This beet borscht recipe is easy, vegetarian, and full of nourishing vegetables. Earthy beets, carrots, and cabbage are simmered in a rich, tangy broth, then topped with fresh dill. Make it on the stovetop or in an Instant Pot. Chef-tested and reader-approved. Video.
No winter lasts forever; no spring skips its turn.
Hal Borland
The color of this borscht alone feels like therapy during the cold winter months - bright, vibrant, and full of life. I return to this soup again and again during the holiday season, a little reprieve in between all the weekend parties and indulging. This is one of those nourishing soups I like to have on hand for weekday meals, gentle and restorative.
Borscht has its roots in Eastern European cuisine, where it has been cherished for generations as both comfort food and a way to celebrate humble seasonal vegetables. In this vegetarian version, the beets provide an earthy sweetness, vinegar adds a tangy lift, and a generous sprinkle of fresh dill makes it feel like a whisper of spring.
Over the years, I've made many variations of borscht for both my catering clients and at home, and I've found this simple meatless version to be my favorite. It's nourishing, light yet satisfying, and easy to adapt, whether simmered slowly on the stovetop or made quickly in an Instant Pot. A deeply comforting bowl of color and flavor, just when you need it most.
Why You'll Love This Borscht Soup Recipe!
The color of this borscht feels therapeutic during the winter months! Bright and vibrant and full of healthy fresh veggies, borscht nourishes body and soul. Earthy, tangy and subtly sweet from the beets, borscht is elevated with a generous sprinkling of fresh dill. A whisper of spring to come.
Make it quickly in your Instant Pot or simmer it slowly on your stove – either way, it is sure to delight. A little bit of color therapy, just when we need it most!
- Nourishing winter recipe! A veggie-packed soup that is full of vitamins, antioxidants, and minerals to heal body and soul.
- Easy to make! A simple recipe that can quickly be made in the instant pot or in 40 minutes on the stove.
- So much flavor! Beets are earthy and subtly sweet, and dill offers a hint of herby, fresh flavor.
- Vegan-friendly! A plant-based recipe that can be served with vegan yogurt!
Craving beets? Take a peek at our favorite Beet Recipes for more ways to cook this nutritious little gem!
What is Borscht?
Borscht hails from Eastern Europe – Russia and Ukraine – and is traditionally made with beef bone broth, giving it delicious depth to balance the tartness. If so inclined, feel free to use bone broth – or keep it vegan with veggie broth – up to you!
Borscht Recipe ingredients
- Beet: You’ll need about 2 cups thinly sliced or diced, so an extra-large beet should do the trick! You will also need a cup of beet stems and greens, or substitute with an extra cup of cabbage.
- Other vegetables: Onion, garlic cloves, celery stalks, carrots, and cabbage. Feel free to add potatoes if you like!
- Olive oil: Or butter, for sautéing the veggies.
- Veggie broth: Or use chicken broth or traditional beef stock or bone broth.
- Tomato paste: Intensifies the flavor of the soup and helps to thicken it a bit.
- Spices: Bay leaves, celery seeds (optional), allspice, salt, pepper, and cayenne.
- Apple cider vinegar: A splash of acidity that enhances all of the flavors of the dish. Substitute with red wine vinegar.
- Fresh dill: A pop of fresh, herby flavor that tastes like spring to come!
- Sour cream, Greek yogurt, or vegan yogurt useed to garnish.
How to Make Borscht on the Stovetop
1. Sauté the aromatics. Warm olive oil in a large soup pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add onions and stir for 4-5 minutes, until golden. Reduce heat, add garlic, and sauté for 2 minutes.
2. Add vegetables. Add celery, carrots, beets, cabbage, and beet greens to the pot and stir. Add broth, tomato paste, celery seeds, allspice, cayenne, bay leaves, salt, and pepper.
3. Simmer. Cover the pot, reduce the heat to low, and simmer for 20-25 minutes, or until the beets and carrots are tender.
4. Add vinegar, taste, and adjust. Stir in the apple cider vinegar, then taste and adjust the soup, adding salt and pepper as needed.
5. Garnish and serve. Transfer soup to bowls and top with a dollop of sour cream or yogurt (or vegan yogurt) and fresh dill.
How to make Beet Borscht in the Instant Pot
Step 1: Sauté veggies. Set the Instant Pot to the “saute” function. Add olive oil (or butter) and diced onions and sauté 4-5 minutes, stirring often to prevent sticking. Add remaining veggies (cloves of garlic, celery, carrots, beets, cabbage, beet stems and greens) and stir.
