beet borscht

A simple delicious recipe for Borscht, a healthy, vegan-adaptable beet and cabbage soup that can be made in an Instant Pot or on the stove top. Warming and nourishing, Borscht is full of flavor and nutrients!

Simple Borscht Recipe 

olive oil

onion,

garlic cloves, rough chopped

celery,

carrots,

red cabbage,

beet stems and greens, chopped (optional or add another cup cabbage)

veggie broth (or chicken stock

tomato paste

celery seed

allspice

salt

pepper

cayenne (more

apple cider vinegar

dill,

Set Instapot to &#8220;saute&#8221; function.

Add the olive oil (or butter) and diced onions and sauté 4-5 minutes stirring often making sure onions do not stick. Add the rest of the veggies; garlic, celery, carrots, beets, cabbage, beet stems and greens and stir to coat with onions and oil.

Add the broth and tomato paste, spices, salt and pepper.  Give and stir and press &#8220;cancel&#8221; button.

Place the lid on pot and lock, making sure steam release is pointed to Sealing. Press High Pressure and set to 10 minutes. When time is up, allow to naturally  release for 5 minutes then place kitchen towel over the  pressure release button and turn to manually release. Once the float valve drops, open the lid.

Stir in the apple cider vinegar. Taste and adjust salt and pepper.

To serve, top with a dollop of sour cream or yogurt ( or vegan yogurt) and ample amounts of fresh dill.

Stunning recipe &lt;3 My favorite to date! Easy to make, popping with flavor, and the dill really does enhance the flavor!

Thank you for sharing all these wonderful recipes !

Just had this for dinner on a cold autumn evening.  Super easy to make and absolutely delicious!  Subtle flavors. So quick to make!

I Iove the subtle flavor.  I also love that it is vegetarian.  Super good!

Simple . Easy and Delicious! My first Instant Pot venture and it was a success!

Very tasty. My family doesn't love beets, but everyone enjoyed this soup. I mashed the soup with an electric hand blender at the end so that my 2 year-old would eat it too, and it was delicious.

Made it tonight and came out fantastic. The flavor is so good, and the little kick from the cayenne made it so perfect.

Yum! What would you recommend pairing this with? Any salad or main entree recommendations? Thank you!

Excellent but a bit spicy for grandma and the kiddos. Will make again and reduce cayenne to 1/8 teaspoon. So yummy with yogurt topping and dill.

I've wanted to try Broscht all my life., so I selected a very basic, mult-veggie recipe (this one) and it tasted STELLAR. I was surprised it only calls for one beet!!! COVID19 flaring everywhere at the time of this review and I'm looking specifically for fresh, hi-vitamin/mineral-dense foods to keep our immunity strong. You can tell this soup does the trick. Also, we're two seniors, and this makes a TON of soup, so I'll be freezing a portion for later. 
My adjustment is to remove the cayenne, and half the ground pepper...that's just our intolerance for heat. A big tsp of Dijon instead of vinegar, and also 1/2 tsp. of dried dill at the end. We also plopped healthy dollops of sour creme on top, and it was the perfect!

when the world hands you beets; makeTHIS borscht recipe! I've made it 3 times in as many weeks. It always gets RAVES!!

I've never had anything quite like this and I was a little apprehensive at first to try something new... All I can say is delicious! I'm so happy I have this recipe to add to my collection. It's so different from the typical vegetarian Indian and southwestern style dishes I usually make.

Followed the instructions to the tee. Super delicious and light but filling. If you are sensitive to spicy you might want to reduce the cayenne pepper to 1/4 a teaspoon.

As tasty as it looks! Did not expect the humble beet and cabbage to taste so delicate. Colorful and easy to prepare on top of the stove. Subbed grated ginger for the cayenne and left out tomato paste to avoid nightshade. Served with coconut yogurt. Truly scrumptious. Will make again!

I added salt and it was great. I needed more broth because it was so delicious.  So glad it didn't have sugar added.

This soup is so delicious!  I don't know why Borscht isn't more popular here, but man its good, cheap and so good for you!

Amazing and super simple. Made the recipe almost exactly as written but doubled the cayenne. My partner said it was better then his Grandma used to make.

Delicious! I love the spiciness and it was super easy. The only thing I'd change is that I used too much bouillon and so tasted too salty. I used 4 teaspoons to 4 cups of water, should have kept it at about 1.5 teaspoons I think. 

Will make it again and see! Thank you for this nutritious recipe!

I skipped the tomato paste and the apple vinegar. Instead I added about a half cup of dry red wine. It was perfection itself. I also used only an eighth of a teaspoon of cayenne.  It was the right amount.

Just astounding. Was not expecting how absolutely delicious this tastes. I sliced the beets thinly and doubled the cayenne. The fresh dill is a must but the entire dish is incredibly good, amazing blend of flavors, and so easy in the instant pot.

