Eastern European · Lunch · Dinner
Borscht
Борщ
A deep ruby Ukrainian soup of beetroot, cabbage, potato and beans simmered in a tangy tomato broth, finished with fresh dill and a spoonful of light sour cream. It is hearty and warming while staying light on oil.
- Prep
- 25 min
- Cook
- 50 min
- Total
- 75 min
- Serves
- 6
Calories come from: Carbs 68% · Fat 19% · Protein 13%
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Ingredients
For 6 servings- 3 medium500 gBeetroot, peeled
- 4 cups400 gWhite cabbage, shredded
- 2 medium300 gPotatoes, peeled and diced
- 1 large120 gCarrot, grated
- 1 medium150 gOnion, finely chopped
- 4 cloves12 gGarlic, minced
- 2 tbsp32 gTomato paste
- 1 can (about 1 1/2 cups drained)240 gRed kidney beans, canned, drained and rinsed
- 1 tbsp14 gSunflower oil
- 6 cups1,500 gLow-sodium vegetable broth
- 2 cups500 gWater
- 1 tbsp15 gApple cider vinegar
- 2 leavesBay leaves
- 1/2 tspSalt
- 1/2 tspBlack pepper, ground
- 1/4 cup10 gFresh dill, chopped
- 6 tbsp90 gLight sour cream
Steps
- 1
Peel the beetroot and cut it into thin matchsticks or grate it coarsely.
- 2
Heat the sunflower oil in a large soup pot over medium heat.
- 3
Add the onion and cook for 5 minutes until soft.
- 4
Stir in the carrot and beetroot and cook for 8 minutes, stirring often.
- 5
Add the tomato paste, garlic and vinegar and cook for 2 minutes more.
- 6
Pour in the vegetable broth and water, add the bay leaves and bring to a boil.
- 7
Add the potatoes, lower the heat and simmer for 10 minutes.
- 8
Add the cabbage and simmer for 15 minutes until the potatoes and cabbage are tender.
- 9
Stir in the kidney beans and simmer for 5 minutes to heat through.
- 10
Taste, then season with the salt and black pepper and remove the bay leaves.
- 11
Turn off the heat, stir in most of the dill and let the soup rest for 5 minutes.
- 12
Ladle into bowls and top each with 1 tbsp light sour cream and the remaining dill.
Swaps, storage and make-ahead
Swaps
- For a vegan version, replace the light sour cream with plain unsweetened soy or coconut yogurt, and choose a vegetable broth labelled vegan.
- Use pre-cooked vacuum-packed beetroot, cut into matchsticks and added with the cabbage, if you want to skip peeling raw beets.
- Swap the red kidney beans for canned white beans or chickpeas, drained and rinsed, if that is what you have.
- Use fresh lemon juice or red wine vinegar instead of apple cider vinegar for the tangy finish.
Storage
Cool the soup and refrigerate it in a covered container within 2 hours, then eat within 3 to 4 days, reheating until steaming hot and adding the sour cream and fresh dill only when serving. You can freeze the soup without the sour cream for up to about 3 months, though the potatoes may turn a little soft once thawed.
Make ahead
Borscht often tastes even better the next day, so you can cook the whole pot a day ahead, chill it, and reheat until steaming hot before topping with sour cream and dill. You can also peel and cut the beetroot, carrot, onion and cabbage a day in advance and keep them covered in the fridge.
Nutrition values are for the recipe as written.
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Allergens and nutrition
Contains: MilkCelery
Check the labels of packaged ingredients for allergens and suitability for your diet.
Full nutrition
| Per serving (648 g) | Per 100 g | |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 219 kcal | 34 kcal |
| Protein | 7.8 g | 1.2 g |
| Carbohydrates | 38.5 g | 5.9 g |
| of which sugars | 14.5 g | 2.2 g |
| Fiber | 8.8 g | 1.4 g |
| Fat | 4.7 g | 0.7 g |
| of which saturated | 1.4 g | 0.2 g |
| Sodium | 524 mg | 81 mg |
Nutrition is calculated from USDA FoodData Central data and may differ from what you cook.
