Borscht (Beet & Cabbage Soup) The weather has turned, and hand in hand with sweater weather, comes soup season. Few soups satisfy my craving like a big, steaming bowl of borscht. Topped with a healthy dollop (or swirl) of yogurt, a sprinkling of fresh dill and served with slices of crusty bread to wipe the bowl clean.
Growing up the versions I remember most of this iconic Ukrainian, deep magenta soup, used bone broth and had meat mixed in. This recipe is full of just nutritious vegetables and uses vegetable broth, making it an equally tasty treat for our vegetarian or vegan family, and our carnivore friends alike.
I used a food processor to speed up the preparation of this simple soup, but it is certainly not required. Use a knife and or box grater to achieve the same results.
This soup stays well in the fridge for up to five days or freeze it in airtight glass containers for up to 3 months.
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Ingredients
- Red cabbage
- Beets
- Vegetable broth
- Bay leaves
- Olive oil
- Onion
- Carrots
- Celery
- Red bell pepper
- Tomato paste
- Sea salt
- Potatoes
- White vinegar
- Sugar
- Garlic cloves pressed
- Black pepper
- Dill
- Plain Greek yogurt
- Bread
Instructions
Start the Broth: In a 6 to 8-quart stock pot, add the broth, bay leaves, and bring to a boil. Once boiling, add the cabbage, cover, and return to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and cook for 20 minutes.
Sauté the Vegetables: Preheat a 12.5" non-stick skillet on medium heat. Add 2 tablespoons of oil. Once the oil is warm, add the onions, carrots, celery, red pepper, and sauté for 5 minutes.
Add the Beets and Seasoning: Add beets, remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil, tomato paste, salt and cook for another 3-4 minutes.
Combine with Broth: Transfer sautéed vegetables into the stock pot along with the potatoes. Cover and bring to a boil, then cook on low heat for 20 minutes.
Finish with Flavourings: Turn off the heat. Then add the vinegar, sugar, garlic, and black pepper. Stir and let the borsht sit for 10 minutes to allow flavours to meld into each other. Stir in dill and adjust seasonings to taste. (I occasionally add a little more vinegar).
Serve and Enjoy: Serve with a dollop of plain yogurt, more dill, and a crusty loaf of bread. Enjoy! Or as my Baba would say jó étvágyat!
Watch how this Borscht (Beet & Cabbage Soup) was made here
Tips and Substitutions:
- When working with beets, wear gloves and wrap your cutting board with plastic wrap to make clean up easier.
- Food styling tip for Borscht- use a squeeze bottle to create a swirl with the yogurt on the soup. No squeeze bottle? Spoon yogurt into a small resealable bag, cut the tip off one corner and squeeze the bag to create the swirl.
- We top our borsht with plain yogurt because it is lighter, but sour cream is also commonly used.
- Serve with a crusty loaf of bread. Ideally, it is with a Ukrainian loaf of bread, but we enjoyed it with a French loaf. Rye bread or a sourdough is also highly recommended.
FAQ
This vegetarian borscht offers a hearty and tangy flavour, characterized by the earthiness of beets, the slight sweetness of carrots, and the acidity from tomatoes and vinegar. The broth, infused with herbs and garlic, creates a rich and satisfying soup, despite the absence of meat.
Made in collaboration with Hestan using my Hestan Culinary 6-Quart Induction CopperBond Stock Pot. Opinions in this post are my own.
Related Recipes
Looking for more hearty and satisfying soup recipes? Try these:
Leave a Comment
If you get the chance to try this recipe for Borscht (Beet & Cabbage Soup) please drop back and leave us a comment and rating here. Each review helps so much! Thank you! Elaine & James
📖 Recipe
Borscht (Beet & Cabbage Soup)
Ingredients
- 4 cups red cabbage thinly sliced
- 4 medium beets peeled and grated
- 10 cups vegetable broth or broth of choice
- 3 bay leaves
- 3 tablespoons olive oil divided
- 1 medium onion finely chopped
- 3 carrots peeled and thinly sliced
- 2 celery ribs finely chopped
- 1 red bell pepper finely chopped
- 3 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 3 medium Yukon potatoes peeled and sliced into bite-sized pieces
- 4 tablespoons white vinegar
- ½ teaspoon sugar
- 3 large garlic cloves pressed
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper freshly ground
- 3 tablespoons chopped dill plus more for serving
- Plain Greek yogurt for serving (or vegan yogurt)
- Crusty loaf of bread we had a French stick
Instructions
- Start the Broth: In a 6- to 8-quart stockpot, add the broth and bay leaves, then bring to a boil. Once boiling, add the cabbage, cover, and return to a boil. Reduce heat to low and cook for 20 minutes.
- Sauté the Vegetables: Preheat a 12.5" non-stick skillet on medium heat. Add 2 tablespoons of oil. Once the oil is warm, add the onions, carrots, celery, red pepper, and sauté for 5 minutes.
- Add beets and Seasoning: Add the beets, the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil, tomato paste, and salt and cook for another 3-4 minutes.
- Combine with Broth: Transfer the sautéed vegetables into the stockpot along with the potatoes. Cover and bring to a boil, then cook on low heat for 20 minutes.
- Finish and Flavourings: Turn off heat. Then add the vinegar, sugar, garlic, and black pepper. Stir and let borsht sit for 10 minutes to allow flavours to meld into each other. Stir in dill and adjust seasonings to taste. (I occasionally add a little more vinegar).
