love this recipe as is but here are a few optional additions when seasoning your sauteed summer squash:

• Spices: If you want something a little more complex than the salt and pepper combo, you can use seasonings like cajun seasoning, DIY seasoning salt, Italian seasoning, or taco seasoning for more flavor. Smoked paprika, onion powder, or red pepper flakes are spices that also work great!
• Other cheese: While I love the salty, savory, tangy flavors of fresh Parmesan cheese, feel free to swap it out with another sharp cheese like cheddar or even crumbled feta or goat cheese.
• Tomatoes: Cook them first before adding zucchini. Grape or cherry tomatoes will keep their shape better than larger sliced tomatoes.
• Mushrooms: Make sure to fry them on high heat with a bit of salt first before adding zucchini. Whole mushrooms would be better as they will keep their water inside. 
• Butter: Add a small amount 30 seconds before removing zucchini from the pan, so it doesn’t get the chance to burn but will coat the slices in delicious buttery flavor.

What to Serve Sauteed Zucchini with?

Simple zucchini sauté goes with pretty much everything! That’s why I love it so much! Here are a few suggestions:

• Baked chicken caprese
• Grilled bruschetta chicken
• Yogurt marinated chicken
• Grilled shrimp skewers
• Grilled salmon
• Carne asada

You could even let it cool down, toss with simple balsamic vinaigrette and enjoy as a salad.

How to Store and Reheat

Store: Once cooked, you can store the zucchini in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. It may be good for 3 days but I’ve found 2 days is better as squash will continue to get more soggy as it sits.

Reheat: For the best results, reheat zucchini in a hot skillet until warm. They’ll be slightly more tender than before but will still taste fantastic! You can also enjoy them cold or reheat in a microwave.

Make ahead: You can chop zucchini, place it in a bowl and cover, and refrigerate for up to 2 days. You can also grate the cheese and chop the dill and refrigerate in separate containers. Then you are ready to cook it in no time.

Freeze: I don’t recommend freezing previously sauteed zucchini as its high water content means it becomes very limp upon thawing.

FAQs

More Zucchini Recipes to Try

• Tex Mex chicken and zucchini
• Caprese chicken and zucchini
• Chicken, zucchini and corn
• Ground turkey zucchini skillet
• Pasta with zucchini and tomatoes
• Mediterranean zucchini boats

You might also enjoy browsing through my favorite healthy zucchini recipes!

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Sautéed Zucchini

This easy Sautéed Zucchini recipe is healthy, tasty and so simple! All you need is just 5 ingredients and 10 minutes for the perfect summer side dish.

Course Side Dish

Cuisine Ukrainian

Diet Gluten Free

Prep Time 7 minutes minutes

Cook Time 3 minutes minutes

Total Time 10 minutes minutes

Servings 6 servings (as a side)

Calories 47kcal

Author Olena Osipov

Equipment

• Ceramic skillet

Ingredients

• 2 lbs zucchini
• 1 tbsp avocado or olive oil for frying
• 1/2 tsp salt
• Ground black pepper to taste
• 1-2 garlic cloves grated
• 2 tbsp dill, basil or Italian parsley finely chopped
• Parmesan cheese to taste

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

• Chop garden or farmer’s market large zucchini into 1/2 inch thick cubes or quarter moons. If zucchini is medium size, half moons are perfect. And baby zucchini could be sliced into rounds.
• Preheat large ceramic non-stick skillet with tall sides on high heat and then swirl oil. Add zucchini, salt and pepper.
• Cook for 3 minutes, stirring maximum 2 times. Let zucchini touch the hot skillet surface for at least a minute to really get that sear. Don’t stir constantly to avoid pale “steamed” zucchini. And don’t stir cooked zucchini to make it mushy too much.
• After zucchini is cooked, sprinkle with herbs and freshly grated garlic. Stir and grate fresh Parmesan cheese on top. Serve warm or cold.

Notes

• Store: Refrigerate covered for up to 2 days. Do not freeze.
• Avoid dry ingredients: Fresh herbs, fresh garlic (not garlic powder), and fresh parmesan (not from a shaker) will have the best results!
• Don’t slice them too thin: The thinner you slice the zucchini, the more likely that they will be soggy.
• Remove from heat: Remember that your zucchini will continue to cook slightly from residual heat.
• Cook in batches: If you want to make a large amount, it’s best to cook the zucchini in batches so it can properly brown.

