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Borscht Soup

40 min

Soup

One-bowl / one-pot

Freezer-friendly
Our thoughts are with those affected by the current conflicts. We've always believed that food has the power to unite us. Participate, donate, and learn more about #cookforukraine. We've taken inspiration from Borscht, sometimes also called borsch, borsht, or bortsch. It's a traditional beetroot soup originating from Ukraine and enjoyed in several countries in East Europe and Northern Asia. Traditionally, potatoes, meat, and/or beans are added to the soup, but we've made our own twist by adding apple and celery instead.

Servings

Total

40 min

Prep

15 min

Cook

25 min

Free from

Soy symbol

soy

Peanut symbol

peanut

Treenut symbol

tree nut

Sesame symbol

sesame

Gluten symbol

gluten

Ingredients

  • 1 Tbsp (15 mL)
    olive oil
  • 1
    medium onion, shredded or chopped
  • 3
    cloves garlic, shredded or crushed
  • 1
    medium carrot, shredded
  • 1
    celery stalk, shredded
  • 1
    red bell pepper, shredded
  • 4 cups (960 mL)
    vegetable stock*
  • 1 cup (70 g)
    shredded red cabbage
  • ½
    apple, shredded
  • 3
    medium raw beets, peeled, shredded
  • 3 Tbsp (3 g)
    fresh dill**
  • 2 Tbsp (33 g)
    canned tomato paste
  • 2
    bay leaves
  • 1 Tbsp (15 mL)
    pickle juice
  • 2 tsp (4 g)
    ground coriander
  • 1 pinch
    salt, plus more to taste
  • 1 pinch
    ground black pepper, plus more to taste

Optional garnish

  • fresh dill
  • plant-based Greek-style yogurt
  • vegan sour cream
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Directions

  1. Prepare all the veggies. As a tip, and to speed it up, consider shredding all the ingredients using the shredding disk of a food processor. Alternatively, use a box grater, or finely mince all the ingredients by hand.
  2. Add the oil to a large pot on medium-high heat. When hot, add the onions, garlic, carrots, bell pepper, and celery and cook until soft, about 3 minutes.
  3. Add all the remaining ingredients, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer, partially cover with a lid, and let cook until the beets are soft, about 15 - 20 minutes.
  4. Remove the bay leaves before serving. Serve with desired garnish (yogurt or vegan sour cream highly recommended), and enjoy!

Notes

  • * Can substitute every 4 cups of vegetable stock with 2 vegetable bouillon cubes plus 4 cups (1 L) water.
  • ** Can substitute 1 Tbsp of dried dill for every 3 Tbsp of fresh dill.
  • To make this soup in a more traditional way, and to make it more filling, consider adding potatoes or beans.

Storage

  • Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days, or in the freezer for up to 1 month.
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Nutrition info

We believe that focusing on numbers can harm our relationship with food. Instead, our philosophy is to Nourish the Cells & the Soul. If you require specific nutrition information due to a medical condition, please consult with a dietitian or physician. The nutritional information provided is composed with the utmost care. However, we cannot guarantee the correctness of the displayed values, see also our disclaimer.

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Discussion & Rating

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Lydia - April 16, 2022, 6:16 p.m.

Thanks for posting this recipe! If I wanted to add potatoes, would I shred them and add them in when you add in all remaining ingredients? Or with the carrots and celery?

PUL Team - April 16, 2022, 8:25 p.m.

Hey Lydia, you can shred or slice the potatoes and add them with the carrots and celery. We hope you enjoy the soup!

Reply
DEBORAH - March 30, 2022, 1:27 a.m.

This borscht soup was absolutely delish!!! Thanks for the recipe. We are going to have this often!

PUL Team - March 30, 2022, 3:57 a.m.

We're so happy it's being enjoyed, Deborah!

Reply
Tamar - Feb. 27, 2022, 12:32 p.m.

This soup is delicious. What are some ways I could add more plant based protein to it?

