This post gives step by step instructions for making a simple borscht recipe (vegetarian ‘barszcz’) – a delicious, hearty soup popular in Poland and other East European countries as well as across Russia.
If there is one soup I actually crave once in a while and, as a result, make more often than any other soup it’s borscht (Polish ‘barszcz‘). Today I am going to share my tips on how to make simple borscht recipe (vegetarian barszcz).
Vegetarian borscht ticks so many boxes for me! It’s easy to make, healthy, hearty and filling and contains one of my favourite vegetables – beetroot. And I absolutely love the colour!
Back in December I posted a recipe for Polish Christmas Eve Borscht, which essentially was a simplified version of this vegetarian borscht. (Plus it had porcini mushrooms, absent in this recipe, and was served without any vegetables in it).
Today’s recipe is a hearty, satisfying soup which, served with a slice of good bread (whole grain, sourdough or rye will do), makes a delicious and healthy lunch. This kind of borscht/barszcz is also called ‘Ukrainian barszcz‘.
How to make simple borscht recipe
This beet soup recipe involves a few simple steps.
- Start by frying the onion, garlic and celery in a little oil.
- Add the beans, beet quarters, half of the water, season, cover and bring to boil, then simmer for 10 minutes.
- Carefully remove the beets from the soup and allow to cool.
- Add the diced potatoes and grated pickled beetroot, with the brine, into the soup and continue cooking for 15 minutes.
- In the meantime coarsely grate the beets, put back into the soup, add the remaining water, dill and continue cooking for 15 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender.
See my Instructions below for more detail.
In this vegetarian borscht soup recipe I tried to recreate the flavour I remember from my childhood (in Poland). Not every borscht recipe is the same, which is no surprise. People have their own preferences as to flavour and texture, often based on where they come from or childhood memories. This for me is a good thing as it shows what an adaptable and versatile vegetable beetroot is.
How to season borscht
Despite there being such a variety of borscht recipes, they all have 2 things in common. In addition to having beetroot as their main ingredient (rather obvious) they all contain an ingredient that adds sour, sharp notes to the soup.
While some recipes call for sour cream or yogurt, usually added once the soup has been cooked, others use vinegar, lemon, sauerkraut or pickled beetroot, which are usually added during cooking.
I like my borscht quite sharp and without the added calories of sour cream so I chose the pickled beetroot route. You can add either homemade or shop-bought pickled beetroot (it’s quite cheap and widely available). You will need both the beetroot as well as the brine, so nothing gets wasted.
Other beet soup recipes you might enjoy
I have published a few other Polish borscht soup recipes. This Polish Christmas Eve Borscht is also easy to make and vegetarian. This Beetroot Summer Soup (Chlodnik) is served chilled, making a refreshing, delicious lunch idea perfect to enjoy on a hot day.
My Beet Greens Vegetable Soup is another type of borscht, made using beet greens.
You may also like my wholesome Vegan Beetroot Soup with Kale and Fennel.
Do you have a favourite borscht soup recipe? I’d love to know what it is! Comments, opinions, suggestions, stories etc welcome:)
Check out also this collection of over 12 creamy vegan soups.
Simple Borscht Recipe (Vegetarian Barszcz)
Ingredients
- 3 small/medium beetroot peeled, cut into quarters
- 1 jar 340 g whole baby pickled beetroot (incl. brine) - coarsely grated
- 3 small/medium potatoes
- 1 cup cannelloni beans tinned, without the brine or presoaked and cooked
- 1 large onion finely chopped
- 1 small celery stalk finely chopped
- 1 garlic clove finely chopped
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons dill finely chopped
- 6-7 cups hot water
- 1.5 teaspoon coarse sea salt plenty of pepper
Instructions
- In a large pot heat up the oil, add the onion, garlic and celery and cook over a medium heat for a couple of minutes stirring often.
- Add the beans and raw beetroot quarters, 1/2 the water, seasoning, cover and bring to boil. Lower the heat to a gentle simmer and cook for 10 minutes.