Step 2: Add broth and seasonings. Add broth, tomato paste, bay leaves, spices, salt, and pepper. Stir, then press “cancel”.
Step 3: Pressure cook. Place lid on top and lock, making sure the steam release is locked. Set to high pressure for 10 minutes. Naturally release for 5 minutes, then place kitchen towel over the pressure release button and turn to manually release. When the float valve drops, remove the lid.
Step 4: Add vinegar, taste and adjust. Stir in the apple cider vinegar, then taste and adjust for salt and black pepper.
Step 5: Serve. Serve in bowls with spoonfuls of sour cream, Greek yogurt, or vegan yogurt. Garnish with ample amounts of fresh dill! Feel free to add other fresh herbs too!
Chef’s Tips
Use a food processor. Instead of peeling and cutting, use your food processor! Scrubbed beets and carrots can be grated or sliced, using the grater attachment or slicer attachment in your food processor– especially nice if making big batches of soup, as we did in our catering business.
Balance the salt and vinegar to taste for the best punchy flavor!
What do I eat with borscht?
This hearty soup is typically served with a dollop of sour cream. You can also serve it with Greek yogurt or vegan yogurt! Some enjoy it with a hard-boiled egg.
Storing Beet Borscht Soup
Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to 4 days. Borscht can be frozen for up to 6 months- a great freezer meal! Thaw in the fridge overnight before reheating. Enjoy chilled or reheat on the stovetop or in the microwave.
Recipe FAQs
Traditionally, borscht is made with beef stock or beef broth and boiled vegetables. Some Russians or Ukrainians may include pork ribs, pork belly, shanks, or short ribs. Here, we use veggie broth and a sautéing method. You can sub chicken or beef stock.
In this recipe we use beets, onion, celery, carrots, and red cabbage, however you can also use common borscht veggies like white cabbage, parsley root, potatoes, or tomatoes.
Either way! That’s one of the many reasons we love this versatile dish. But in the wintertime, it is especially comforting to enjoy hot borscht. When spring rolls around, you may want to try cold borscht.
Yes! Borscht is full of vitamins and antioxidants from all of the colorful veggies. Beets are known for their anti-inflammatory properties. Rich in fiber, borscht promotes a healthy digestive system.
Serve with sourdough, a salad like Endive Apple Salad or Waldorf Salad, mashed potatoes, or Crispy Herby Smashed Potatoes, or a side of white beans.
The beets should add subtle sweetness, and the tomato paste and vinegar helps to balance the sweetness with a touch of acidity. If it still tastes too sweet, the dollop of sour cream or yogurt really helps to balance it!
We hope you enjoy this iconic beet soup – made with colorful beets, cabbage and fresh dill. Share your adaptations and let us know what you think in the comments below! I hope this one becomes part of your regular rotation!
More Favorite Beet recipes!
Borscht Recipe | 60-Sec Video
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Borscht Recipe
- Prep Time: 15
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 4-6 1x
- Category: soup, vegan, instant pot, vegetarian, gluten-free
- Method: Stove top, Instant pot
- Cuisine: Russian
- Diet: Vegan
Description
A simple, delicious recipe for vegetarian Borscht, a healthy, vegan-adaptable beet and cabbage soup that can be made in an Instant Pot or on the stovetop. Warming and nourishing, Borscht is full of flavor and nutrients!
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil or butter
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 6 large garlic cloves, rough chopped
- 2 stalks celery, chopped
- 1 cup carrots, sliced or diced small
- 1 extra large beet, thinly sliced, or small dice (approx. 2 cups)
- 2 cups red cabbage, shredded or chopped
- 1 cup beet stems and greens, chopped (optional or add another cup cabbage)
- 4 cups veggie broth (or chicken stock or traditional beef stock)
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon celery seeds- optional
- 1/4 teaspoon allspice
- a pinch of cayenne (more to taste)
- 2 bay leaves
- 1– 1 1/2 teaspoons salt (adjust to taste- depends on the broth you use)
- 1/4– 1/2 teaspoon black pepper (adjust to taste)
- 1–2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 1/2 cup fresh dill, chopped
Garnish: dollop of sour cream, Greek yogurt or vegan yogurt
Instructions
- Saute aromatics: In a dutch over or heavy soup pot over medium-high heat, add oil and onions. Stir 4-5 minutes until golden. Lower heat and add garlic, saute 2 minutes.
