Bowl of steaming beet soup with sour cream and dill, slice of buttered bread, and glass of water

Borscht Recipe: Easy Ukrainian Beetroot Soup Recipe

Written by on in Soup Recipes

Borscht is a sour soup traditional in Eastern Europe, originating in Ukraine. Although there are many variations of this soup, the predominant ingredient of this soup is typically beetroot, and this gives in a deep red colour. There are also variations of Borscht that include meat, but this recipe is a vegetarian version.

It is a fantastic soup to make at any time of year. You can serve it cold in the summer months, like gazpacho, and hot and hearty in the winter months. Due to its vivid colour, it is also a visually appealing option for serving at a dinner party.

Not only is this soup exceptionally tasty, but it is also cheap to make. Furthermore, beetroots are packed full of nutrients. According to Health Line, beetroot is a good source of fibre, vitamin B9, vitamin C, iron, manganese, and potassium.

Here is an easy Borscht recipe.

Preparation time:10 minutes
Cooking time:50 minutes
Servings:4
Vegetarian/ vegan:Vegetarian- YES Vegan- If you omit the soured cream
Dairy-free:If you omit the soured cream when serving
Gluten-free:YES
Borscht Recipe: Easy Ukrainian Beetroot Soup Recipe
Pin
Print

Borscht Recipe: Easy Ukrainian Beetroot Soup Recipe

Recipe by Liz FlynnCourse: Soup RecipesCuisine: European
Servings

4

servings
Prep time

10

minutes
Cooking time

50

minutes
Vegetarian

YES

Vegan

YES

Dairy-free

YES

Gluten-free

YES

An easy recipe for borscht, an Eastern European classic soup with beetroot as its main ingredient.

Ingredients for Borscht

  • 8 medium beetroots, peeled and chopped

  • 2 red onions, finely chopped

  • 2 sticks of celery, diced

  • 1 large carrot, diced

  • 2 cloves of garlic

  • 1-litre vegetable stock

  • 2 tbsp olive oil

  • Salt and black pepper to taste

  • Optional ingredient: 4 tbsp vodka

  • Sprigs of dill for decoration

  • Sour cream to serve

Directions: How to Make Borscht

  • Prepare all the vegetables before you begin.
  • Add the olive to a large saucepan and heat over medium heat on the hob.
  • Then add the onions, celery, and carrot to the pan and cook for approximately 8 minutes, or until the vegetables begin to colour.
  • Add the beetroot to the pan and cook for a further ten minutes.
  • Next, add the garlic and then cover the mixture with the vegetable stock.
  • Bring the soup to a boil, then turn down the heat, cover the pan, and simmer for 30 minutes.
  • If you decide to use vodka, add it at this point along with salt and pepper to taste. Cook for a further five minutes to burn off the vodka’s alcohol.
  • To create a smooth soup, blitz it in a food processor or with a hand blender. If you prefer a chunky soup, blitz half the soup in a food processor, then return it to the pan with the rest of the ingredients.
  • Serve with a dollop of sour cream topped with some chopped dill.

Additional Tips for Making Borscht

  • Peeling and chopping beetroot can stain your fingers red. To avoid this situation, wear disposable gloves when preparing the beetroot.
  • If you are on a dairy-free diet, omit the soured cream from the recipe.
  • You might also like our recipe for beetroot and apple soup.
  • The vodka is optional, so omit it from the recipe if you prefer.
  • Some borscht recipes include cabbage, including some Polish versions of the soup. If you want to adapt this recipe, use a quarter of a red cabbage, finely shredded, and add to the soup at the same time as the beetroot.
  • You can chill this soup in the refrigerator for up to three days.
  • If you intend to serve this soup cold, leave it to cool before refrigerating it for a couple of hours.

9 Comments

Leave a Reply