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This creamy vegetarian borscht is pure Slavic comfort food. Packed with vibrant beets and a slew of other veggies, you’ll get your 5 a day in one bowl!
Vegetarian borscht, aka beet soup, is a staple in Slavic homes. It’s nourishing, savory, and a bit sweet. Personally, it’s one of my most near and dear comfort foods. There’s truly nothing like a hot bowl of borscht on a rainy day or a cold bowl of borscht on a hot summer’s day. It’s just that good year-round!
In this recipe, you’ll learn all you need to know to whip up the most authentic vegetarian borscht. With just a little elbow work chopping, dicing, shredding, and grating the veggies, you’ll be well on your way to becoming a Slavic guru…
What Country Does Borscht Come From?
There is a lot of debate in the Slavic community about where borscht originates from. Typically, the tug of war is between Russia, Ukraine, and Poland. The truth is, so many different cultures have their own spin on beet soup and it’s hard to pin down where it actually came from. Care to share your thoughts in the comments?
How to Make Vegetarian Borscht (Beet Soup)
Making vegetarian borscht, aka beet soup, only requires a handful of healthy veggies, sour cream, and fresh herbs. Below, find a quick overview of the recipe before you dive in.
- Prep the Veggies: Using a sharp knife, dice the bell peppers and onions into tiny cubes. Shred the cabbage and dice the potatoes into bite-sized pieces. Next, grate the carrots and beets. Set the veggies aside.
- Sauté the Veggies: In a large pot, cook the carrots and onions until golden brown. Next, add the beets and bell peppers and cook them until softened. Add in sour cream, stir to combine.
- Build the Base of the Soup: Add water to cooked bell peppers, onions, shredded cabbage, and grated beets, followed by the herbs. Next, add in the potatoes and cabbage. Season with salt and black pepper to taste.
- Simmer: Next, let the soup simmer for 20-30 minutes, stirring it every so often until the potatoes are cooked through. Enjoy!
Tips for the Best Vegetarian Borscht
Below, find a couple of tips to help you make the best borscht.
- Chop the veggies as directed. All the dicing, shredding, grating, and chopping will be worth the amazing texture of this soup!
- Use full-fat sour cream. The richness full-fat sour cream adds to the broth is unparalleled.
- Use fresh herbs versus dried. Fresh dill and parsley have so much more flavor than dried and really elevate the flavor of the soup.
- Swap out the water for vegetable stock for extra flavor. If you want a more full-bodied soup, swap out the water for equal parts vegetable stock. Just be mindful of how much salt you add, as most stocks contain a good amount of sodium!
- Play around with the seasonings. Add a couple of pressed garlic cloves, bay leaves, or a bit of lemon juice to the soup to spice it up and make it your own.
Looking for a Vegan Option? You can easily make this a vegan borscht by omitting the sour cream. It won’t be creamy, but it will still be super tasty!
When Should You Serve Russian Beet Soup?
You can serve borscht for lunch or dinner and eat it either hot or cold. You can also serve it in smaller portions as an appetizer. Commonly, it is garnished with a dollop of sour cream and fresh herbs and served alongside rye bread or hearty honey wheat bread. For a more well-rounded Slavic meal, pair it with shashlik (pork kabobs).
Storing Vegetarian Borscht
- Refrigerator: Store leftover beet soup in an airtight container in the fridge. It should keep for up to three days.
- Freezer: To freeze leftover beet soup, first let it cool completely. Next, transfer it to a freezer-safe bag or airtight container. To thaw, pop it in the fridge overnight.
Reheating Tip: Reheat leftover beet soup by warming it in a saucepan over medium heat until warmed through or zapping it in the microwave for a couple of minutes.
FAQ
What does borscht taste like?
Borscht is the perfect balance of savory and sweet. Some are more sour, due to the addition of pickled cabbage or beetroot.
Do you eat borscht hot or cold?
You can eat borscht hot or cold.
Is vegetarian borscht healthy?
Yes, vegetarian borscht is super healthy! It’s packed with a ton of different veggies, full of vitamins, and low-calorie.
What is the difference between borsch and borscht?
There is no difference between borsch and borscht besides the spelling. Since the soup is commonly eaten throughout Eastern Europe and Russia, the spelling varies from country to country.
How long will borscht keep in the fridge?
Borscht will keep in the fridge for up to 3 days when stored in an airtight container.
Other Tasty Slavic Soups
- Russian Red Borscht Recipe – Classic Ukrainian Beef Soup
- Cabbage Soup Recipe – Cabbage and bone-in meat soup
- Cabbage Roll Soup (One-Pot) – Cabbage rolls in soup form!
- Fish Soup (aka Uhka) – Light fish and herb soup
Recipe
Creamy Vegetarian Borscht Recipe (Beet Soup)
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Servings
12 servings
Prep Time 20 minutes mins
Cook Time 40 minutes mins
Total Time 1 hour hr
Recipe contributed by: Natalya Drozhzhin
This creamy vegetarian borscht is pure Slavic comfort food. Packed with vibrant beets and a slew of other veggies, you'll get your 5 a day in one bowl!
Ingredients
- 5 tbsp olive oil
- 1/2 medium onion
- 2 medium carrots
- 1 large beet
- 1 large red bell pepper
- 1 cup sour cream
- 2 1/2 qt water
- 3 medium potatoes
- 1/4 head of medium cabbage
- 1/2 cup fresh dill or parsley
- 1 tbsp salt adjust to taste
- 1 tsp black pepper adjust to taste
US Units – Metric
Instructions
Dice the bell peppers and onions into tiny cubes. Shred the cabbage and dice the potatoes into bite-sized pieces. Next, grate the carrots and beets. Set the veggies aside.
