A delicious and healthy take on traditional beet soup made vegan and super fast in a blender. Loaded with dill and swirled with a cashew cream it’s velvety and so tasty!
Healthy & Creamy Beet Soup
The first post I ever published on Nutrition in the Kitch was borscht, my Baba’s Borscht. I have a huge sentimental attachment to this soup as some of my greatest memories are when our family would pack up into the minivan and venture on a 12-hour car ride through the Canadian prairies to visit my sweet little Baba (Ukrainian grandmother) in Manitoba during the summer. She would always make us this warm, cozy beet soup among many other amazing Ukrainian dishes.
As a young child, I actually wouldn’t have anything to do with it! Pink soup? No way. But, as I got a little older and into my teen years, I definitely developed a taste for beet soup. I couldn’t wait to visit Baba to give her a huge hug and enjoy her russian borscht. I also recognized the care and attention that my Baba put into her cooking, which made me love it even more.
What is Borscht?
Borscht is a sour soup made from beets that can be found in Europe, Asia, and Ukraine. The Beets are what gives the soup its traditional pink or red color. It’s a rich-tasting soup that is packed with veggies and great for almost any occasion. The bright colors and earthy flavors make it both fun and comforting to eat.
How To Make Borchst
Making this soup is as easy as steaming and cooking veggies beforehand and then running them through a blender or food processor until smooth. You can leave some chunks in it if desired but this soup is meant to be like a very thick broth, so the smoother it is, the better. But this is totally up to you and your own personal preferences as some people enjoy there to be small chewy bits in theirs soups.
Is Borscht Served Cold?
You can serve your borscht hot or cold. Traditionally it is served either way and given a topping of sour cream. For a healthier twist you can use plain Greek yogurt instead of sour cream.
Is borscht healthy?
Aside from the common addition of sour cream or heavy cream, borscht is a very healthy soup. It’s packed with vegetables including the star ingredient – beets, which are loaded with antioxidants, phytonutrients, and vitamins and minerals.
As for other health benefits, the soup is packed with immune-boosting garlic, and bacteria-fighting dill!
Ingredients for Beet Soup:
To make this delicious and creamy soup you need a simple combination of ingredients listed below:
- raw beets (or you can use the pre-cooked beets in the fresh produce aisle – not canned)
- carrots
- onion
- garlic
- dill
- salt & pepper
- vegetable broth
- almond milk or cashew milk (unsweetened)
- tomato paste
- lemon juice
- sugar
- pickle juice (the secret ingredient!)
How To Make Beet Soup in a Blender:
To make this creamy, velvety beet soup the key is using a high-speed blender. While I love traditional borscht that has chunks of beets, carrots, and other vegetables in it, I am a big fan of this blended version and it doesn’t require meticulous chopping.
Here’s what you’ll do:
- Peel and steam the beets ahead of time (you can also buy pre-cooked beets that come in a package to save time).
- Saute onions, carrots, garlic, salt, and pepper in a large pan until soft.
- Add in beets, dill, tomato paste, sugar, and stir until heated through.
- Add in pickle juice, lemon juice, and non-dairy milk, and heat through.
- Transfer everything to a high-speed blender and blend on low increasing to high until smooth.
- Divide hot soup between bowls and serve with dill and a tablespoon of sour cream, yogurt, or vegan sour cream.
For this revamped version I also made Oh She Glows Vegan Cashew Sour Cream to top the soup and swirl in for that added creaminess!
FAQs
Can you put beets in soup?
Yes, this soup is packed with yummy beet colors, flavors, and nutrition. I recommend sticking with the fresher beets and not the ones in the cans as they have much more nutritional value.
Can you freeze beet soup?
Yes, this soup can be frozen for up to 2 months in an airtight container. I recommend storing it in portion-sized containers but you can do a large batch if desired. Allow the soup to thaw in the fridge overnight before serving.
Are beets good for you?
Beets are a great vegetable full of potassium, vitamins, iron, and antioxidants. They’re also low in calories.
How to roast beets
Wash your beets and slice into chunks. Drizzle in olive oil and bake in the oven at 375 degrees F for about an hour until soft. Allow to cool and then use as desired.
Can you eat beets raw?
While you can eat beets raw, the skin is rather tough and would need to be peeled first. It may help to cut your beet into bite-sized pieces like a sliced apple instead of trying to bite into it whole.
