This Polish inspired, vegan beet greens vegetable soup is a refreshing and nutritious lunch idea, perfect to enjoy in spring and summer. You might also like Polish kohlrabi soup.
Beet greens vegetable soup was one of my favourite soups when I was growing up in Poland. It tasted tangy but also a little earthy, more so than beetroot soup (which does not contain beet greens). I loved the mixture of leafy 'bits', cubed root vegetables and herbs. Mainly parsley and dill, the most widely used herbs in Polish cuisine.
Traditional Polish beet greens soup is usually meat based (most Polish soup recipes are) but today I am sharing a vegetarian version of this classic soup. I hope you like it. It's very easy to make and delicious. And the leftovers taste even better the next day!
If, however, you would like to make this soup with meat use a couple of chicken drumsticks and add them into the pot along with the other ingredients right at the start.
Are beet greens healthy
Yes they are!
It surprises me that, while so many green leafy vegetables, such as chard and kale, are valued for their high nutritional benefits and taste, and are widely available, beetroot is almost always sold without its greens.
Which is a shame as beet greens ('botwinka' in Polish) are very healthy and delicious. They contain important vitamins, such as A and K, are high in fibre, potassium, magnesium and other minerals.
How to store beet greens
Keep them in the fridge in a paper or plastic bag for up to 3 days. The leaves wilt quite quickly so try to use them soon after purchase.
Another Polish soup made using beet greens is cold beet soup ('chlodnik'). This soup also uses beets.
Beet Greens Recipe
I was lucky enough the other day to find beetroot with its greens still attached to it and grabbed two large bunches! I'll be able to cook several dishes with it! I can cook this vegetarian borscht using just the beetroot, though I can also make borscht using the beet greens in addition to the beetroot.
Or you can cook this beet top soup, made with lots of vegetables in addition to the beet greens, but without the beetroot (I am saving it for another recipe). This soup does require a fair bit of chopping but it's really worth it in the end, I promise! The greens have a slightly bitter, nutty, earthy flavour, which is really delicious in this refreshing spring beet greens soup (remember to use the stems as well as the leaves!).
How to make simple beet greens soup: step-by-step
1. Fry the garlic, onion, celery and leek with the bay leaf, allspice in a little oil for a few minutes stirring often.
2. Add the chopped beet greens, grated carrot, stir and continue cooking for 2-3 more minutes.
3. Stir in the potatoes, pour in approx. 4 cups of water (you can add more later), add seasoning, cover and bring to the boil. Lower the heat and simmer for about 25 minutes.
4. 20 minutes into cooking stir in chopped herbs.
What herbs and extras go well with vegetarian beetroot leaves soup
This soup typically contains dill and parsley and I am using both. But you could use just one of these herbs or skip them altogether if you prefer. Use a bit of tarragon or thai basil if you like. You could also add a tablespoon of butter into the pot before serving. This botwinka soup is delicious served with pumpernickel or rye bread.
Top tips
- Rinse the beet leaves thoroughly to get rid of any grit before making the soup. They can be refrigerated for up to 3 days in a paper or plastic bag. Though it's best to use them soon after purchase as they wilt quite quickly.
- Use about 4 cups of water to start with and add more if you like later, once your have a better idea of the consistency of this soup.
- Serve with dark hearty bread and a knob of butter (optional). Freeze individual portions in an airtight container for up to 3 months.
More Polish soup recipes
- Polish Vegetarian Dill Pickle Soup (Zupa Ogorkowa)
- Sauerkraut Vegetable Kapusniak Soup
- Polish Borscht Recipe (Christmas)
If you like chunky vegetable soups you might also like red cabbage soup.
Check out also this collection of over 12 creamy vegan soups.
Keep in touch!
How has your beet greens soup turned out for you? Let me know in the comments below, thanks!
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Recipe
Beet Greens Vegetable Soup
Ingredients
- beet greens from 4 beets leaves and stems, rinsed thoroughly, finely chopped
- 1 onion finely chopped
- 1 very small leek thinly sliced
- ½ celery stalk finely chopped
- 1 garlic clove finely chopped
- 1 medium carrot peeled, coarsely grated
- 4 medium potatoes peeled, cubed
- 2 tablespoons dill and parsley each, finely chopped (without the hard stems)
- 2-3 tablespoons vegetable/olive oil
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 allspice berries
- ⅔ tablespoon coarse sea salt plenty of pepper
- 4-5 cups (1080 ml) hot water or vegetable stock (omit the salt)
Instructions
- In a large pot heat up the oil, add the bay leaf, allspice, garlic, onion, leek and celery, stir and cook over a medium heat for 2 minutes stirring often.
