Borscht soup is the best way to get healthy superfood beets filled with beta-carotene and minerals into our diet. It is quick to cook, easy to vary, and enjoyed by everyone, even children.
This is a traditional soup in Ukraine, and many people from that country have settled in my home city of Edmonton.
This is my vegan version with just a few adjustments to the ingredient list.
Borscht Ingredients
Of course, the most important ingredient in this borscht is the beets. The one ingredient that makes this borscht special; is fresh dill and lots of it. I garnish the soup with fresh dill at the end. The taste of sweet beets and dill is so delightful.
A single serving of beets can boost your energy and lower your blood pressure. Eating beets long-term can help fight cancer, reduce arthritic pain, lose weight, and assist in several other health areas.
Many people don’t like beets or consider it a special occasion dish but we think this superfood should be on your plate every day.
These vegetables are all from my gardens or given to me from friends’ gardens, except for the dill that came from the farmer’s market.
WHO recognizes that Onions help relieve symptoms such as coughs, congestion asthma, and respiratory infections. Onions have protective phytonutrients, vitamins, trace minerals, quercetin (an important flavonoid), chromium, and unique anti-inflammatory nutrients.
Carrots add some soft crunch to this borscht. You will get Vitamin A and a host of other powerful health benefits including beautiful skin, cancer prevention, and anti-aging with carrots.
A must in borscht is cabbage and look at how good it is for you. Eat cabbage if you want the health benefits of beautiful glowing skin, and an immune system powerful enough to fight off just about anything, don’t forget this highly nutritious but common vegetable.
I love Zucchini; it is one of my favourite vegetables. It is sweet, easy, and quick to cook and they are antioxidant-rich and low in calories.
Green beans are full of so many health benefits. They are a tasty vegetable to this borscht. Many of us grow them in our garden so we can eat them fresh in the summer. The really good news is that this superfood has health benefits from helping lose weight to preventing the spread of HIV to lowering the risk of cancer.
The red of tomatoes is what makes them full of health benefits, even when you are enjoying them as a refreshing juice or tomato sauce. Tomatoes are fat-burning, help prevent cancer, and are a heart-healthy food.
To get the most health benefits from Garlic, let it sit for a minimum of 5 minutes, after cutting and before eating or cooking. Waiting for 5 – 10 minutes allows the health-promoting allicin to form. If you do not let it sit, allicin is never formed, so it is worth the wait.
Kevala’s sesame oil is made with the finest organic sesame seeds that are carefully selected and cold-pressed to obtain a premium oil.
We need a little lemon juice in this borscht to add a soft zing. Lemon’s health benefits are immense. They are acidic to the taste but are alkaline-forming in the body. In fact, they are one of the most alkaline-forming superfoods; this makes them great for balancing a highly acidic condition in the body. Also, they are full of many health benefits.
Dill is an important herb to add to this borscht soup. A sprig of delicious dill adds a unique flavor to your food making it extra tasty. Dill’s name comes from the Norwegian word ‘dilla,’ meaning to soothe. It has been valued for its many health benefits as early as 1500 B.C. In ancient Egyptian papyrus manuscripts, it was documented as a remedy to soothe flatulence, relieve pain, and act as a laxative and a diuretic.
Himalayan Salt is good for you! 100% NATURAL PINK & CERTIFIED: Sherpa Pink Himalayan Salt is Kosher Certified, Non-GMO, and does not contain any MSG, Soy, Gluten, Dairy, or anti-caking agents.
Stevia
As I don’t use sugar for my baking I often use stevia which is a healthy option. The stevia plant is incredibly sweet and also incredibly good for you. The leaf is 30 times sweeter than sugar while extracts are 300-400 times sweeter. The best stevia will, therefore, be the one that retains some whole-food value and is water-based. Liquid forms will be less processed. Go here to learn How to Get the Best Stevia Without the Bitterness.
“Everything I do, I do on the principle of Russian borscht.
You can throw everything into it beets, carrots, cabbage,
onions, everything you want.
What’s important is the result, the taste of the borscht.”
~ Yevgeny Yevtushenko, Russian poet
Here are pictures of each step for this borscht soup so you can be sure you know how it’s done.
