Just look at that bowl of goodness! This vegan borscht recipe will warm you from the inside out! It's:
So Uniquely Flavourful
Sweet, Earthy, And Herby
Filled With Soft, Chunky Vegetables
Quick To Prepare
And Just The Most Comforting Bowl Of Goodness Around!
Oh... and, fully loaded with our 4-ingredient sour cream... it costs us less than $10 to make!
What Is Borscht
This vibrant beetroot soup is believed to have originated in the Ukraine but is popular throughout many Eastern and Central European countries. Each region has slight variations on this hearty soup but, red beets are the central component.
Our first borscht was prepared for us by a lovely couple in Belarus and it was one of the tastiest meals we have ever had! Considering I have an allergy to cabbage, I was a tad hesitant to dip into Borscht, but they assured me there was no cabbage in their version.
Instead, freshly picked mushrooms filled out their soup. Picking wild mushrooms was very common when we visited Belarus; and aside from the beets grown in their own backyard, the mushrooms were the star of the dish.
Most other borscht recipes call for cabbage, but we've continued to recreate our tasty Belorussian inspired borscht with mushrooms.
The borscht we had in Belarus also had a tiny bit of pork. Many traditional recipes call for pork, beef, or sausage. However, meat free versions are also common since this was meant to be an inexpensive soup made with ingredients grown in one's own garden.
Recipe Cost For Vegan Borscht
By filling this vegan borscht recipe with tasty, soft, chunky vegetables; omitting the meat, and using our homemade veggie scrap broth... we keep the cost of this dish to: CAD $6.23!
This recipe easily serves 6 as an appetizer ($1.04/serving) and 4 as a large main dish ($1.56/serving).
If we were to make this dish with store-bought veggie broth, our cost would go up to CAD $10.79. And if we were to add even, ¾ of a pound of meat to that price, the cost would increase by:
- CAD $5.62 - $4.42 for stewing beef. (The higher price being at our local grocery store and the lower price being at our wholesale store).
- $3.74 - $3.06 for pork ribs.
- And $3.00 for 250g sausage.
Adding our quick, easy, and super tasty 4-ingredient sour cream adds CAD $2.69 to the recipe cost. We always opt to include it because it's just so easy and tasty. Not only does the sour cream boost the flavour and fun, it also gives the soup a great boost of protein.
Using Cooked Beets
Yes! If you've read our thrifty, How To Roast Beets post, you know that we always have roasted beets in our fridge.
When I'm using previously roasted beets, I don't add them with the rest of the vegetables; I wait until only about 5 minutes of the cooking time remains. If the cooked beets are added at the beginning, they will lose a bit of their vibrant colour.
Do you love the look of this soup and are you wondering what else you can make with beets? Well, you are in the right place!
Jump over to our Spicy Beet Pasta, our Beet Chocolate Smoothie, and our Pumpkin Beet Polenta recipes for some fun and super tasty inspiration! Oh, and don't forget to saute those Beet Greens!
Give this vegan borscht recipe a try, and make sure to let us know how you enjoy it in the comments below!
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Vegan Borscht Recipe With Easy "Sour Cream"
- Total Time: 55 minutes
- Yield: 4 main dish, 6 appetizer servings 1x
- Diet: Vegan
Description
This hearty vegan borscht recipe is the perfect warm & comforting meal. Quick, easy, and topped with a 4 ingredient vegan "sour cream".
Ingredients
- 1 medium onion, sliced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- ¼ - ½ teaspoon salt & pepper
- 3 medium beets, diced (raw or roasted, see instructions)*
- 2 cups yukon gold potatoes, diced (roughly 276 grams or 4-5 potatoes)*
- 2 medium carrots, chopped (about 2 cups)*
- 2 cups mushrooms, sliced (roughly 126 grams, mini bella, cremini or button)*
- 6 cups of vegetable broth (homemade or store-bought)
- 1 - 1 ½ tablespoon lemon juice
- ¼ cup chopped dill + more for garnish (fresh or frozen works)
- optional: our 4-ingredient sour cream for topping
*Fresh ingredients you need that are not part of our pantry and freezer tips.
Instructions
- Start by preparing your veggies. Peel and chop your carrots, onion, and potatoes (I don’t bother peeling the potatoes but you can if you’d like or if you are using russet or a thicker skinned potato). If using raw beets, carefully peel and dice them (I find the red stain washes off my hands quite easily). I usually make this with previously roasted beets. If using raw beets they will still have a bit of crunch to them at the end of the cooking time. If you would like them really tender consider grating the beets instead of dicing them.
- With your veggies prepared, add 2 tablespoon of broth (or 1 tablespoon olive oil) to a large pot over medium heat. Saute the onion and minced garlic for 2 minutes until the onion is translucent and the garlic is fragrant. Season with salt and pepper.
- Add the carrots, potatoes, and raw beets (if using previously cooked beets or grated beets, wait until the end to add them so they don’t overcook and lose their colour). Stir, cover the pot with the lid, and allow to steam for 5 minutes, stirring a few times.
- Add the mushrooms, stir, and allow to cook for 1-2 minutes.
- Add the broth. Cover the pot and raise the heat so you can bring it to a boil. Watch the pot closely and turn the heat down to a simmer once it boils. Simmer with the lid on for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- If using cooked or grated beets, add them to the soup now and simmer for another 5 minutes or so, until all the vegetables are soft and easily pierced with a fork.
- Remove from heat, stir in the lemon juice and dill. Taste and adjust the seasonings; adding more lemon juice, salt, or pepper if desired.
- To serve, garnish with sour cream and fresh dill. Enjoy!
Notes
*Approximate Cost: CAD $6.23 using our homemade veggie scrap broth!
*Using store-bought broth brings this recipe cost to CAD $10.79 ($2.70/serving for 4 main dishes, $1.80/serving for 6 appetizer servings).
*A 368ml batch of our 4-ingredient sour cream adds CAD $2.69 to this recipe. It’s worth it! It adds some extra protein, flavour, and fun!
*For more info on beets and how to roast them see our How To Roast Beets post.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Category: Soup
- Method: Stove-top, One-Pot
- Cuisine: Slavic
Marge Teilhaber
I love beets and will definitely make your borscht and sour cream, too. I steam beets in my Instant Pot and, using a clean kitchen cloth, I can fairly easily rub off the skin. I'll leave a review of course!
Kathryn Alexandre
Oh cool! I didn't know you could steam in the instant pot actually. Those are so handy! I hope you love the borscht and sour cream. It's definitely one of our favourites and a nice change from other soups. We're looking forward to your review!
David Christo
This was great! I was looking to make a borscht and the vegan sour cream was bonus.
Kathryn Alexandre
Awesome! I'm so glad you liked it David and made the sour cream too. Thank you so much for taking the time to let us know!