Nutrition

Calories: 47kcal | Carbohydrates: 5g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 3g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 206mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 4g

The post Sauteed Zucchini appeared first on iFoodReal.com.

It’s a staple in our house along with tomato cucumber bell pepper salad and lettuce salad.

This cucumber and tomato salad is something I ate every other day during the summer as a child. Grandma also loved to make creamy cucumber tomato salad when she had sour cream on hand and this simple cucumber salad just to add a variety to meals.

This is the most popular summer salad in Ukraine, Russia and many other Slavic countries. I also believe this fresh salad combination is incredibly popular all over the globe. With its own regional twist, of course.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• It’s healthy and affordable.
• Easy to make any time of the year. There is nothing more cheerful on a dreary rainy winter night than a bowl of fresh tomato cucumber salad.
• I especially love to make this easy recipe during summer with my homegrown cucumbers and tomatoes or farmer’s market produce.

Ingredients for Cucumber and Tomato Salad

The key to making this salad recipe is to select ripe tomatoes and crispy cucumbers at the grocery store. And I am also using one ingredient that makes salad special but you can omit it.

• Cucumber: I like to use long English cucumber, Persian cucumbers or pickling cukes because you don’t have to peel skin of a cucumber. Select firm, plum and fresh cucumbers.
• Tomatoes: My preferred store-bought kind of tomatoes is “tomatoes on the vine”. During summer, any heirloom tomatoes, beefsteak tomatoes or Roma tomatoes in season will be great. Cherry tomatoes or grape tomatoes are great too.
• Onion: I prefer to use red onion or shallots in fresh salads, as they aren’t as harsh. But yellow onion or white onion would also work. Alternatively, you could omit it entirely.
• Dill: It’s a classic herb in Ukrainian cooking. Alternatively use fresh parsley, fresh cilantro, fresh basil leaves or scallions for a punch of fresh flavor.
• Olive oil: I like good quality extra virgin olive oil for a simple dressing. Bonus is we do not have to make it separately.
• Toasted sesame oil: This is one of my secret dressing ingredients that is reminiscent of unrefined sunflower oil we always used to dress up this refreshing salad. You can omit it and use more of olive oil, it’s not a deal breaker.
• Salt and black pepper.

How to Make Cucumber and Tomato Salad

The key to making this salad is to prep it right before serving. That’s when its fresh ingredients truly shine!

• Chop the tomatoes and cucumbers into same sized pieces, ensuring the even distribution of ingredients in every bite.
• Then, finely slice the red onion and transfer all three to a large serving bowl. Chop the dill.
• Add the oils, salt and pepper to the bowl and toss lightly. We never made the dressing separately, there is no need.
• Then gently mix and taste it, adjust any of the seasonings, if necessary.

Tips for Best Results

• Make sure your knife is sharpened: There is nothing worse than a dull knife squishing juicy ripe tomatoes.
• On peeling cucumbers: I do not peel regular cucumbers unless it is full grown garden cucumber that has thick and bitter skin. Or any cucumber with a tough skin. No fun to eat that.
• Mixing: With soft salads like this cucumber tomato salad, it’s best to toss them gently with a large spoon rather than using tongs. This will help you avoid squashing the tomatoes or bruising any ingredients.
• Eat right away: I have to stress that it’s best to eat this salad within a few hours of making it. That’s when it tastes fresh and crunchy!

Variations and Add-Ins

Because of the simplicity of this salad recipe, there are tons of ways to adjust it and use as a foundation to layer other fresh and tasty ingredients!

• Acid: Add a splash of your favorite vinegar like red wine vinegar, white wine vinegar, white vinegar or apple cider vinegar. Or squeeze fresh lemon juice or lime juice for a zing.
• Creamy: Make it creamy with plain yogurt or sour cream and omit the oils like I do in creamy cucumber salad.
• Cheese: Toss in crumbled feta cheese or mini bocconcini (mozzarella balls) like I do in Italian chopped salad.
• Seasonings: Add 1 tablespoon of Italian seasoning to the dressing.
• Avocado: Add diced avocado and make it a cucumber tomato avocado salad. The sky’s the limit!
• Bell peppers: They add crunch, fiber and nutrients. Use one chopped yellow bell pepper or red bell pepper to add sweet and fruity flavor. Green bell pepper adds grassy, more bitter taste I personally love.

What to Serve Cucumber and Tomato Salad with?