The complete written recipe with ingredients and directions is below.
Cut the beets into bite-size chunks.
- In a stockpot over medium heat, heat the oil.
- Sauté the onion until it is translucent.
- Add beets and water.
- Bring to a boil then lower heat and simmer covered for 10 minutes.
Add the carrots and cabbage, and cook for another 10 minutes.
Add zucchini, beans, and garlic, then cook for another 10 minutes.
Now add corn and tomatoes, and cook for another 10 minutes.
Add lemon juice, stevia, salt, and pepper to taste.
Add parsley and dill weed, turn the heat off, and cover.
Cover and let sit for 10 minutes.
Serve the Borscht Soup with dollops of vegan coconut yogurt or vegan sour cream if desired.
Borscht Soup
Ingredients
- 2 medium beets
- 1 medium onion
- 2 medium carrots
- 2 cups cabbage
- 1 medium zucchini
- 1 cup fresh green beans
- 1 corn on the cobb or 1/2 cup frozen corn
- 2 tomatoes optional
- 2 - 3 cloves garlic
- 1 Tbsp sesame or almond oil
- 4-6 cups water (Make sure the vegetables are always covered with water)
- 2 Tbsp lemon juice
- 1 bunch fresh dill or dried can also be used
- handful parsley
- 1/2-3/4 tsp salt
- few drops stevia
- fresh ground black pepper to taste
- 4 Tbsp dairy-free sour cream
Instructions
- Cut the beets into bite-size chunks.
- In a stockpot over medium heat, heat the oil.
- Chop the onions and sauté the onion until it is translucent.
- Add the beets and water.
- Bring to a boil then lower the heat and simmer covered for 10 minutes.
- Chop the carrots into rounds, chop the zucchini, cabbage, green beans and garlic.
- Add the carrots and cabbage to the pot, cook for another 10 minutes.
- Add the zucchini, green beans and garlic cook for another 10 minutes.
- Add the corn and tomatoes, cook for another 10 minutes.
- Add the lemon juice, stevia, salt, and black pepper to taste.
- Add parsley and dill weed, turn heat off and cover.
- Cover and let sit for 10 minutes.
- Serve the borscht soup with dollops of sour cream** if desired.
Notes
**Sour cream is a very traditional finishing touch and it can now be coconut milk-based or soy-based.
Also, I do not put potatoes in but if you want to make this borscht more filling then use potatoes. This meal is a highly alkaline meal. Read the 10 benefits of acid/alkaline balance. It contains many different superfoods including beets, carrots, zucchini, lemons, onions, cabbage and dill.
Benefits of Borscht Soup
- Highly alkaline meal. Read the 10 benefits of acid/alkaline balance.
- It contains many superfoods including beets, carrots, zucchini, lemons, onions, cabbage, and parsley.
- Sugar-free, containing only natural smart carbs.
If you enjoyed this ‘Borscht Soup’ full of beets, here is another recipe with beets.
Tempeh Salad with Beets and Sprouts for Dinner – This is a simple tempeh salad recipe that is easy to make and packed with healthy ingredients. It is full of nutrients from the beets, carrots and sprouts, pumpkin seeds, and lots of protein from the tempeh which are all tasty superfoods.
More Healthy Soup Recipes For You
Creamy Vegan Potato Leek Soup with Carrots – I created this potato leek soup at the end of September here in Edmonton, it felt like winter was almost here! This filling and warming soup is perfect for a yummy lunch. The recipe makes a big pot of soup which fed two of us for two lunches. It tasted so good that we also enjoyed it the second day too.
Easy Peasy Green Pea Soup Is Especially Delicious – This green pea soup really is yummy and it is a super easy soup to make. Hearing me say that frozen peas taste good is amazing; as I don’t even like to eat frozen peas. But this creamy green pea soup is delicious and within a week I had it twice! What I think is the difference is that this is the first time I had organic frozen peas and I am sure they taste better. The other thing about this soup is that it is surprisingly hardy and very filling.
Pumpkin Soup – With onion, ginger, spices and sweet pumpkin, this soup recipe for pumpkin soup is delicious! I love that it is vegan creamy without all that cow’s milk. The pumpkin seeds on top add a lovely crunch. I was given a very large pumpkin and did not know what to do with so much. So I created this recipe. I used one-quarter of it in this recipe so I froze the rest for more pumpkin soup later.