- Add the beet greens and carrot and continue cooking for another couple of minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add the potatoes, seasoning, about 4 cups water (you can add more later) and stir. Cover, bring to the boil, then lower the heat to a simmer and cook for approximately 25-30 minutes. Add the parsley and dill 20 minutes into the cooking.
Notes
- Rinse the beet leaves thoroughly to get rid of any grit before making the soup. They can be refrigerated for up to 3 days in a paper or plastic bag. Though it's best to use them soon after purchase as they wilt quite quickly.
- Use about 4 cups of water to start with and add more if you like later, once your have a better idea of the consistency of this soup.
- Serve with dark hearty bread and a knob of butter (optional). Freeze individual portions in an airtight container for up to 3 months.
Nutrition
*Nutritional information is automatically generated and should be considered as an estimate.
**A note about baking: If using a fan-assisted oven refer to your appliance's instructions and adjust the temperature accordingly.
Molly J Baross says
This winter, I am growing beets for the first time. The greens are beautiful and continue to produce. I used quite a lot of them to make this soup and it was delicious! (I also added some beans) Thanks for the recipe!!
Monika says
You are welcome! Glad you liked it:)
Laura in Montevideo says
This was excellent but I substituted cauliflower for the potato. I reduced the cook time to 25 minutes and that was too long as the cauliflower was softer than I wanted
Monika says
Yes, cauliflower cooks very quickly so if you make it again consider adding the cauliflower halfway through. Thanks for the feedback:)
Lynnda says
Made this last night. Modified a bit. Added pumpkin pie spice because it was on hand. 1 yellow squash, an 1/8 tsp Tumeric, a 5 oz jeweled yam cut in chunks, a can of garbanzo beans and a can of lentils for protein. Yummy and filling. Thank you.
Monika says
I like these substitutions and extras, your soup sounds delicious!
Ally says
I loved it!
I was looking for a new recipe for soup. My partner is from Mennonite culture and they use beet greens in soup often, but I don't like their family recipes so much. 😛 Then, I found this recipe, and felt skeptical about using allspice in a non nutty or creamy soup. but,,, I was very wrong. It worked so well that I want to keep the whole 4 littler pot of the soup only for myself XD
I didn't have enough ingredients to follow your recipe completely, so I had to substitute a few. Instead of potatoes, I used brown East Asian rice. Instead of allspice, I used black pepper, cloves and cinnamon. I used frozen home grown beet greens and a bit of swiss chard. I didn't measure stuff. Next time, I really do need to follow your recipe!! <3 <3
Monika says
Hi Ally, thank you for your feedback! Glad it turned out ok even with the substitutions you used. Allspice is very popular in Polish cuisine and is used in soups especially so I am used to using it a lot, but I understand why you were hesitant. I hope you like this soup with potatoes too if you do decide to make it:)
Mary Raven says
I did not think that we would enjoy this but my husband who really hates anything beets actually had 2 bowls! I had bought yellow beets so the colour of the soup reflects that. Thank you for the great recipe
Monika says
So glad to hear you enjoyed the recipe, especially your beet-hating husband! Thanks so much for the feedback:)
Laura says
How many cups of beet greens do you think that would be?
Thank you!
Monika says
I haven't actually measured these using cups but I would guess it would be approx. 4-6 cups.
HC says
Amazing soup - one of the most home-y soups I found online. Yum!
Monika says
Thank you, glad you liked it:)
Ruth says
Delicious! I added too much S&P to the first batch. Made a second batch and then combined both and it was great. First time making a beet greens soup. I did add a Tbsp. of Costco’s organic ‘Better Than Bouillon’ seasoned vegetable base for more flavor.
Monika says
Glad it worked out for you in the end:)
Carol says
I made this soup today and it was very good and easy to make.
Monika says
Great! Thanks for letting me know.
Madeleine says
Beautiful, delicious recipe!
Thank you!
Monika says
Thank you! Glad you liked it.
Chris Lanigan says
We had most of the veg needed in a semi random lockdown delivery and this was the perfect recipe to use it up. Easy to do, very tasty and healthy too 🙂
Monika says
Glad you liked it and thanks for letting me know:)
Lina says
I grew up eating soups even though we lived in a warm and humid climate, so I don’t need a cold day to enjoy a good soup. After harvesting the beets in our garden today I have a lot of greens I didn’t want to go to waste. This soup taste delicious and is so easy to make, thank you !!
Monika says
You are welcome, glad those beet tops didn't go to waste:)
Parvati says
A delicious soup. I added a few things that deepened the flavour.
I added: lemon juice
A squirt of organic ketchup
Herbal Pepper (Pieprz Ziolowy)
1 teaspoon coconut sugar
a few outer leaves from cauliflower head
Result was more tangy and zingy soup. What a great find, this one! Thank you!
