Name: Hong Kong Borscht Soup
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 60 min
Yield: 8
Ingredients: 1.5 pounds Beef chuck roast boneless; 1 pound Beef bones; 3 Potatoes (small); 2 Carrots; 2 sticks Celery; 1 can Diced tomatoes ((14.5oz or 411g)); 2 Fresh tomatoes; 1/2 head Cabbage (Small); 1 can Tomato paste ((6oz or 170g)); 1 tablespoon Vegetable oil; 5 cups Water; 2 pieces Bay leaf; 1/2 teaspoon Garlic powder; 1/4 teaspoon Ground black pepper; 1.5 teaspoon Salt ((Always add salt to your taste) )

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Hong Kong style borscht soup or luo song tang (羅宋湯) is a classic soup among Hong Kong cafes. This Chinese Russian borscht soup recipe is very simple. It takes around couple hours to make this tasty instant pot Hong Kong borscht soup. Also, it’s great to go with garlic cheese breadsticks.

Love Asian soups? Check out these miso soup, kimchi tofu soup and sweet corn pork soup recipes.

What is Hong Kong style borscht?

Borscht is kind of sour soup that made from beetroots and vegetables. Also, it originated from Ukraine and it’s very common in Eastern Europe and Northern Asia.

Hong Kong style borscht soup is also called luo song tang (羅宋湯). In Chinese, luo song (羅宋) means Russian. Therefore, it also calls Chinese style Russian borscht soup.

When borscht soup first introduced to Chinese, they don’t like the sour taste from the beetroots. Also, beetroots are hard to grow in northern China.

Later on, Chinese used tomatoes and tomatoes paste instead of beetroots to make this Hong Kong borscht soup which gives a similar bright red color.

What are the ingredients for Chinese luo song tang (羅宋湯)?

The main ingredients for this Hong Kong borscht soup recipe are tomatoes, carrots, potatoes, celery, cabbage and beef.

In this luo song tang recipe, I added beef bones as well. You can also add an onion.

For seasoning, I used some basic seasoning like bay leaves, garlic powder, black pepper and salt.

Cooking tips for how to cook Hong Kong borscht soup instant pot:

Cut vegetables and beef into chunks.
Put sauté button, add vegetable oil and browning the beef to seal the meat , so the juice retain in the meat when cooking it.
Add beef bones, vegetables, beef and all the seasoning into instant pot. Try to mix it a little bit. Manual for 60 minutes and natural release.

FAQs:

What kind of beef do you use?

I like to use beef chuck roast because it’s cheaper, less fat and easier to find at regular grocery store in the states. But, some like to use beef brisket and stew meat.

What kind of beef bones do you recommend?

Any beef bones are fine. However, this time I use beef ribs bone. If you use oxtail, the soup will be little bit oily. But, you can remove fat after cooking the soup.

Can I make this Hong Kong borscht soup over top stove?

Yes, sure you can. It takes around 2.5 hours simmering after water is boiling and add 3 more cups of water.

Instructions for how to make instant pot Hong Kong borscht soup:

1. Wash and peel off 2 carrots and 3 potatoes skin. Then, cut them into chunks and set aside.

2. Next, wash and cut 2 sticks of celery and 2 tomatoes into chunks. Then, set them aside.

3. The following, wash and cut 1/2 head of cabbage and 1.5 pounds of beef roast into chunks.

4. After that, push sauté button in instant pot. Pour one tablespoon of vegetable oil into instant pot. Next, add beef roast browning the sides for few minutes. After, take them out and set them aside.

5. Put one pound of beef bones into pressure cooker.

6. Add the cut potatoes, carrots, tomatoes, celery and one can of tomatoes.

7. Then, put back the beef roast. Add cabbage and pour 5 cups of water into instant pot.

8. After, put 2 pieces of bay leaves, 1/2 teaspoon of garlic powder, 1/4 teaspoon of ground black pepper, one small can of tomato paste (6 oz) and 1.5 teaspoons of salt (always add salt to you taste). Mix them a little bit.

9. Lastly, close the lid and vent. Push manual button, adjust time for 60 minutes at high pressure and natural release. Also, you can use this type of strainer to remove fat.

Enjoy this delicious and simple Chinese Russian borscht recipe! Also, check out these hot and sour soup, tomato potato pork soup and Korean chicken ginseng soup recipes.