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This delicious borscht soup is warm, vibrant, and packed with flavor from the beets, potatoes, cabbage, onion, carrots, celery, and bell pepper. It’s perfect to enjoy with sour cream and dill on a cold winter’s night.
While beets aren’t a staple in traditional Lebanese cuisine, I’ve always enjoyed them in dishes and loved experimenting with them. Besides pickling them and adding them to salad, I often enjoy a refreshing beet juice recipe or this creative beet pasta—beets make gorgeous pink pasta.
So, it should come as no surprise that I’m sharing this warm and vibrant classic borscht recipe now. Made with simple but flavorful ingredients, it makes for the perfect bowl of comfort to enjoy on a chilly night. Plus, it brings such a delightful pop of color to your table.
Borscht is a staple in Eastern European cuisine, and for a good reason—the mix of fresh vegetables makes for a nutritious and satisfying soup. It’s an easy-to-make, one-pot meal to warm you up in the winter!
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Ingredients
- Red Beets: The heart of the borscht, they bring natural sweetness, earthy flavor, and the signature red color. You could use the milder golden beets, too, but remember that the color will change.
- Broth: To make up the hearty base, use store-bought or homemade vegetable broth.
- Vegetables: I use a flavorful combination of potatoes, cabbage, onion, carrots, celery, red bell pepper, and garlic. You could substitute with or add turnips, kale, spinach, parsnip, or even squash. You can also add beans for extra protein.
- Tomato paste: I love using homemade tomato paste, but you can use your favorite brand.
- Lemon juice.
- Olive oil.
- Spices: You will need bay leaves, salt and pepper.
- To garnish: I love adding a dollop of sour cream and a sprinkle of fresh herbs like fresh dill or parsley.
See the printable recipe card below for full information on ingredients and quantities.
How to make borscht
Prepare and Sauté: First, chop the onions, carrots, potatoes, celery, beets, and red bell pepper. Mince or grate the garlic. Then, shred the cabbage either using a knife or with a box grater.
Next, heat the olive oil in a large pot at medium heat. Add the onions and garlic and sauté for 2-3 minutes, until the onions are softened.
Then, add the carrots, celery, bell pepper, and beets and stir to combine. Incorporate the potatoes, bay leaves, salt and pepper, and tomato paste.
Simmer the Soup: Pour the broth and bring to a boil. Then reduce the heat and simmer for 15 minutes, covered.
Finally, stir in the cabbage and lemon juice. Cover and simmer for a further 15 minutes or until all the vegetables are cooked through and tender.
The beet soup is now ready to enjoy. Make sure to remove the bay leaves. Taste and adjust any of the seasonings if wanted.
Optionally, for a smoother texture, you can blend a portion of the soup and then incorporate it into the rest.
Serve the borscht hot, garnished with a dollop of sour cream for extra creaminess and some dill for freshness. You can also enjoy it with a slice of crusty bread.
How to store borscht
- In the fridge: Keep any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. It will taste even better the next day after the flavors have had time to deepen.
- In the freezer: Place in freezer-safe containers and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge and gently reheat on the stovetop until warmed through.
More favorite soup recipes
If you try this beet soup recipe, let me know how it goes in the comments below. I’d appreciate a recipe card rating and would love to see your recipe recreations – tag me on Instagram @Alphafoodie!
Borscht Recipe (Seriously Delicious!)
Ingredients
- 22 oz beets 3 medium-sized, peeled and diced
- 8 cups vegetable broth
- 15 oz potatoes 2 medium, peeled and diced (2 cups)
- 6.5 oz cabbage (2 cups shredded)
- 4.6 oz carrots 2 large, (1 cup diced)
- 7.6 oz onion 1 large (1.5 cups chopped)
- 3.4 oz celery 2 stalks
- 1 red bell pepper diced
- 2 cloves garlic small ones
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 2 Tbsp tomato paste
- 2 Tbsp lemon juice
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 tsp sea salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- dill for garnish
- sour cream for serving, optional
Instructions
- Chop the onions, carrots, potatoes, celery, beets, and red bell pepper. Mince the garlic. Shred the cabbage.
- In a large pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onions and garlic and sauté for 2-3 minutes.
- Add the carrots, celery, bell pepper, beets, potatoes, bay leaves, salt and pepper, and tomato paste. Stir to combine.
- Pour the broth into the pot and bring it to a boil, then reduce the heat. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes.
- Stir in the cabbage and lemon juice. Cover and simmer for 15 more minutes or until the vegetables are cooked through and tender.
- The borscht is now ready. Taste and adjust the seasoning if wanted. Remove the bay leaves.Serve with a dollop of sour cream and some fresh dill.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
So delicious!