- In the meantime, peel and dice the potatoes. After the soup has been cooking for 10 minutes take out the beetroot pieces and put on a plate to cool a little.
- Add the potatoes and grated pickled beetroot and brine, into the soup, cover and continue cooking for 15 minutes.
- In the meantime coarsely grate the beetroot (use rubber gloves if you are grating them by hand), then put it back into the soup, add the remaining water and dill, cover and bring to boil again. Lower the heat to a gentle simmer and continue cooking for another 12-15 minutes or so (until the potatoes are tender).
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Recipe Link Parties
I am sharing my easy borscht soup recipe with Meat Free Mondays, What’s Cookin’ Wednesday, Cook Once Eat Twice. Also sharing with Fiesta Friday (the co-hosts are Frugal Hausfrau and Ginger & Bread), Cook Blog Share (the host is Easy Peasy Foodie). Also bringing it to Free From Fridays and Saucy Saturdays.
Hi, I am Monika, welcome to Everyday Healthy Recipes! This blog is all about creatively simple recipes with a healthy twist, old classics with a modern take, and an occasional Polish dish thrown into the mix - all easy to make, healthy and delicious, perfect for everyday cooking. 
I lived in Poland for a couple of years when I was working as an English teacher and I really grew to love borscht, especially when it does have plenty of sourness in it! Before that I didn’t like beetroot and it’s only since then that I’ve started to like beetroot properly. Thank you so much for sharing with #CookOnceEAtTwice!
How fabulous! I think the reason people don’t like beetroot is often because they don’t really know it – you were in the right place to really start to appreciate it:)
I love beetroot but have never had borscht. It sounds delicious. #freefromfridays
Thanks! I absolutely recommend it if you love beetroot:)
I’ve never seen a borscht as enticing as this one. Thanks for submitting it to Meat Free Monday. The roundup is now live and I featured your recipe. Sharing it now!
Thank you so much! For your very kind words and featuring my recipe this week! Going over to see the roundup and submit a new recipe:)
We all love beetroot here and love trying new dishes. This is a must try! Sorry for the late comment and I hope you have a good week. Thank you for sharing with #CookBlogShare x
Thank you Kirsty! Have a good week too:)
This is a gorgeous soup – I love beets but have never attempted borscht! Time to remedy that, I think.
Mollie
Thanks Mollie! It’s very easy to make:)
Gorgeous! I have borscht in years! Need to try this.
Thanks! Let me know how it turns out if you do try it:)
What a wonderful recipe! I vary between a meat-heavy version and one similar to yours – the addition of beans is a stroke of genius! Thank you for sharing this recipe with us at Fiesta Friday!
Thank you! As a child I only ate a meaty version of this but I prefer this soup vegetarian, always with cannelloni beans:)
Again, such an excellent and healthy alternative!
This is just such a fantastic colour. Such a great thing to make when beetroot are in season!
Thank you! When they are in season I make this soup even more often than usually:)
This sounds lovely. I only had borscht for the first time recently and I loved it so I’ll definitely have to try your version. My husband is a huge pickle fan too so I think he’ll enjoy this.
Thanks Mandy! My version is really easy. Let me know what you think if you do try it:)
I have never had borscht before, though it is something I have always wanted to try. Such a beautiful colour!
It’s very easy to make and it does have the most amazing colour:)
Yummy – this looks sooo good, Monika! What a wonderful colour too. I bet it tastes every bit as great as it looks!
Pinned and Tweeted!
#CookBlogShare
Oooh this looks yummy! I have to admit that for all the beets we eat in this house I have never made borscht. Millie is poorly today and thinks that it looks so pretty! Thanks for sharing x #cookblogshare
Thanks Millie:) It’s a very easy dish to make, why not give it a go:)
What an incredible colour. Beautiful beautiful bowl of loveliness xx
Thank you! That’s why I love beetroot, it just makes dishes look so gorgeous:)