A deeply colored, warmly spiced Ukrainian beet soup made with fresh beets, cabbage, potato, and cannellini beans. This is my family's borscht recipe — hearty, flavorful, and genuinely better the next day. Find step-by-step photos and more recipe tips above.
3 medium beets (about 14 oz / 400 grams, peeled and grated on the large holes of a box grater)
1 large carrot (about 5 oz / 140 grams, peeled and grated)
3 cloves garlic (finely minced)
1 teaspoon salt (plus more to taste)
3 medium white potatoes (about 14 oz / 400 grams, peeled and cut into small cubes)
⅓ medium white cabbage (about 10 oz / 300 grams, thinly sliced)
6 cups vegetable stock (1.5 liters)
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon ground coriander seed
1 teaspoon sugar
3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar (or white wine vinegar)
2 bay leaves
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
1 can cannellini beans (15 oz / 425 grams, drained and rinsed)
Generous bunch of fresh dill (roughly chopped)
Sour cream or coconut yogurt (optional but traditional)
Categories
Soup
Main
Lunch
Dinner
Cuisine
Ukrainian
Eastern European
Steps
Prep all your vegetables before you start cooking: grate the beets and carrot, thinly slice the cabbage, dice the onion and celery finely, and cut the potatoes into small, even cubes. Drain and rinse the cannellini beans.
Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the diced onion and celery and sauté for 4–5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened and lightly golden.
Add the grated carrot, grated beets, minced garlic, and 1 teaspoon of salt. Stir to combine and cook for 2–3 more minutes until the beets begin to soften slightly. The mixture will turn a deep, beautiful red.
Add the cubed potatoes, sliced cabbage, tomato paste, paprika, ground coriander, sugar, apple cider vinegar, bay leaves, and black pepper. Pour in the vegetable stock and stir everything together well.
Increase the heat and bring the soup to a boil. Once boiling, reduce the heat to low, cover with a lid, and simmer for 20–25 minutes until the potatoes are completely tender.
In the last 5 minutes, add the drained cannellini beans.
Remove the bay leaves. Taste and adjust salt — depending on your stock, you may need an extra pinch or two.
Turn off the heat completely. Add a generous handful of chopped fresh dill, replace the lid, and let the soup rest for 10 minutes. This step is important — it lets the dill infuse and the flavors settle.
Ladle into bowls and serve with a dollop of sour cream or coconut yogurt and extra dill. The soup tastes even better the next day.
Nutitrion
Serving Size: 1 serving
Calories: 220 kcal
Carbohydrates: 40 g
Protein: 8 g
Fat: 5 g
Saturated Fat: 1 g
Sodium: 1582 mg
Sugar: 9 g
Unsaturated Fat: 4 g
Reviews
Neepam on 2020-09-29 (5 stars): I made it for dinner and it was a super hit! So flavour ful and delicious ..