Monika says
Thanks for your feedback Parvati, glad you liked the recipe and made it your own. The extras sound great, I have to find 'pieprz ziolowy' next time I go to the Polish shop.
Susan Roman says
I dug up all my beets this past weekend and had so many gorgeous greens. This soup was so perfect, we chopped up all the rest to freeze in 4 /5 cup portions so we can make it throughout the winter. My husband said it tastes like a soup his mom would have made - high praise indeed. I only had ground allspice so I used that. I also didn't have leeks but I had lots of green onions which I subbed.
Monika says
Glad you enjoyed it! It really means a lot knowing that my recipes remind people of food their family cooked. Thank you for the feedback:)
Hayley M says
Delicious soup! Made it exactly as written (with vegetable stock) - thanks for the great recipe 🙂
Monika says
So glad you liked it! Thank you for your feedback:)
Paula says
I made this soup and added sun-dried chicken sausage and fresh corn. Delicious!
Monika says
Sounds delicious! Thank you for letting me know:)
Paula says
Great blend of flavors! I substituted sweet potatoes for the potatoes. I also added one pound of tomato basil chicken sausage and fresh corn. I cut back on the salt. I served it with roasted garlic naan and it was a huge hit. Healthy delicious soup whenever you can get fresh beets!
Monika says
I like the idea of using sweet potatoes and the sausage, sounds very tasty! Thank you for your feedback.
Dulce says
Hi Monica! The recipe looks lovely. Never used all spice in soup. How much all spice ground would you recomend? Thanks
Monika says
About 1/3 teaspoon should be enough. Hope you like the recipe!
Eric says
Yum yum
Monika says
thanks!
Jackveg says
This was awesome! I added 1.5 cups of lentils for protein and an additional 3 cups of water, as well as 2 vegetable bouillon cubes as I like my soup on the brothier side. Also, I didn't have Allspice, but I used this replacement recipe with spices I did have: http://www.food.com/recipe/allspice-substitute-258672
Thanks for a new cold rainy day favorite!!
Monika says
You are welcome and thank you for trying one of my recipes! Glad you made it your own too. Cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves make sense as allspice alternatives:)
Corina says
It's great to see a recipe for beet greens and it sounds so tasty too. It's also lovely to see you're part of the Recipe Redux now as well. I really like that group and the things I'm inspired to make each month although I was so busy I missed posting last month. Thanks for sharing with #CookOnceEatTwice as well!
Monika says
Thank you! I like beet greens as much as I like beetroot so there will likely be more recipes soon:) It was nice to see a few familiar blogs, including yours, when I joined the Recipe Redux community. Enjoy your Sunday:)
Jhuls says
My tummy feels heavy due to the amount of potatoes I have eaten earlier. I think this soup is a good meal to eat after that. Thanks for bringing this one at FF party, Monika. 🙂
Monika says
Thanks! This soup is very light indeed:)
turkswhoeat says
I love this theme of reducing waste! I'm always looking for ways to use things like beet greens and carrot tops, will definitely be trying this 🙂
Monika says
Great! Let me know how you like it if you do decide to make it:)
Elaine @ foodbod says
A dish full of colour and health, how lovely! Thank you for warming us all at this week's Fiesta Friday 🙂
Monika says
Thank you! We need to keep warm with this cold weather we've been having (in the UK):)
Elaine @ foodbod says
Don't we?? It's been so cold!!!
Life Diet Health says
Monika what a delicious looking soup 🙂 Just right for this sudden cold UK weather! My beets are delivered with greens so now I have something to use them for other than a spinach replacement! Thanks for sharing at Fiesta Friday 🙂
Monika says
Thanks! It's so cold I might make another batch of this soup over the weekend:)
Life Diet Health says
It's brightening up a bit here now 🙂 Have a great weekend.
Monika says
Thanks! And you:)
shintans says
We are having a rainy and snowy April, and I could certainly do with some soup. I love the idea of beet greens, a great way to include greens in our diet!
Monika says
Thanks! The weather is not so great here in Manchester,UK either so I've been making a lot of soup:)
Jac -Tinned Tomatoes (@tinnedtoms) says
I love that you added the beet greens to the soup. What an amazing colour are they too! We are hitting a cold snap here in Scotland, so soup is the order of the day again. Thanks for submitting your recipe to Meat Free Mondays the roundup is live now.
Monika says
Thank you! It's getting cold here too and we even had hail about an hour ago so I think I'll be making more soup tomorrow:)
ZazaCook says
Your soup is terrific! I am going to save your recipe and make it soon. Thanks for sharing:)
Monika says
Thank you! Hope you like it:)
Serena Ball MS, RD (@tspcurry) says
I love beet greens. But my family does not. Eating the greens in soup is about the only way I can get them to eat them!
Monika says
Well, at least they like them in soup:)