Honestly, this salad is one of the most versatile salads on my website and can be served with practically any main dish.

Here are some of my favorite suggestions:

• With mashed potatoes and grandma’s chicken burger recipe (“kotlety”), that’s how I remember this salad most of the times!
• With turkey burgers, grilled shrimp skewers, Instant Pot ribs recipe or crock pot pulled pork at a BBQ.
• During a holiday meal with boneless leg of lamb.

To enjoy leftovers, I recommend using some rye bread or other crusty bread to dip into all the juices at the bottom of the bowl. I did that all the time as a child and my goodness, it’s delicious!

How Long Will It Last in the Fridge?

As both cucumber and tomatoes have high water content, this fresh vegetable salad can quickly go limp. For that reason, it’s best to enjoy it at soon as possible.

Though it can last 1-2 days in the fridge. If you want it to last as long as possible, only season the salad with oils, salt and pepper just before serving.

FAQs

More Salad Recipes to Try

• Cucumber tomato feta salad
• Traditional Greek salad
• Thai cucumber salad
• My favorite coleslaw
• Avocado corn salad

You might also enjoy my list of 52 healthy salad recipes!

Print

Cucumber and Tomato Salad

Cucumber and Tomato Salad with juicy tomatoes and crunchy cucumbers will become your go-to side dish year round. This simple salad goes with everything!

Course Salad

Cuisine Ukrainian

Diet Low Calorie

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Total Time 15 minutes minutes

Servings 8 servings

Calories 88kcal

Author Olena Osipov

Equipment

• Measuring tools
• Measuring cups
• Glass bowls

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 long English cucumbers chopped
• 1 1/2 lbs tomatoes chopped
• 1/4 cup red onion thinly sliced
• 3 tbsp dill finely chopped
• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tbsp toasted sesame oil
• 1/2 tsp salt
• Ground black pepper to taste
• Vinegar to taste (optional)

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

• In a large bowl, add cucumbers, tomatoes, onion, dill, olive oil, toasted sesame oil, salt and pepper.
• Stir gently from the bottom in the center of the bowl until well combined.
• Salad tastes best when served immediately.

Video

Notes

• Store: Refrigerate salad for up to 24 hours.
• Best tomatoes to use: In summer heirloom varieties, and tomatoes on the vine when it comes to store-bought.
• Don’t add the salt too early. As soon as you add the salt, the juices from the tomato and cucumber will start to release.
• Substitute for toasted sesame oil: Use more of olive oil.

Nutrition

Serving: 1cup | Calories: 88kcal | Carbohydrates: 6g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 151mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 3g

The post Cucumber and Tomato Salad appeared first on iFoodReal.com.

Creamy Instant Pot Chicken Stew with juicy chicken and veggies, made easy in one pot and no sauteing. Flavorful and perfect for chilly days!

No Instant Pot? No problem! Make this stovetop chicken stew instead.

This Instant Pot chicken stew recipe has all the mouthwatering flavors of my famous Instant Pot chicken and potatoes and creaminess of slow cooker chicken stew with an aroma of garlic and dill that’s to die for!

I made this hearty stew a few times during the holiday season, serving it with my favorite spinach salad. It quickly became my lifesaver that turned hectic days into comforting bowls of goodness.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• One pot meal: That’s why I love Instant Pot recipes like this one, because everything cooks in same pressure cooker. Save time on washing dishes and extra steps!
• So flavorful: Food cooked under pressure comes out more flavorful. Plus I add 2 secret ingredients at the end for adding extra flavor!
• Minimum ingredients: One of my newest soup and stew recipes that uses just a handful of everyday ingredients.
• No need to saute: Skip the sautéing when making chicken stew in Instant Pot. Just chop, pressure cook, and dish up in less than 45 minutes!
• Wholesome: A balanced meal of nutrient-dense protein, carbs, and veggies.

Ingredients for Instant Pot Chicken Stew

Instant Pot chicken stew keeps meal time simple with a short ingredient list. Here’s what you’ll need.

• Vegetables: Potatoes, carrots, and onions cut into bite-sized chunks, and fresh or frozen peas. I used baby potatoes and left them whole.
• Chicken: Boneless skinless chicken thighs cut or left whole, see tips section below.
• Chicken broth: I use low-sodium chicken broth to manage salt intake. Homemade chicken broth or Instant Pot chicken broth are great too, if you have some.
• Milk: Adding a touch of whole milk gives the chicken stew a creamy texture and helps thicken the broth.
• Cornstarch: A bit of cornstarch yields a medium-thick consistency that’s not too heavy.
• Garlic: Add freshly grated garlic at the end for maximum flavor.
• Seasonings: Bay leaves, salt, and pepper.
• Fresh herbs: I love topping this dish with dill, but fresh parsley works well too.