- Serve and Enjoy: Serve with a dollop of plain yogurt, more dill, and a crusty loaf of bread. Enjoy! Or as my Baba would say jó étvágyat!
Love this Recipe?
- We'd really appreciate your feedback! Please take a moment to rate and review it below. Your thoughts help others and inspire us to keep creating delicious recipes. Thank you! - James & Elaine
Video
Notes
- When working with beets, wear gloves and wrap your cutting board with plastic wrap to make clean up easier.
- Food styling tip for Borscht- use a squeeze bottle to create a swirl with the yogurt on the soup. No squeeze bottle? Spoon yogurt into a small resealable bag, cut the tip off one corner and squeeze the bag to create the swirl.
- We top our borsht with plain yogurt because it is lighter, but sour cream is also commonly used.
- Serve with a crusty loaf of bread. Ideally, it is with a Ukrainian loaf of bread, but we enjoyed it with a French loaf. Rye bread or a sourdough is also highly recommended.
- This soup stays well in the fridge for up to five days or freeze it in airtight glass containers for up to 3 months.
their borscht recipe was convient, easy and delicious! truly something everyone has try! (it also looked really pretty)
Hi Jenn,
Thank you for leaving us a comment!
We are so glad you found this recipe easy, delicious… and pretty! 😉
Have a wonderful night!
Kindest regards,
Elaine & James
yum!
Thanks Lu,
It’s a family favourite 🙂
Have a great weekend!
Elaine & James
Great borscht recipe! Grating the beets makes a significant difference compared with chopping or slicing the beets…
Thanks William,
We agree, grating the beets really enhances the texture and flavour.
So glad you enjoyed the recipe and thanks for letting us know!
Have a great day,
Elaine & James
Absolutely delicious!!! I’m so glad I found your recipe.
Hello Helen,
We are so happy to hear this, you’ve made our day!
Thanks for stopping by to let us know, it means so much 🙂
Have the best day!
Elaine & James
Yummy, warm, unique, and fun! Such a good combination of flavors (especially with the greek yogurt on top).
Hi Robby,
Thank you so much! We’re thrilled you enjoyed it, especially with the Greek yogurt! We appreciate you taking the time to leave this review!
Have a great week!
Elaine & James
Hello! I’m wondering if I can leave out the tomato paste?
Hi Amy,
We haven’t actually tried making this without tomato paste, but it does add depth and sweetness to balance the earthy beets and tangy vinegar. If you want to skip it, you could try adding a small splash of balsamic vinegar or a bit more shredded carrot for some natural sweetness. Another option is blending in a roasted tomato to bring a similar richness. Let us know if you give it a try—we’d love to hear how it turns out!
Hope this helps!
Elaine & James
I have been looking for a borscht recipe for a while since I had some while traveling in Russia. This is the closest and BEST recipe! The only difference is that the soup I had in Russia was pureed. So, I pureed the soup once it was done. IT WAS DELICIOUS!!! I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS RECIPE for all those who want a borscht recipe which is true to the flavors of Russian or the Ukraine. THANKS SO MUCH!!!
Hi Donna,
Thank you so much for your kind words! We’re thrilled to hear that our Borscht recipe brought back memories of your travels and that it hit the mark on flavour. Pureeing it is a beautiful twist—so glad you made it your own! Comments like this mean the world to us. Thanks again for taking the time to share your experience and for recommending the recipe!
Have a wonderful weekend!
Elaine & James
My background is Polish, Russian, Ukrainian tried many borscht recipes. This is definitely my best!
Hi Teresa,
Wow, that means a lot coming from someone with such an authentic borscht background! 🙌
So glad you loved it, you’ve made our day!
Thank you!
Elaine & James
I’m so happy to have come across this recipe! This is one of the tastiest soups I’ve ever eaten. 👍🏼👍🏼
Hello Melonie,
Thank you so much! We’re thrilled you loved it! Hearing that it’s one of the tastiest soups you’ve had truly makes our day. 🥰
Have a lovely day!
Elaine & James
wow. this is delicious. I love soup full of vegetables and this soup was chock full. I didn’t grate but chopped it all. Thank you for the recipe, Bette
Hi Bette,
This makes us so happy. We’re glad you enjoyed this recipe! Also, thanks for sharing that you chopped everything and that it was still delicious!
Happy holidays!
Elaine & James
Thank you. I just finished making it. I didn’t have red cabbage so I used Napa cabbage. I followed every step of your recipe to a t . I am very happy with the results.
So happy to hear that, Stephanie! Napa cabbage is a great swap, and I’m glad the recipe worked so well for you. Thanks for taking the time to let us know, it really means a lot 😊
Have a lovely day,
Elaine & James
very tasty, I used vegetable broth with our garden grown carrots, beets and garlic. Had to buy a red cabbage. Had homemade bread with the soup. very good will make it again
Hi Rita,
Thank you so much for sharing! There is nothing like the flavour of garden-fresh carrots, beets, and garlic! Pairing it with homemade bread sounds like perfection.
We are still in awe of that 4-pound beet photo! That has to be a record; you must have a very green thumb.
We’re so glad you enjoyed the recipe and have a wonderful day!
Warmly,
Elaine & James
My husband loathes beets, but he enjoyed this soup. I love beets, so this is a winner.
Hi Connie,
That might be the best compliment ever! 😊
We love hearing that it won over a beet skeptic and still made a beet lover happy. Thanks so much for sharing and for giving the recipe a try!
Have a wonderful day!
Elaine & James