Vegetarian Borscht

This vegetarian borscht is the Ukrainian family recipe I have prepared for a lot of years. It is made with beets, carrots, potatoes, and cabbage to create the most delicious and aromatic soup. Ukrainian borscht is traditionally served with a dollop of sour cream on top, pampushky bread, and salo for a complete meal.

About my vegetarian borscht recipe

Borscht is a traditional beetroot soup in Ukraine. It is a rich and flavorful soup with a moderately sweet earthy taste and a vibrant red color. 

Every Ukrainian woman has her own Borscht recipe. As you might guess, this one is a traditional family recipe that I've been making for many years.

You can see a lot of variations of this delicious soup because it is also popular in many other Eastern European countries.

For example, Polish borscht is made without potatoes and it is usually served clear with dumplings.

In Ukrainian cuisine, we have traditional red borscht and also green borscht. Both can be made with or without meat.

Today, I am sharing a meatless version of borscht. This recipe comes from my family.

My mom and my dad used to make this borscht, except they usually made it with meat. I have always preferred the vegetarian version.

This borscht is so good that even my husband, who usually doesn't eat beets or soups, loves this delicious dish and always asks for seconds. It's actually the only dish with beets that he'll eat.

This vegan borscht recipe is affordable, easy to make, and adjusted to taste authentic using easily available ingredients.

Ingredients notes

It looks like a lot of ingredients, but all of them are mostly vegetables and spices you can easily find at a grocery store. Please, see the recipe card at the end of this post for the ingredients quantities. 

• Red Beets: use fresh beets. Beetroots are the main ingredient of borscht. I do not recommend using canned or pickled beets.
• Cabbage: you will need fresh green cabbage.
• Yellow Onion: yellow onion is the best for soups as it has more flavor and high sugar content. 
• Carrots: large or medium fresh carrots.
• Orange Bell Pepper: I usually have half of the bell pepper. You can also use a red or yellow one. It is optional, but I always add some when making meatless borscht.
• Potatoes: yellow or any other waxy potatoes are the best for soups. Avoid starchy potatoes such as russet, they will not hold their shape after cooking.
• Filtered Water: you can use water, broth, or stock of your choice. But most of the time, I just use water and sometimes, I add better than bullion base (vegetable flavor).
• Bay Leaf: for amazing flavor.
• Olive oil: you can use sunflower oil or any other vegetable oil to saute the veggies.
• Tomato Paste:  I recommend using tomato paste because it has a rich flavor. You can also use tomato sauce.
• Fresh Lemon Juice: An important ingredient to balance the sweet flavors and create a pleasantly sour taste. So do not skip it. My mom used to add apple cider or distilled vinegar instead. They both will do the job.
• Sugar: I add at the end a little bit of sugar to balance the taste. It makes a big difference in taste.
• Salt: add to taste. Just add a little less for your taste and then everyone can adjust it individually. If you use broth, you will need less salt.
• Dry spices and herbs: sweet paprika powder, coriander, bay leaf and black pepper. These are my favorites to add to this soup.
• Fresh Dill and Parsley: chopped fresh herbs will be added at the very end to highlight the rest of the dish.  
• Fresh Garlic: you can use powder but fresh garlic is so much better to use.
• Sour Cream: for serving. Use vegan sour cream if needed.

How to make it

If you make borscht for the first time, I recommend preparing 5 separate bowls for all the chopped or shredded vegetables.  It will make the process so much easier. You can even do it a day before. 

Start with boiling the water or the broth. In a large pot, add water, and bay leaves. Bring it to boil, cover, and reduce heat to the lowest setting. 

Prepare the vegetables. Dice the onion finely and add it to the 1st bowl. Slice bell pepper thinly (matchstick size), shred the carrots on the coarse side of a grater box - and add both into the 2nd medium bowl. Using the large side of a shredder box, grate the beets and place them into the 3rd bowl. Peel and cube potatoes and transfer them to the 4th bowl. Using a sharp knife, shred the cabbage and transfer it to the largest 5th bowl. 

Note: instead of shredding, you can cut carrots and beets into matchsticks or use a food processor. 

Saute the vegetables. In a large frying pan, add 2 tablespoons of oil and heat it over medium heat. Add diced onions, bell peppers, and carrots. Cook them for about 4-5 minutes on medium heat until vegetables start softening up, stirring them occasionally. After that, add shredded beets and tomato paste. Cook on high heat for 2-3 minutes stirring everything well and letting the tomato paste develop the flavor. Now, add freshly squeezed lemon juice, ½ teaspoon of sugar, and ⅓ cup of water or broth. You might need to add more sugar later if your beets are not very sweet. Stir it again, cover, and let it simmer on low heat for about 7-10 minutes, until the vegetables are tender. Turn off the heat and set it aside for now.

Add potatoes and cabbage to the boiling water.  Add peeled and cubed potatoes and shredded cabbage to the boiling broth and cook for about 10 minutes or until the potatoes are fork-tender. 

Mix in vegetables and tomato mix. when the potatoes are cooked, turn the heat on low and add the sauteed vegetable mix to the soup. Add salt, paprika, coriander, and black pepper. Let it cook for another 3-4 minutes on the lowest heat without any heavy boil.

Taste and adjust the seasonings.  Now, it's time to taste the borscht and add any salt, pepper, or other spices if needed. If it tastes too sweet, add another tablespoon of lemon juice. If it doesn't taste sweet enough, add about half a teaspoon of sugar. Here, you can adjust it to your own liking.

Fresh herbs and garlic. At the very end, add chopped dill, parsley, and minced garlic. Stir it well and turn off the heat.  Let borscht rest covered for about 10 minutes for the flavors to meld together.

Serve borscht. Pour borscht in large bowl. Add a dollop of sour cream on top and some extra fresh chopped till. Enjoy it with some rye bread, garlic bread rolls, salo (pork belly fat), and sliced raw onions.

Recipe tips

• It is easier to chop and shred all the vegetables and place them in separate bowls before starting the cooking process.
• Make borscht in a large pot.
• Since this is a vegetarian borscht recipe, you can add some cooked red kidney beans to make it more filling.
• Instead of water, you can use some vegetable broth.
• Do not skip lemon juice (or apple cider vinegar) and sugar. These ingredients bring up all the amazing flavors.
• Always taste the soup at the end and adjust it to your taste.
• You can prepare the vegetables and tomato paste base ahead of time and freeze it for up to 3 months. 

How to store and reheat borscht

Refrigerate: Borscht soup tastes even better the next day. Make sure to cool down the leftovers properly. I recommend transferring it to smaller containers or bowls to bring it to room temperature faster. Do not leave the soup out for longer than 2 hours. Keep the leftovers refrigerated in an airtight container for about 3-4 days.

Reheat: the best way to reheat the soup is by simmering it in a small saucer pan over low-medium heat. You can also reheat it in the microwave oven.

Other Ukrainian recipes

• Ukrainian beet salad "vinegret"
• Ukrainian unstuffed cabbage rolls
• Ukrainian traditional cabbage rolls
• Ukrainian braised cabbage
• Sauerkraut soup
• Dernuny potato pancakes