Festive Beet Borscht

Beet borscht, a gorgeous soup of Eastern European origin, is filled with year-round produce and is as good (maybe better) served chilled as it is hot. 

If it weren’t for the fact that it’s a bit messy to make, I’d put this one on the rotation more regularly! As it is, I most enjoy it on special occasions, such as Rosh Hashanah (the Jewish New Year). It’s actually a favorite on this holiday for its subtle sweetness.

A bit about borscht

A Russian proverb says, “Borscht and bread will make your cheeks red.” I don’t recommend making this soup unless you have a food processor with a grating blade. Of course, you could do this with a hand grater, but you may never forgive me.

Here’s a bit about the history and origins of borscht.

Fresh and festive, borscht is traditionally served with a dollop of sour cream, though that’s entirely optional. In our case, of course, we opt for vegan sour cream. Two great brands are Wayfair (based, amazingly, on butterbeans and oats!) and Follow Your Heart (based on coconut and tapioca).

If you love chilled soups, see a wide selection of Naturally Vegan Cold Soups (with lots of gazpacho variations).

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Yield: 6 to 8

Festive Beet Borscht

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Beet borscht, a gorgeous soup of Russian origin, is filled with summer-to fall produce and is as good served chilled as it is hot.

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes

Total Time 50 minutes

Ingredients

• 6 medium beets, peeled and cut into large chunks (see Notes)
• 4 medium carrots, peeled and cut into large chunks
• 1 large sweet apple, peeled, cored, and cut into chunks
• 1 large onion, cut into large chunks
• Juice of 1 lemon, or more to taste
• 1/4 cup natural granulated sugar or agave, more or less to taste
• Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
• 1/4 cup minced fresh dill
• Vegan sour cream, optional (but highly recommended; see Notes)

Instructions

1. Grate the beets, carrots, apple, and onion in a food processor fitted with the grating blade. As the work bowl gets filled, transfer the grated ingredients to a large soup pot.
2. Add enough water to cover the grated ingredients in the pot, then add the lemon juice and salt. Bring to a gentle boil, then lower the heat, cover, and simmer gently until everything is tender, about 20 to 30 minutes. 
3. Adjust the consistency with more water if the vegetables are too densely packed. Season with salt and pepper (you can skip the salt if you’d like). Taste and add more lemon juice and/or sugar (or agave if using) to adjust the sweet and tangy balance to your liking. 
4. This is a good soup to make ahead of time. If you’d like to serve it chilled (which is how it really shines), let it cool to room temperature, then refrigerate, covered, until chilled. To serve hot, heat through as needed before serving.
5. Just before serving, stir in the dill. Reserve some for garnish, if you’d like. And if desired, top each serving with a dollop of sour cream.

Notes

Peeling raw beets is never much fun. You can make it somewhat easier by microwaving the beets briefly (allowing 2 minutes per beet), then plunging into cold water for a while. Peeling will be much easier, and then they’ll cook more quickly as well.

As mentioned above the recipe box, Wayfair and Follow Your Heart are two brands that offer good vegan sour cream.

If you like borscht, a festive beet and carrot combo, you might also enjoy …

Festive Beet & Carrot Salad

See lots more delicious vegan soups & stews.