This cozy vegan borscht is made with vibrant beets, hearty veggies and flavored with zippy lemon juice and dill.
Funny story: for the longest time I assumed borscht was gross, even though I had absolutely zero logical basis for thinking that.
Back when I waited tables it was the soup of the day one day, but I'd never heard of it before. Some of the other servers explained that it was beet soup, so it must be terrible. I think there was even a gagging noise and finger-down-the-throat gesture involved. I guess that had an impression on me, because for most of my adult life I steered clear of borscht.
Well that was kind of ridiculous. I mean, first of all, I LOVE beets. Love, love, love them. But I guess I assumed they were bad in soup because someone else said so. Second of all, a lot of people make assumptions about the food I eat being unappetizing just because it's vegan. How many millions of times have people scrunched their faces up in disgust over tofu or miso or Brussels sprouts. All of which is I happen to love.
It wasn't until recently that I realized I'd been pretty silly all those years making a unconscious assumption based on what other people told me. I decided it was time to whip up a batch of vegan borscht and see what I thought.
The verdict: borscht is the best thing ever. You know, along with tofu and miso and Brussels sprouts and all that other good stuff.
If you love cozy soups and you're a fan of beets, it's a safe bet that you'll dig this.
My vegan borscht is made with not only beets, but also cabbage, carrots and potatoes. It's super hearty. The beets infuse everything with their slightly sweet, earthy flavor, and the soup gets finished with some zippy lemon and dill. I topped my bowl with a scoop of unflavored non-dairy yogurt, but vegan sour cream or cashew cream would be excellent too. Serve it with some crusty bread for dipping and you'll be in winter comfort food heaven.
More Comforting Vegan Soups
- Vegan Clam Chowder
- Vegan Cream of Mushroom Soup
- Vegan Potato Soup
- Vegan Chicken Noodle Soup
- Classic Lentil Soup
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Vegan Borscht
This cozy vegan borscht is made with vibrant beets, hearty veggies and flavored with zippy lemon juice and dill.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 medium beets, peeled and diced (½ inch)
- 2 medium carrots, peeled and diced (½ inch)
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 4 cups vegetable broth
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 2 cups finely chopped cabbage
- 1 medium russet potato, peeled and diced (½ inch)
- 1 ½ tablespoons lemon juice
- ¼ cup chopped fresh dill, plus more for serving
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Vegan sour cream, yogurt, or cashew cream, for serving
- Chopped fresh chives and/or parsley, for serving
Instructions
Stovetop Method
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Coat the bottom of a large pot with olive oil and place it over medium heat. When the oil is hot, add the beets, carrot and onions. Sauté until the veggies begin to soften, about 10 minutes. Add the garlic and sauté another minute, until very fragrant.
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Stir in the broth, tomato paste, cabbage and potato. Raise the heat and bring the liquid to a boil. Lower the heat and allow to simmer, uncovered, until the veggies are tender, 15-20 minutes. You can add more broth or water if you like.
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Remove the pot from heat and stir in the lemon juice and dill. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
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Ladle the soup into bowls and top with vegan sour cream, yogurt, or cashew cream, and a sprinkling of fresh dill, parsley and/or chives. Serve.
Instant Pot Method
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Press the "sauté" button on your Instant Pot, then add the oil. Give the oil a minute to heat up, then add the beets, carrot and onions. Sauté the veggies until they begin to soften, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and sauté another minute, until very fragrant. Press the "cancel" button.
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Stir in the broth, tomato paste, cabbage and potato. Place the lid on your Instant Pot and set the valve to the "sealing" position. Press the "pressure cook" or "manual" button and set the pressure to high. Set the soup to cook for 15 minutes.
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When the soup has finished cooking, carefully move the valve to the "venting" position. Let the pressure release completely.
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Remove the lid from the Instant Pot. Stir in the lemon juice and dill. Season the soup with salt and pepper to taste.
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Ladle the soup into bowls and top with vegan sour cream, yogurt, or cashew cream, and a sprinkling of fresh dill, parsley and/or chives. Serve.
I made this with purple cabbage and it was really good. I’ll add more potato, lemon juice and dill next time.
I never had borscht before but I like beets so I searched for a recipe and found yours and it sounded really good. I wasn’t wrong, it was great in fact. I followed everything exactly but puréed half so it still had the lovely chunks of vegetables. With a bit of vegan sour creme it was better than I hoped it would be. Other than lots of chopping (which is my zen) it’s very easy to make. I’ll be putting this in rotation…thank you!
A friend made this Borscht for me and my husband. We hate(d) beets, but loved this soup/stew! Absolutely delicious. I was recently gifted with some red and golden beets from a friend's garden, and I will use them to make this recipe.