How to Make Chicken Stew in Instant Pot

Here’s a quick overview of how to make chicken stew in Instant Pot. There’s a full recipe card below.

It’s both easy and delicious, you might also want to explore my other Instant Pot chicken recipes!

• Prep: Toss onion, carrots, potatoes, chicken, bay leaves, salt, pepper, and chicken broth into the Instant Pot. Give it a gentle stir to separate the chicken pieces.
• Pressure cook: Close the lid, turn pressure vent to Sealing and press Pressure Cook on High or Manual for 10 minutes.
• Release pressure: After the Instant Pot’s done cooking, give it 5 minutes, then do a Quick Release by turning valve to Venting and open the lid.
• Thicken the stew: Hit Saute. Whisk milk with cornstarch in a small bowl, pour it into the pot, stir, and let it thicken for 1-2 minutes. Then press Cancel.
• Finish and serve: Gently stir in the peas, garlic, and dill. Serve hot and enjoy!

Tips for Best Results

Let the Instant Pot do the hard work for you, here are some easy tips and tricks to make the best pressure cooker chicken stew.

• Use dark meat: The dark meat from chicken thighs stays tender and juicy, adds more flavor, and makes the broth extra rich.
• Cut veggies large: Aim for larger bite-sized pieces so they don’t fall apart.
• For dairy-free stew: Use your favorite dairy-free milk. Make sure it’s unflavored and unsweetened.
• Add chicken thighs whole: If you have boneless skinless chicken thighs, add them whole. After cooking just break them with a spoon. This will save extra step, time and washing the cutting board. I had bone-in chicken thighs, so I had to cut them.
• Avoid russet potatoes: Unless you like a very thick, soup-like stew. Russet potatoes are better for mashed potatoes, they’re quite more starchy.
• No need to peel the potatoes: If you use yellow potatoes, red potatoes or baby potatoes there is no need to peel them. Keep the skin for added health benefits and save some time.
• Don’t skip fresh herbs and garlic at the end: This final touch elevates the flavor and keeps the herbs fresh.

Variations

I stuck to the recipe because we loved it but stews are so versatile. Try these additions for exciting flavors!

• Celery: Combine 2-3 chopped celery ribs with the carrots.
• White wine: Add up to 1/2 cup of dry white wine with the chicken broth for an extra layer of flavor.
• Omit milk: Feel free to skip the milk for a less heavy stew or dairy-free option. Keep in mind the flavor and texture will be a bit different, but still delicious.
• Sear the chicken: If you’re a fan of that rich browning flavor, start by pressing Saute and waiting until the Instant Pot says Hot. Swirl a bit of olive oil, sear the chicken on all sides for about 2 minutes each. Hit cancel, scrape away all those flavorful browned bits, then follow the recipe.
• Dried herbs: I kept the recipe simple, but you can add up to 2 teaspoons of dried thyme, rosemary, or sage.

How to Store and Reheat

Store: Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for 4-5 days. Reheat covered on low heat for 5 minutes or until warmed through.

Freeze: Allow stew to cool, then freeze in an airtight container with room for expansion for up to 3 months. Potatoes will change color and texture once thawed, I prefer not to freeze but some don’t mind.

FAQs

More Stew Recipes to Try

• Chicken chickpea stew
• Instant Pot beef stew

More Instant Pot Chicken Recipes

• Instant Pot chicken and rice
• Instant Pot white chicken chili
• Instant Pot chicken curry
• Instant Pot chicken stir fry
• Instant Pot Italian chicken breasts
• Instant Pot frozen whole chicken

Print

Instant Pot Chicken Stew

Creamy Instant Pot Chicken Stew with juicy chicken and veggies, made easy in one pot and no sauteing. Flavorful and perfect for chilly days!

