Ukrainian-style vegetarian borscht is a hearty, satisfying soup with beets as its star ingredient accompanied by other vegetables. It's tangy and sweet, full of goodness, fantastic colour and, most importantly, incredible flavour!
Make soup base: Heat the oil, add the onion, garlic, leek, bay leaf and allspice berries and cook gently for 3 minutes stirring often.
Addshredded vegetables: Stir in the carrot, cabbage and celeriac. Cook for 3 more minutes.
Add beets: Add the beets, potatoes, parsley, 2 tablespoons of vinegar and dill pickle water (each) and most of the stock. Cover and bring to the boil then simmer for 20 minutes stirring occasionally.
Add beans: Add the beans, more stock if needed, pepper to taste and continue cooking gently for 25 more minutes.
Finish off: Remove from the heat, add more vinegar and pickle water if needed and adjust the seasoning. Serve with sour cream and freshly chopped dill.
Notes
Preparation: I recommend using rubber gloves when handling the beetroot.
This soup cooks in stages so you can prepare the ingredients according to when you need to add them (this will save you time).
Ukrainian borscht is delicious with or without beans so this ingredient can be optional.
Flavour: This soup should be moderately tangy so take care not to make it too vinegary.
Add salt, if needed, after you've cooked the soup (it may only need pepper to taste).
Storing: This vegetarian borscht soup tastes even better the next day. Keep refrigerated for up to 4 days.
Serve with a dollop of sour cream, but add it to individual portions, NOT to the pot (adding dairy to the soup may cause it to spoil if you are planning to serve it over several days).