Soba Soup – a Japanese Favourite – If you want a delicious noodle soup recipe that is gluten-free, and perhaps even grain-free try this soba soup.
All the recipes at Real Food For Life are exceptionally balanced and healthy for all situations. I also teach people how to plan and prepare nutritious meals online.
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Yes , Borschtsch, is a stable in my kitchen.My motherwas part Polish and used and I still do different ingredients.Borchtsch is also widly used in Russia
We use- well if you don’t eat meat ,omit it, 1 pound Beef meat,cut up in cubes
1 Cup white Beans,soaked the Night before.Rinse Beans off add Beef, 4 Tomatoes(not canned ones) about 1 Liter(4cups) of Water,Salt,fresh grind Pepper,2 whole diced up Onions,fresh Garlic if you prefer,bring to a boil,lower Temperature and cook for about an 1 Hour.Meanwhile cut 4 Potatoes,2 Carrots ,2 red Beets .
Add Vegetable and 1 Cup of fresh Sauerkraut to the Meat and Beans(after 1 Hr) cook for another Hour.Use Pepper,Salt,Nutmeg,a little bit Cinamon,fresh Parsley, to taste.
Cool off and serve, keeps fresh for up to 2 weeks.Borchtsch taste better after a few days.
Randy & Diana thanks again for the inspiration.
eating the right foods often means having the imagination and know how to change the routine.
You guys are masters.
Pierrette & I and our whole Thee Quest team are always anxious to see what you are going to come up with next.
We know you really believe in health.
Thanks for everything,
Pierre & Pierrette Trudel
Founders of Thee Quest
such a beautiful recipe.
i LOVE borscht — unfortunately beets don’t like me. but i do have fond memories of eating borscht at this wonderful russian restaurant we used to go to in berkeley, ca.
thanks for the memories.
Fine – good – but try to respect the recipe! There has never been and can never be squash, zucchini or (horror!) corn in Bortstch! It is a great soup, but please, a little respect!
The recipe described above looks like a very good vegetable soup, but it is NOT Borsch! Call it a beetroot soup, veggie delight, etc., but do NOT call it Borsch – a fatty soup based on beef bullion and originally, in Ukrain, was also seasoned with pig’s fat.
I hear you Olga, and I know I have taken liberties in my recipe. That said I grew up in a Ukrainian rich area; my neighbors did not put pigs fat in it and beef bullion was optional. A variety of seasonal vegetables were put in it each fall. After I posted this recipe I did a search to see what borscht recipes; I saw there were many different varieties,
I agree with Mary. Many vegetables can be added to borscht; my Ukrainian relatives and friends often use green or yellow beans and peas, but I never saw any type of squash or corn. Please remember the BAY LEAF! Bay leaves & dill give borscht its distinctive flavour (besides the beets of course). We also use vinegar rather than lemon juice. And for those who don’t like sour cream, sweet cream stirred in will do.
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Yes, you can. Giving credit to the author and links back work.
Thank you for reintroducing me to beets! I tried this recipe because I love vegetables, EXCEPT for beets. But I found both my energy level and disposition improved each time I ate a bowl! This soup, and beets in general, have now become a regular part of my diet.
Sylvia, that is so good to hear. I love beets and am happy my soup has changed your relationship to beets. 🙂
You could also leave the sour cream away and use self made yoghurt which in this case seems a lot of Turkish youghurt. Lei
This is a very good soup, but it has nothing to do with Russian borsh… Only one ingredient is beets is correct, but it is never cut this way. So with all due respect this soup is absolutely can’t be called borsh it just a beet soup….
I know beets are a great detox expecially for the liver. I have had beet juice for years and sometimes it gets me a little dizzy. I am going to try your borsh – it reads very tasty. Thanks.
I purchase beet juice in bottles from Health food stores. Is any of the nutrition lost in the process of making and storing the juice in bottles?
Fresh beet juice is the healthiest and even best to drink within 30 minutes. If you are cooking beets as in this recipe, some of the nutrients are lost but there are still nutrients left.