In a large pot, sauté the carrots and onions with around 5 tablespoons of oil until they turn golden brown. Add the beets and bell peppers to the carrots and onions and cook them until they soften. Stir in sour cream and stir to combine.
Add water to the cooked veggies. Next, add in the herbs of your choice, followed by the potatoes and cabbage. Season the borscht with salt and pepper.
Let the borscht simmer for about 20-30 minutes, or until the potatoes are easily pierced with a fork. Enjoy!
Nutrition Facts
Creamy Vegetarian Borscht Recipe (Beet Soup)
Amount Per Serving
Calories 105 Calories from Fat 90
% Daily Value*
Fat 10g15%
Saturated Fat 3g15%
Cholesterol 10mg3%
Sodium 48mg2%
Potassium 142mg4%
Carbohydrates 4g1%
Fiber 1g4%
Sugar 3g3%
Protein 1g2%
Vitamin A 2147IU43%
Vitamin C 21mg25%
Calcium 44mg4%
Iron 1mg6%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Posted October 25, 2021
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BarbaraJan 18, 2022 "Typically, the tug of war is between Russia, Ukraine, and Poland." The thing is, national boundaries have shifted and varied for centuries.-- let's simply agree that, as perfectly stated in the intro, it's a Slavic creation.And for me -- it's right up there at the top with pierogi and potato pancakes.
Natalya DrozhzhinJan 18, 2022 I agree! It's right up there with pierogi and potato pancakes. A true classic. YUM! Thanks for the note, Barbara.
VolodymyrNov 13, 2021 Sorry, I cannot stay aside.
Clearly this Natalya is Russian - they are famous for stealing cultural and historical artifacts from all the nations they once occupied or contacted. There's no such category as "Russian and Ukrainian".
Borscht is not Slavic, it's not Russian.
It's only Ukrainian, like pizza is Italian.Fix it, please and stop spreading lies.
Richard PopielarzJan 19, 2022 There are many kinds of barszcz, including Ukrainian.
Natalya DrozhzhinJan 19, 2022 Hello, Richard! Indeed, borscht is a delicious staple in many Eastern European countries. Hope you give our version of it a try!
VitaliiNov 16, 2022 Borscht is Ukrainian.
Culture of Ukrainian borscht cooking inscribed on the List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding.
Natalya DrozhzhinNov 15, 2021 Nope, born and raised Ukrainian 🙂
BetsyOct 26, 2021 Such great flavor! Warm and wonderfully comforting! The weather has turned chilly here and I'm so thrilled to have a great recipe like this to stay warm!
Natalya DrozhzhinOct 26, 2021 Yes!! It comforts the soul, perfect for this time of year!
Vivian OakesOct 26, 2021 I made this for a dinner party and everyoneLOVED it!! Such a delicious recipe!
Natalya DrozhzhinOct 26, 2021 Hi Vivian, I love the idea of soup night for a dinner party, genius! Glad you loved the recipe!
AllyssaOct 26, 2021 Thank you so much for sharing this amazing and so easy to make recipe! Will surely have this again! Highly recommended!
Natalya DrozhzhinOct 26, 2021 Hi Allyssa, I am so glad you found the recipe easy to make and delicious, thank you for taking the time to comment!
MickiApr 19, 2021 Hi
Are you sure the recipe calls for 4 quarts of water? That’s a lot of water in comparison to the amount of the other ingredients.
MickiNatalya DrozhzhinApr 19, 2021 Hey Micki, yes, the amount of water is accurate. We made it like this for three generations.
Brent CFeb 8, 2021 Amazing recipe! I made it both with dill and parsley. I liked it more with dill only. The only thing I changed was I used some chicken stock. It was wonderful and reminded me of childhood.
Natalya DrozhzhinFeb 9, 2021 Thank you for your feedback! I'm so glad you enjoyed the recipe and that it brought back childhood memories 🙂
Nelya Shos TakeJan 21, 2019 I usually add a few whole mini peppers to the pot while cooking (for flavor) and then take it out. Next time I’ll try it with diced peppers. 🙂
Natalya DrozhzhinJan 21, 2019 I really like the flavor of it. Its so different but really good! Hope you love it!
Irina @ wandercrushDec 10, 2013 Beautiful! I absolutely love borscht, but last time I tried making some it was lacking… the sour cream looks like the perfect addition. I'll be trying this soon for the wintry weather 🙂 Thank you.
Natalya DrozhzhinDec 10, 2013 Most people serve their beet borscht with sour cream and I dont really care for that unless the sour cream is cooked into it. Makes a world of a difference, I hope you love it 🙂
NellaDec 9, 2013 I make creamy borsht all the time too, except I add heavy whip cream, from costco, to the sautéd vegetables. I have tried sour cream but mine always turn to little pieces of it in the borsht :/
Natalya DrozhzhinDec 9, 2013 Nella, I have never tried using whipping cream in borscht, thanks for a tip! If you add sour cream from beginning of cooking borscht it should be ok. 🙂
kitchenriffsDec 9, 2013 Great looking borscht! I was once lucky enough to have borscht on a visit to Russia - love the stuff. Yours looks particularly nice. Thanks for this.
Natalya DrozhzhinDec 9, 2013 What a great opportunity to have, visit to Russia must of being so much fun!
oksanaDec 8, 2013 Look yammy . I will be making this 😉
Natalya DrozhzhinDec 8, 2013 I hope you love it, keep me in a loop 😉