Course Dinner

Cuisine Ukrainian

Diet Gluten Free

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes minutes

Pressure Up & Down Time 20 minutes minutes

Total Time 40 minutes minutes

Servings 6 servings

Calories 392kcal

Author Olena Osipov

Equipment

• Instant Pot

Ingredients

• 1 large onion finely chopped
• 3 large carrots coarsely chopped
• 2 pounds baby potatoes or red or yellow potatoes cut into large chunks
• 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs cut into 2 inch pieces
• 3 bay leaves
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 cup chicken broth low sodium
• 1/2 cup milk I used 3.25%
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 2 cups peas fresh or frozen
• 1 garlic clove grated
• 1/4 cup dill or parsley finely chopped

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

• In Instant Pot, add onion, carrots, potatoes, chicken, bay leaves, salt, pepper and chicken broth. Stir gently to separate chicken pieces.
• Close the lid, turn pressure vent to Sealing and press Pressure Cook on High or Manual for 10 minutes.
• After Instant Pot has finished cooking, wait 5 minutes and release pressure using Quick Release method by turning valve to Venting and open the lid.
• Press Saute. In a small bowl, whisk milk with cornstarch, pour into the pot, stir and let simmer for 1-2 minutes or until stew has thickened. Press Cancel.
• Add peas, garlic and dill, then stir gently. Serve hot.

Video

Notes

• Store: Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 4-5 days. Cover and simmer on low heat for about 5 minutes or until warmed through.
• Freeze: I do not like to freeze potatoes as they change color and texture but some people don’t mind. Freeze in an airtight container with room for expansion for up to 3 months.

Nutrition

Calories: 392kcal | Carbohydrates: 44g | Protein: 37g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.03g | Cholesterol: 146mg | Sodium: 581mg | Fiber: 8g | Sugar: 8g

The post Instant Pot Chicken Stew appeared first on iFoodReal.com.

Easy Greek Yogurt Cake recipe made in one bowl with 5 simple ingredients. Serve on its own or dress it up with whipped cream, fresh berries, or powdered sugar.

Other simple cakes perfect for any occasion are almond flour cake, whole orange blender cake and almond flour chocolate cake.

I have been making this Greek yogurt cake recipe for decades. It is my family’s sour cream cake recipe, in Ukrainian called “smitannyk”. But instead of sour cream I like to use Greek yogurt and it comes out even better, in my opinion.

Everyone absolutely loves this cake, especially kids!

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• It’s to die for: Fluffy inside, moist and sticky on top, it’s everything you could want from a simple dessert.
• Easy recipe: Only 5 ingredients that are sure to be in your kitchen right now.
• No oil recipe: Yogurt replaces the oil and yields a light, fluffy texture.
• Simple to make: Throw all ingredients in one bowl and mix. Out of all my dessert recipes and cake recipes I make this one most often!
• Crowd pleaser: It’s a universal cake you can bring to any party, host guests with, or make on any night when you are craving dessert. You can serve on its own or go all out with toppings.

Ingredients for Greek Yogurt Cake

To make Greek yogurt cake you’ll need 5 basic ingredients you most likely keep stocked in your kitchen.

• Eggs: You’ll need 2 large eggs.
• Sugar: I used cane sugar but you can also use regular sugar.
• Greek yogurt: Plain Greek yogurt with more than 2% fat.
• Baking soda: We need baking soda for lift and texture.
• Flour: Use all-purpose flour, other flours will affect texture.

How to Make Greek Yogurt Cake

Here’s a quick overview how to make Greek yogurt cake without any fancy equipment, just a bowl and hand mixer.

There is a full recipe card below.

First, preheat your oven to 350 F and spray baking dish with cooking spray. You can use a 8×8 baking dish, 9×5 loaf pan, 8-9 inch cake pan or Bundt cake pan.

• Combine wet ingredients: Add eggs and sugar to a large bowl and beat with an electric mixer until fluffy and light in color. Next, add yogurt and beat once more to combine.
• Add dry ingredients: Add baking soda and flour in 1/4 cup portions and beat just until cake batter forms.
• Bake: Pour cake batter into your prepared pan and bake. Bake time varies depending on pan, plan for 35 minutes in a square dish or round cake pan, 30 minutes in Bundt pan, or 40-45 minutes in loaf pan. Cake with yogurt is ready once a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
• Rest and serve: Let your cake cool for 10-15 minutes then use a sharp, non-serrated knife to slice. Enjoy!

What Is the Best Yogurt to Use?

The only yogurt you can use to make Greek yogurt is Greek yogurt, hence the recipe’s name! Please note that you can’t use regular yogurt because it contains more liquid and recipe won’t work.

