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.
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
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 heat to low and cook for 20 minutes.
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, remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil, tomato paste, salt and cook for another 3-4 minutes.
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.
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 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.
Equipment
Cooked on my Hestan Dual Fuel Range using my Hestan Culinary 6-Quart Induction CopperBond Stock Pot. Proud Hestan & Hestan Culinary Ambassador. Opinions in this post are my own.
Related
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
- 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 heat to low and cook for 20 minutes.
- 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, remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil, tomato paste, salt and cook for another 3-4 minutes.
- 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.
- 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 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