This soup is great and I'll definitely be making it again. I found 1 tsp celery seed a little overpowering for my taste so next time I'll add 1/2 tsp dried dill and 1/4 tsp celery seed instead. To ease the celery seed flavour this time I added a few tablespoons of coconut milk and it was a lovely added touch! 
Thank you Sylvia!

There is a great article in the Washington Post about Borscht’s origin.  Cuisine is Ukraine.  Apple cider vinegar and cayenne do not belong in this dish.  I’ve been making authentic borscht (taught by my immigrated grandparents) for decades.  Suggestion to use plain sour cream rather than Greek yogurt.

Thank goodness for additional spice and variations/fusion of original recipes! 
Thank you. I made it today and it was delicious!

This soup is absolutely delicious! The spices and apple cider vinegar work perfectly. I’ll definitely be making this again...so easy. 
Thanks for another amazing recipe!

Still my go-to borscht recipe year after year.  I add half the salt and then squeeze a half of a fresh lemon after cooking to brighten it up and add freshness.  I'm an omnivore, but I love this healthy, veggie packed comfort food during the winter.  Simple and satisfying.  Highly recommend!

I used this recipe with a little tweeking and love it very much. Bookmarked for next time for sure. Love the addition of  cayenne and apple cider vinegar. I tweeked by adding cubed potatoes and using mushroom bouillon cubes instead of vegetable( basically because I ran out of vegetable), but will keep using the mushroom in future. I doubled the recipe and added an extra large beet- I love beets. Otherwise kept to your recipe and loved it. Thank you.

The soup came out amazing in my instapot! My husband  went to Poland and it tasted like he was there!!

I love this recipe! Easy and so delicious!
I never have celery seed or allspice in the house, so I substituted in caraway seeds and thyme and it came out great. 
Thanks for another great recipe!

This recipe is gold! Absolutely delicious... savoring every bite good. Definitely add the greek yogurt at the end with chopped fresh dill. MMmmm

Insanely delicious, and now my go to borscht recipe!! The only thing I changed was by adding one peeled, chopped potato to the soup. This is a glorious, rich and hearty bowl of borscht. Both my husband and I couldn't stop going back for more.

One beet?!! You clearly are not Ukrainian. A good Ukrainian borscht recipe calls for enough shredded beets so that the spoon practically stands up before it’s cooked.

This recipe is just DELICIOUS! I've never made or even tasted borcht so I have nothing to compare it with. I had to use what I had on hand so my beets were striped, my cabbage was green and my dill was dried. But boy oh boy did it turn out good! I'm looking forward to trying the recipe as written soon. : )
I'm so glad I tried your recipe!

I like what Allspice does for this soup. It brings out the flavors of the fall and makes a perfect meal for early September. I’m from Odessa, Ukraine and thought this recipe was excellent. I will make this again and again.

Beet borscht, made sweet and sour style with cabbage and potatoes, may be from the Old Country, but it is just as savory and delicious today!

Beet Borscht Soup from The Old Country

t caraway seeds (optional)

lb beets, trimmed, peeled and cut into 1/2″ cubes

1-1/1/2 t kosher salt

chicken stock stock

lb Yukon gold potatoes-cut into 1/2″ cubes

T butter

c chopped red onions

celery stalk, chopped

carrot,

c chopped green cabbage

dill

1-1 1/2 T cider vinegar

lemon

honey

tomato puree

T raisins-optional

Ground black pepper

Sour Cream

Fresh Dill

If you are using the caraway, toast it in a small skillet over medium heat until lightly colored. Set aside. (I don&#8217;t like caraway, so I don&#8217;t use it.)

In a large heavy bottomed pot, combine beets and 1/2 t salt with 4 c of stock and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, partially covered, until the beets are tender, about 10 minutes. Add the potatoes and continue to simmer until the veggies are fork tender. Using a slotted spoon, transfer veggies to a medium bowl and set aside. Reserve cooking liquid.

In a heavy bottomed soup pot, heat the butter over medium heat. Add the onions, stir to coat with oil and saute one minute. Add the caraway-if using-1/2 t salt and saute until onions are translucent about 5 minutes. Add celery, carrots, and cabbage. Add reserved cooking liquid and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until the vegetables are fork tender, 10-15 minutes. Add the reserved potatoes and beets, dill to taste, vinegar to taste, lemon juice, honey, tomato puree and raisins, if using. Season with salt and pepper.

Uncover the pot and simmer slowly for 30-40 minutes. Add more stock if mixture gets too thick. Taste and adjust seasonings, adding more vinegar to taste. Serve in bowls, with a big hunk of bread and garnish with sour cream and dill.

We have not had borscht in a couple of decades and now you have us craving it. Beautiful and bold and just pinned!

Always had borscht and always loved it!  Oh well, I am from Estonia and your parents from Lithuania two stops south . . . and I'm in age twist him and you . . . also fun !!  As a child I never had the knowledge I could object to any food . . . well, I loved the beets but would sit alone at the lunch table with Father back at the Military Law Courts and Mother angrily moving around the house 'cause I objected to our chef's version of spinach soup with long stringy leaves sticking to my teeth and the must-have half-hardboiled-egg floating atop, cold way before I stuffed it into my mouth and was allowed to leave the table !  But the beetroot one was yum and your recipe methinks hits the spot . . .

