12 Authentic Ukrainian Recipes
These 12 Authentic Ukrainian Recipes were passed down to me by my mom. I remember enjoying these recipes very much, during my childhood. They are still my favorite recipes, today.
Generally, Ukrainian cuisine is a collection of various cooking and baking traditions of one of the largest and most populous European countries. Many traditional Ukrainian dishes are made with an elaborate heating process. First, they may be fried or boiled. Then, they may be stewed or baked.
What is typical Ukrainian food?
The national Ukrainian cuisine recipe is borscht. It is a well-known red beet soup. However, vareniki (boiled dumplings similar to pierogi) and a type of cabbage rolls known as golubtsi are also national favorites that we love, as well.
Most commonly, Ukrainian breakfasts consist of hot cereals or porridge “kasha” made of buckwheat, rice, or oats. On the savory side, a popular breakfast dish in Ukraine is fried potatoes with bacon and onion.
Pancakes “mlyntsi or “oladi” leavened pancakes are usually made of wheat flour. Also, pancakes made with farmer’s cheese are often called cottage cheese pancakes.
Traditional Ukrainian drinks are kompot made of dried apples, birch juice collected from birch trees, kvass is a fermented drink or kisel.
Fresh or smoked bacon “salo” is another very popular, traditional food among Ukrainian people.
1. Red Borscht Recipe (Beet Soup)
This hearty meal will have you seeing red! Not of fury, but the red of love. Borscht is a national Ukrainian dish, made out of red beets, and served with a dollop of sour cream and sprinkled with fresh dill. Yum!
2. Cabbage Rolls
Cabbage rolls are another famous Ukrainian recipe. Everybody loves cabbage rolls. They are made with ground beef, grated carrots, and rice stuffing hugged in softened cabbage leaves and baked in tomato sauce. It’s absolutely delicious!
3. Pierogies – Vareniki
Vareniki are classic Ukrainian dumplings similar to Polish pierogi. The most popular Vareniki filling is potato filling, drizzle with caramelized onion, and loads of fried bacon bits! As a child I remember, my mom made vareniki with strawberry filling during strawberry season. These treats are very tasty. I love making them. Making them is worth every minute.
4. Potato Salad Recipe (Olivie)
It’s a very popular Ukrainian salad with diced varieties of vegetables and meats. As a child, I was looking forward to some kind of special event or a holiday to get to enjoy this salad. This is a very old recipe never gets old. My kids enjoy this salad very much, as well.
5. Bilyashi Recipe – Pirozhki
Pirozhki can have a sweet or savory filling. My childhood favorite is Ukrainian vanilla apple butter (Povidlo) or farmer’s cheese. They are absolutely delicious. Give them a try!
6. Herring Shuba (Layered Vegetable and Fish Salad)
The direct translation of the name of this salad is “fur coat”. Due to the many layers over the fleshy herring. I’m not a big fan of herring, but it is very popular among the Ukrainian population.
This salad is similar to Oliviye or Olivier salad except you need to grate most of the cooked vegetables instead of dicing them. I substitute herring with smoked salmon. I absolutely love Smoked Salmon Shuba.
7. How to Make Sauerkraut Recipe
It is super easy to make and tastes so much better than any store-bought sauerkraut. Give this recipe a try!
8. Pelmeni Recipe (Meat Dumplings)
Pelmeni is dumplings that consist of a meat filling wrapped in thin, unleavened dough. Boiled in water, dressed in butter, and served with a dollop of sour cream. They have always been a family favorite and my kids’ frequent requests.
9. Apple Kvass – Fermented Beverage
Kvass is a fermented non-alcoholic beverage, sometimes compared to kombucha, for instance. It is super tasty and refreshing, especially over ice on a hot summer day. It is fantastic!
10. Fruit Drink – Kompot
Kompot can be any flavor depending on the type of fresh, frozen, or dry fruit you are using. It is very similar to juice but much healthier and tastier. Kids enjoy this drink cold during the summer, and warm during cold winter days. Be sure to give it a try.
11. Cucumber Tomato and Onion Salad
This salad made of fresh cucumbers and tomatoes brings me a lot of my childhood memories. My parents use to grow a lot of tomatoes and cucumbers in the greenhouses when I was growing up. Then, we would sell them to market grocery stores and farmer’s markets.
As a child, I would go and get these veggies including onion from the garden, chop it, dress the salad with sunflower oil, season it with salt and pepper, and just enjoy it as a snack with a piece of dark rye bread. It is still one of my favorites, especially when made with freshly picked garden produce.
12. Vinaigrette Salad – Ukrainian Red Beet Salad
It is one of my favorite childhood salads. My mom made it mostly during the late fall and winter months after the harvest of red beets, carrots, and potatoes. As well as canned pickles. During my childhood, I remember mom was making this salad more often than Olivie. For my siblings and me, it was a huge treat. My kids love this salad, as well.
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I made the beet salad with daikon radish instead of potato because I I had one on hand and no potato. . I loved it and have made it that way many times. It is a hit whenever I bring it to a potluck or a dinner. Tried it with potato once. Good, but it’s much better with the daikon radish.
That is very interesting. Do you cook daikon radish before dicing? Thanks for sharing your feedback!