- Add veggies: Add celery, carrots, beets, cabbage, beet greens, stirring to coat with the onions and olive oil. Add broth and tomato paste. Add celery seeds, allspice, cayenne, bay leaves, salt and pepper.
- Simmer: Cover and simmer on low heat for 20-25 minutes or until beets and carrots are tender.
- Finish: Stir in the apple cider vinegar. Taste and adjust salt and pepper.
- Serve: Top with a dollop of sour cream or yogurt ( or vegan yogurt) and ample amounts of fresh dill.
Notes
Instant Pot: Set to Sauté. Add olive oil and onions; cook 4-5 minutes, stirring so they don't stick. Add the remaining veggies and stir to coat. Add broth, tomato paste, bay leaves, spices, salt and pepper. Stir, then press Cancel. Seal the lid and set to High Pressure for 10 minutes. Let pressure naturally release for 5 minutes, then place kitchen towel over the pressure release button and turn to manual release. Once the valve drops, open the lid, stir in apple cider vinegar, and adjust seasonings. Serve in bowls with sour cream or yogurt and plenty of fresh dill.
Leftovers will stay in an airtight container for up to 4 days in the refrigerator or placed in the freezer for up to 6 months.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 ½ cups -without sour cream
- Calories: 106
- Sugar: 7.6 g
- Sodium: 491.4 mg
- Fat: 5.1 g
- Saturated Fat: 0.7 g
- Carbohydrates: 14.7 g
- Fiber: 3.8 g
- Protein: 2.4 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
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!
I added salt and it was great. I needed more broth because it was so delicious. So glad it didn’t have sugar added.
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!
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.
Thanks for the tip Lesa!
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.
Great to hear Sonya!
The nutrition facts at the end of the recipe say that one serving has A daily value of 80% sodium. As far as I can tell, the only ingredients that have sodium are the broth and the salt. Why is this value so high. The recipe sounds wonderful, but 80% sodium is stopping me from making it.
There was an error, sorry about that!
I’d love to try this today, but I only have green cabbage, Would that work?
Yes!
I’m really excited to try this out! I love beets! I don’t have access to fresh dill, can I use dried dill? And if so, how much would you suggest? As the recipe calls for quite a bit of fresh dill, I’m not sure what would be acceptable. Thanks 🙂 My friend showed me your blog and its become one of my favorite my go-to place for recipes <3
Thnanks so much Deborah! As for dried dill, start with 1 tablespoon. you can add more to taste. 🙂
when the world hands you beets; makeTHIS borscht recipe! I’ve made it 3 times in as many weeks. It always gets RAVES!!
This was so GOOD! Vegan version here with vegan yogurt. Our family (including two littles) gobbled it up! So excited about this recipe.
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!
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.
Yum! What would you recommend pairing this with? Any salad or main entree recommendations? Thank you!
Made it tonight and came out fantastic. The flavor is so good, and the little kick from the cayenne made it so perfect.
Gald you enjoyed!
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.
Great to hear!!!Thanks for sharing Elizabeth!
Simple . Easy and Delicious! My first Instant Pot venture and it was a success!
Great to hear!
This was fantastic, I did however use my immersion blender and it was great.
Thanks
I Iove the subtle flavor. I also love that it is vegetarian. Super good!
Ohhhhh soooo good!!
Just had this for dinner on a cold autumn evening. Super easy to make and absolutely delicious! Subtle flavors. So quick to make!
Way
Thank you for sharing all these wonderful recipes !
Stunning recipe <3 My favorite to date! Easy to make, popping with flavor, and the dill really does enhance the flavor!
Great to hear! Glad you enjoyed it!
hell ya!
I am Ukrainian and this recipe is very far away from authentic one. I usually make vegetarian recipe but mostly Ukrainian cook on pork broth. Potato is must have ingredient. The cabbage should be added the last moment in order to keep its crunchiness.
I have never had authentic borscht…. and am so looking forward to it….I hear it is amazing!!!
This is not meant to be “authentic”, just our take on it. 🙂
As soon as I saw this recipe on the blog I knew I had to try it. I made it in the Insta pot and it was delicious! It’s hard to believe how fast a soup like this can be made. There is such good depth to the flavor and just the right amount of heat! It’s on my list of best winter soups! Thank you Feasting at Home for sharing.