How long to boil beets
Boiling beets will take about half an hour to 40 minutes or so depending on how big the beet chunks are and how fast the water beings to boil. You just want to cook until they’re soft and fork tender.
How to eat beets
Beets are pretty versatile and can be in anything from homemade slaws to salads, soups, and just roasted as a simple side dish.
How to make beet juice
After washing and peeling your beet, place your beets into a juicer and run it until the juice comes out and all have been processed. Then discard the pulp and pieces you don’t want.
Are beets keto?
If you are trying to avoid starchy foods as part of your keto journey then beets would not be an approved veggie on your list.
Can you eat beet leaves?
Yes, the greens from a beet plant can be cooked up into some simple yet delicious cooked greens. Sauteed with a little butter and garlic and they can rival the tastes and textures of kale or spinach.
How many carbs in beets?
Every beet is a different size but you’re looking at roughly 13 carbs per beet.
What does beet soup taste like?
This soup has a slightly sweet, slightly savory earthy flavour that is subtle but satisfying. The beet flavour shines through and compliments the dill perfectly.
The lemon and pickle juice add a delicious touch of tanginess and sour that balances out the creamy almond milk and garnish.
This past week I made this blender beet soup for Justin and we enjoyed it with baked garlic sausage and locally made vegan perogies…even Hemsley was a fan!
As I sat there and enjoyed my beet soup I thought about my Baba. While she’s no longer with us, I’m sure she was smiling down on us and is enjoying her own endless supply of borscht up there in the heavens!
Vegan Blender Borscht
A delicious and healthy vegan blender beet soup (borscht) that is gluten free and so easy to make.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 cup sliced carrots
- 1 cup diced onion (sweet or white onion works best)
- ¼ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp pepper
- 2 cups steamed beets, diced (I used a store-bought package of pre-steamed beets to save time!)
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1/2 tablespoon coconut palm sugar
- ¼ cup fresh chopped dill
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1/4 cup jarred pickle juice (optional, but so delicious to add it in!)
- 1 3/4 cups gluten free vegetable broth
- ½ cup unsweetened almond milk
- 1/4 cup Vegan Cashew Sour Cream (recipe here from Oh She Glows)
Instructions
- Add oil to a large pan or wide soup pot and heat over medium.
- Add in onions, carrots, garlic, salt, and pepper and sautee until soft, about 5-7 minutes.
- Add in cooked beets, dill, tomato paste, and coconut sugar and stir until everything is heated through, about 7 minutes.
- Add in pickle juice, lemon juice, broth, and almond milk and heat through for 2 minutes.
- Transfer mixture to blender, blend on low, then slowly increase to high, and blend the soup until completely smooth.
- Divide soup between 4 or 5 large serving bowls and garnish with dill and 1 tablespoon of Vegan Cashew Sour Cream (or a dollop of non-dairy yogurt, sour cream, or greek yogurt).
Here are some more great soup recipes to check out:
I will be trying this. I make Ukrainian borscht once a month or so as I am a Canadian raised in a Ukrainian/Russian Saskatchewan parent home. I now live in the UK where pretty much every soup is blended. A blended version would be our children’s heritage mixed in a bowl.
I just bought a Ace Nova blender. I am looking for a borscht recipe that could be entirely cooked in it. Would this work or would I have to precook the beets?
Hi Pat, you’ll definitely have to cook the beets ahead of time so that they are soft, or you can purchase the pre-cooked beets at the store in the product section (usually by the salad greens!) – the Love Beets brand. Then you’ll want to give the other ingredients a little sauté before blending!
So incredibly delicious and nostalgic. The flavor is spot-on and I love the smooth texture. Thank you for making a simple vegan version of this beautiful dish! All my memories of borscht include my grandma too ❤️
Thanks for the comment Margi, so glad you enjoyed!
That is the best beet soup I have ever had. Dilly and sweet sour. Great recipe. Thank you for posting it
Love to hear it!!
Yummy! I look forward to trying this version – recommended to me by an Edmontonian friend:) My first attempt at borscht this past week (with coconut milk and beet greens) was amazing. Now I’m afraid my next batch will never measure up;)
You’ve got to try this one for sure! It’s a great change from the regular texture of borscht doing it blended! Smooth and velvety!