I have grown up eating beet soup. I always enjoyed when my mom would make this hearty soup — it was tangy yet a little sweet. It was a delicious soup that we enjoyed with a spoonful of sour cream or even just the soup as is, that had a bounty of fresh garden vegetables in it. And it is a soup that was always made towards the end of summer when the beets and other garden veggies were large enough to produce a huge pot of bubbling yummy soup!
Beet soup is also known as Borscht which is simply a soup that uses beets along with other vegetables and is usually served with sour cream or cream and is associated with Eastern European cuisine including such countries as the Ukraine, Poland, Russia and Hungary to name a few. My mom’s side of the family is Ukrainian/Scottish and she learned how to make this delightful soup from her mother who was an excellent cook. Though I use similar ingredients as my mom, I have made beet soup my own way for several years and even those who dislike beet soup, always enjoy my version.
Every European culture who enjoys cooking up a pot of Borscht makes it their own way, adding an array of ingredients from the beet tops to cabbage to different spices to garlic to even meat. The best thing about soup is that you can add your favorite ingredients and make it your own! I’m going to share my version!
Let’s get started.
First of all, we need to chop our garden veggies! I always start all of my soups with an onion and a stalk or two of celery. Saute in a splash of oil or butter and some water, salt, pepper and a sprinkle of dill until the onion is translucent and tender. Then I add the carrots and beets. Here, I am using regular beets along with the candy striped beets. Such beautiful colors!
I saute the veggies for a few minutes and then add green and yellow beans.
Stir well. Add water and vegetable or chicken broth. I usually just pour the water and broth – enough to cover the vegetables. Add 1 bay leaf. Bring to a boil and then simmer for about 25 minutes, slightly covered. Taste for seasonings and adjust as necessary.
Add a few chopped potatoes and 2 tablespoons vinegar. Cook another 20 minutes longer. Add more water if necessary. You can also add peas and corn if you like.
Stir. I always taste for seasonings throughout cooking and sometimes add another spoon of vinegar and I check whether the vegetables are tender. If they are, soup is ready and if the vegetables are a bit crunchy, then I cook a little longer.
Remove the bay leaf before serving since it is not edible. These vegetables look so tasty! You may have noticed that most of the vegetables have taken on a slight pink coloring from the beets and the candy striped beets have lost their pretty pink/white striped look!
You can serve the soup as is or add a dollop of sour cream or plain yogurt (we always use the plain yogurt) and stir it in and enjoy! This soup is excellent the next day too!
Beet Soup
1 to 2tablespoons oil or butter
1 onion, diced
2 celery stalks, diced
1/2 tsp salt
fresh cracked pepper
1 tsp fresh dill, chopped or 1/2 tsp dried dill
1-1/2 cups carrots, chopped
3 to 4 cups beets, chopped
1 cup green/yellow beans
6 to 8 cups water or chicken or vegetable broth (or half of each)
1 bay leaf
1 cup potatoes, chopped
2 tbsp vinegar
sour cream or plain yogurt for serving
Saute in oil or butter, salt, pepper and a sprinkle of dill until the onion is translucent and tender. Add carrots and beets. Pour the water and broth – enough to cover the vegetables. Add 1 bay leaf. Bring to a boil and then simmer for about 25 minutes, slightly covered. Taste for seasonings and adjust as necessary. Add potatoes and 2 tablespoons vinegar. Cook another 20 minutes longer. Add more water if necessary. You can also add peas and corn if you like. Taste for seasonings. Add one more spoon of vinegar if needed. Once vegetables are tender, soup is ready. Serve with a dollop of sour cream or plain yogurt. Serve with a slice of whole wheat bread.