What beautiful colors! I still remember my first bowl of borscht soup that I was served at a friend's house for a Jewish holiday celebration. I am sure I just sipped at it but now I am like you and have learned to love beets!

What a wonderful post, Abbe!  Not only the recipe itself, but the retelling of your Dad's story here is incredible.  I felt the emotion in your words, and that's just awesome.  In fact, it made me go looking for that Time Life cookbook (I wonder if this is the one - https://www.etsy.com/listing/615030794/time-life-cookbook-foods-of-the-world).  I've never had borscht, but this looks so intriguing to me.  I've never been one to turn down a good soup, so I should give this a try...although it would have to be hot for me.  The thought of cold beets in soup form just doesn't excite me too much.  Thanks for the post, my friend!

Abbe, such a vibrant and colorful soup! Recipes from the old country are such treasured parts of our family's memories!

I loooove borsht!  I love the bright color, I love all the veggies, I just can't get enough.  But I rarely make it; I'm going to remedy that soon and try this!

Let us play the game NEVER HAVE I EVER.
Never have I ever... Had beets before... Thus, never have I ever - had beet borscht before! :o

This Christmas Eve Red Borscht - served in teacups or with little &#x27;Uszka&#x27; dumplings - is one of the most Polish soups. It’s a shining star on the Christmas Eve dinner table.

Polish Red Borscht Soup for Christmas Eve (Wigilijny Barszcz Czerwony)

0.9 lb (400 g) beetroots

carrots (5.5 oz, 160 g)

parsley roots (5.5 oz, 160 g), can substitute for celery root

0.5 lb (220 g) white mushrooms

leek

celery root (3 oz, 85 g)

onion, any colour

garlic

apple

thyme

3-4 tbsp white wine, can substitute for water

bay leaves

allspice berries

juniper berries

cloves

prunes, can substitute for regular prunes

wild mushrooms (e.g. porcinis)

lq qt (1 litre) water

(roughly 500-600 ml) beet kvass/fermented beet juice, 1 portion from this recipe

marjoram

Black pepper,

Salt,

Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C).

Thoroughly scrub the vegetables (beetroots, carrots, parsley roots,...

Thoroughly scrub the vegetables (beetroots, carrots, parsley roots, mushrooms, leek). Peel the celery root and the onion, leave the rest of the vegetables (and a half an apple) in the peel. Chop the veggies into chunks.

Grab a large roasting pan, pour a tablespoon...

Grab a large roasting pan, pour a tablespoon of oil in. Toss all the mushrooms, veggies, herb sprigs and garlic together into the roasting pan. 

Roast in the middle of the oven for...

Roast in the middle of the oven for 30 to 40 minutes, turning occasionally, until vegetables turn golden brown.

Move the roasting pan onto the stove burner,...

Move the roasting pan onto the stove burner, over a medium heat. Add a few glugs of white wine to deglaze the pan (stirring and scraping up the brown bits for 2-3 minutes).

Transfer everything into a cooking pot. Pour in...

Transfer everything into a cooking pot. Pour in 1 quart / 1 litre of water in, bring to a boil and reduce the heat to “low”.

Add bay leaves, allspice &amp; juniper berries, cloves,...

Add bay leaves, allspice &amp; juniper berries, cloves, smoked prunes and dried wild mushrooms.

Cover the pot with a lid (I’m leaving...

Cover the pot with a lid (I’m leaving a small gap) and cook for at least an hour.

Pour the stock through a large fine sieve...

Pour the stock through a large fine sieve into another pot (or a large bowl), firmly pressing on to push out as much stock as possible. Skim off the fat.

The soup is supposed to be clear, therefore...

The soup is supposed to be clear, therefore we won’t need the remaining vegetables. You can reuse them in another dish, but there won’t be much flavour left in them. I usually sneak out one or two of those ultra soft carrots and beetroot pieces before discarding the rest.

Pour in 2 cups of beet kvass /...

Pour in 2 cups of beet kvass / zakwas into a large cooking pot. You can skip the fermented beets, but I add them in. Pour in 3 cups (¾ litre) of the stock we just cooked.

Add in one teaspoon of dried marjoram and...

Add in one teaspoon of dried marjoram and generously season with black pepper. Cook together on the lowest heat for 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally. Have a taste - if it’s too strong, add a little bit more stock.

Cook together for another 30 minutes on a...

Cook together for another 30 minutes on a very low heat, making sure the soup doesn’t boil at any point. 

Remove beetroots (if you added any with your...

Remove beetroots (if you added any with your beet zakwas), season with salt and pepper if necessary. If the flavour is too sour, add a little bit of sugar. You can use the remaining beetroot pieces as a garnish (optionally).

Serve warm, on its own or with 'Uszka'...

Serve warm, on its own or with 'Uszka' dumplings.

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The most viewed beet borscht recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 6,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engine