Just like with my Greek yogurt frosting, I don’t recommend to use yogurt with less than 2% fat. Some fat is needed for flavor! I prefer to use 4% Greek yogurt and that’s what I used to make this recipe.

And don’t use non-fat Greek yogurt because cake needs some fat for a nice, moist texture and crumb.

Tips for Best Results

Here are some simple tips for making the best Greek yogurt cake.

• Don’t overmix: This recipe’s ingredients are meant to be just incorporated with a mixer so don’t over do it. Otherwise cake might be rubbery.
• Don’t use dark sugar: Brown sugar or coconut sugar will change the color of this cake, so I don’t recommend it.
• Don’t use maple syrup: This cake is meant to be baked as is. Just enjoy it! If you use any liquid sweetener the batter consistency will be off and recipe will not work.
• Double the recipe for a crowd: Use a 9 x 13 baking dish and bake for about 40 minutes.

Flavor Variations

On its own, Greek yogurt cake is a bit sweet with a hint of tang.

For another layer of flavor you could add a dash of these simple add-ins to the batter.

• Almond extract: Up to 1 teaspoon of almond extract will give it a nutty aroma and taste.
• Vanilla extract: A tried-and-true option is vanilla extract, add up to 1 teaspoon.
• Citrus zest: Make lemon yogurt cake by adding fresh lemon zest. You could also add lime zest, or orange zest for a hint of brightness.
• Amaretto: Another option for almond lovers is adding in some amaretto. Then serve with a scoop of ice cream, delicious!
• Chopped chocolate: A handful of chopped chocolate or chocolate chips are always a welcome addition for the whole family.
• Chopped nuts: Mix in 1/2 cup of chopped walnuts, pecans, or almonds.

We’ll have a slice of yogurt cake for breakfast, brunch or dessert. On the weekend, holidays, or any day because it’s that good!

How to Store

Store: This moist cake can stay on the counter for 1 to 2 days without drying out. Just keep it covered with a kitchen towel. I assure you there will be no leftovers the next day.

Freeze: Place individual slices into an airtight container and store in the freezer for 3 months. Thaw at room temperature for a few hours before serving.

FAQs

More Greek Yogurt Recipes

• Greek yogurt pizza dough
• Greek yogurt bagels
• Greek yogurt bread
• Baked yogurt
• Blueberry Greek yogurt scones
• Greek yogurt donuts
• Greek yogurt banana bread

More Cake Recipes to Try

• Greek yogurt cheesecake
• Cottage cheese tiramisu
• Blueberry coffee cake
• Healthy carrot cake
• Healthy chocolate cake
• Healthy birthday cake

Print

Greek Yogurt Cake

Easy Greek Yogurt Cake recipe made in one bowl with 5 simple ingredients. Serve on its own or with whipped cream, fresh berries, or powdered sugar.

Course Dessert

Cuisine Ukrainian

Diet Vegetarian

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes minutes

Cooling Time 10 minutes minutes

Total Time 50 minutes minutes

Servings 9 slices

Calories 168kcal

Author Olena Osipov

Equipment

• Mixer

Ingredients

• 2 large eggs
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup Greek yogurt at least 2% fat (I used 4%)
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• Cooking spray I use Misto

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and spray 8×8 square baking dish, 9×5 loaf pan, 8-9 inch cake pan or bundt cake pan with cooking spray. Set aside.
• In a large bowl, add eggs and sugar. Beat with an electric mixer until light color and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add Greek yogurt and beat just to incorporate.
• Add baking soda and flour in 1/4 cup portions and beat just until cake batter forms. Pour into prepared pan and bake: for 35 minutes in a square dish or round cake pan, for 30 minutes in bundt pan, 40-45 minutes in loaf pan, or until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Times are guidelines, play it by ear. Don't overbake.
• Remove from the oven, let stand for 10-15 minutes and slice into 9 pieces using sharp knife (serrated knife ruins it). Enjoy!

Video

Notes

Store: Days 1-2 – keep cake in a dish covered with towel on a counter. Freeze after.

Freeze: Transfer individual slices into an airtight container and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw on the counter for a few hours.

Nutrition

Serving: 1 slice | Calories: 168kcal | Carbohydrates: 34g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 0.4g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Cholesterol: 42mg | Sodium: 85mg | Fiber: 0.4g | Sugar: 23g

The post Greek Yogurt Cake appeared first on iFoodReal.com.