PUL Team - Feb. 28, 2022, 7:27 p.m.

Hey Tamar, so glad it's being enjoyed! Some ideas are topping it with plant-based Greek yogurt, adding beans, lentils or spinach to the soup, or serving it with some whole grain bread 😃

Reply
Heather - Jan. 15, 2022, 8:24 p.m.

Loved this recipe! Thank you for making this! I blended it with my immersion blender and added a bunch of fresh cilantro. Still is a crunchy soup and delicious. Love your site and you tube channel. I watch it a lot and have made a lot of your recipes. Haven’t had a bad one yet!!

PUL Team - Jan. 15, 2022, 8:37 p.m.

Mmm sounds delicious, Heather, and it means so much that the PUL content is being enjoyed!

Reply
Tomoko - Jan. 8, 2022, 8:08 p.m.

This is another great recipe and I have been repeating it!! Thank you for sharing such a great one.

PUL Team - Jan. 10, 2022, 2:03 a.m.

Woop woop! So glad to hear, Tomoko 😊

Reply
Patricia - Dec. 31, 2021, 2:13 a.m.

Loved it!
Another great recipe 💕

Reply
Cecile - Oct. 5, 2021, 6:05 p.m.

I made this last night to take to work today and it is amazing! I've been feeling a little under the weather and this was the perfect pick-me-up. I was a bit curious about what it would taste like but I was pleasantly surprised. Warm, savory yet sweet, and DELICIOUS.

PUL Team - Oct. 6, 2021, 3:39 a.m.

Aw we're so happy to hear, Cecile, and we hope you're feeling better as well☺️

Reply
Jennifer - Sept. 29, 2021, 3:03 a.m.

Wish the beets were measurable. Such variety in sizes….

PUL Team - Sept. 29, 2021, 7:14 p.m.

Hey Jennifer, thanks so much for the feedback! We've just added the descriptor "medium" so hopefully that helps a bit. Our beets were medium-sized, but if they're a bit smaller or bigger that'd be fine as well. Luckily as a soup, it's quite forgiving. I hope you enjoy the recipe! 😊

Jennifer - Sept. 30, 2021, 3:50 p.m.

I did! And I shared some with my Eastern European friend and she gave a 👍🏼! Wanted to make sure I was learning an authentic style flavour.

Reply
Mark - Sept. 24, 2021, 11:36 p.m.

Absolutely the best borscht I have ever had!

Reply
Andreea - July 24, 2021, 10:36 p.m.

This soup is one of my staples now, very tasty and pure goodness. I usually freeze some too.

Reply
Emily - July 22, 2021, 8:07 p.m.

This soup is so amazing. Its bright and beautiful- both in flavor an color. Such a wonderful recipe that I have made a few times now.

Reply
Steph - July 10, 2021, 9:09 p.m.

Although I’m not familiar with traditional borscht, I really love this soup! The dill and sweet earthy flavors of the beets are lovely. It is well complemented by a dollop of yogurt.

PUL Team - July 16, 2021, 4:02 a.m.

Thank you for sharing, Steph, so happy you enjoyed this soup 😍

Reply
Valentyna - April 25, 2021, 11:26 a.m.

If you don’t mind I would share with you that even if the recipe is used in post Soviet Union countries, the Borscht is actually a national Ukrainian food and it has been used in Ukraine for centuries. ;)

PUL Team - April 26, 2021, 6:20 a.m.

Thank you for sharing, Valentyna - it's such a delicious dish 🤗

Reply
Hazel - March 24, 2021, 8:27 p.m.

Since I'm not strictly vegan/vegetarian, do you think I could sub beef stock in for the veggie, or do you think that would mess with the flavor interplay?

Kiki - March 28, 2021, 4:09 a.m.

I've made borscht before and honestly, I find that a bone broth or meat-based stock tastes just as good if not better. In many traditional recipes, borscht includes beef. So I say why not! 🤷🏽‍♀️

Reply