Borscht (beet soup), made with red beets and other vegetables, is sweet and sour, and then topped with fresh dill and sour cream. I created this vegetarian version that’s easy, healthy, delicious, and beautiful!
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Easy Borscht Recipe
People sure have strong feelings about beets—I think you either hate them or love them madly. I’m the latter and convinced those who do hate them have just never had them prepared in an amazing way. What’s not to love about pickled beets or an arugula beet salad? And they most definitely have never tried borscht. This borscht recipe was given to me by my friend, Elena. She’s Russian, so you know it’s the real deal!
Borscht (also spelled borsch, borshch, or borsht), is a traditional beet soup from the Ukraine and loved all over Russia and many other Eastern European countries. In Russia, Poland, and other Eastern European countries, borscht simply means “sour soup,” and the word comes from the Russian borshch, “cow parsnip.”
Borscht always includes beets, cabbage, and something contributing to the sour flavor, such as vinegar or lemon juice. After that, it depends on the region. Some Borscht recipes include beef, sausage, potatoes, parsnips, tomatoes, mushrooms, beans, or dried smelt. I always serve borscht warm, but it can be eaten hot or cold, topped with a dollop of sour cream.
{Vegetarian} Borscht
Ingredients
- 2 medium roasted beets (or boiled)
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- small bunch fresh dill (plus more for serving)
- 2 scallions
- 4 cloves garlic (peeled)
- 1 tbsp granulated sugar
- pinch of salt
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 medium sweet onion (diced)
- 1 large carrot (peeled and grated, about 2 cups)
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 4 cups vegetable broth
- 2 cups water
- 3 medium potatoes (peeled and diced)
- 2 ½ cups sliced green cabbage
- 15 oz can cannellini beans
- 2 bay leaves
- salt and ground black pepper (to taste)
- sour cream (for serving, optional, but highly recommended)
Instructions
- Start by making roasted beets (this can be done the day before to save on time.) Alternatively, you can also boil them.
- Peel and grate the beets; drizzle with lemon juice and toss to coat. (You should end up with about 2 cups.)
- In a heavy bottomed pan or Dutch oven, warm oil over medium heat. Add onion and carrots; cook, stirring frequently, until softened, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Add tomato paste and cook, stirring constantly for 30 seconds or so.
- Pour in vegetable broth and water. Bring to a boil, then add potatoes. Season with salt and pepper and simmer for 10 minutes.
- Add cabbage and simmer for another 5 minutes. (Potatoes should be done at this point. If not, let them cook for another 5 minutes.)
- Add in the beets and beans. Stir and let warm through for 3-5 minutes.
- Using a small blender or immersion blender, blend together the dill, scallions, garlic, sugar, and a pinch of salt until it forms a paste. (Alternatively, you can just mince the herbs and garlic together with a knife and stir in the sugar and salt.)
- Stir in the herb and garlic paste, along with the bay leaves.
- Stir, cover, and remove from heat. Let stand for 20-30 minutes. Remove bay leaves.
- Serve warm with a dollop of sour cream, more fresh dill, and Irish soda bread or dark rye bread for dunking, if desired.
Nutrition
Other Notes
How to Make Borscht Step by Step
Cook the beets: Start by roasting the beets. Alternatively, you can also boil them.
Grate the beets: Peel and grate the beets; drizzle with 1 tbsp lemon juice and toss to coat. (You should end up with about 2 cups.)
Cook onion and carrots: In a heavy-bottomed pan or Dutch oven, warm 2 tbsp oil over medium heat. Add 1 onion and 1 carrot; cook, stirring frequently, until softened, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Add 2 tbsp tomato paste and cook, stirring constantly, for 30 seconds or so.
Add broth and potatoes: Pour in 4 cups vegetable broth and 2 cups water. Bring to a boil, then add 3 potatoes. Season with salt and pepper and simmer for 10 minutes.
Add cabbage: Add 2 ½ cups cabbage and simmer for another 5 minutes. (Potatoes should be done at this point. If not, let them cook for another 5 minutes.)
Mix in beets and beans: Add in the beets and a 15-oz can of beans. Stir and let warm through for 3-5 minutes.
Blend the herb paste: Using a small blender or immersion blender, blend a small bunch of dill, 2 scallions, 4 cloves garlic, 1 tbsp sugar, and a pinch of salt until it forms a paste. (Alternatively, you can just mince the herbs and garlic together with a knife and stir in the sugar and salt.)
Add the herb garlic paste: Stir in the herb and garlic paste, along with 2 bay leaves.
Remove from heat: Stir, cover, and remove from heat. Let stand for 20-30 minutes. Remove bay leaves.
Serve and enjoy: Serve warm with a dollop of sour cream, more fresh dill and dark rye bread for dunking, if desired.
How to Store
This vegetarian borscht recipe is easy to store and actually tastes even better the next day! Borscht can last for up to 3 days in a tightly sealed container. The flavors will deepen each day it is stored.
Borscht also freezes quite well. Store it in tightly sealed freezer-safe containers for up to 3 months. Thawing first before reheating on the stove (over low heat) is preferable, but not necessary.
What to Serve With Borscht
Serve borscht as an appetizer with dinner or as a light meal with a pear salad or wedge salad, a loaf of Irish soda bread or dark rye bread rubbed with a garlic clove for a more authentic experience.
This was simply delicious. My family loves beets.
My mother is Ukrainian and we learned to make this soup all the time. It has to be my all time favorite. We never put cabbage in the soup but used all fresh vegetables from the garden, peas, beans, potatoes, carrots, beets and the tops and lots of fresh dill. All the root vegetables were diced up approximately the same size and everything cooked together in a large pot, along with the dill and salt and pepper to taste. When the vegetables were all cooked we would take the soup off the heat and then add the sour cream. Since we had a cow we used fresh sour cream, not the commercial sour cream. Now that I am an adult I still make this soup but I buy whipping cream and sour it with lemon juice and add that. It does not clot and the soup comes out a beautiful pink colour. Everyone makes theirs different but this was our family recipe, handed down from my grandmother, (from the Ukraine) to my mother and now to me.