This vegan Borscht is a spin on the classic Ukrainian cabbage soup made with beets and potatoes and seasoned with parsley and caraway seeds for a warm and hearty winter meal that can be made in just 40 minutes.
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I remember the first time I tasted vegan borscht.
I had just started working as a server at a new restaurant in town - a job that would later turn into my most influential job to date - and the vegan borscht (a soup I had previously never heard of) was apparently, "to die for".
"I don't like beets." I declared, turning my nose to the soup and refusing to give it a try.
Hey, I was 24. My tastebuds were still developing....right?
But then I noticed a strange pattern. Every day that the borscht was served, the restaurant was packed. And do you wanna know what everyone was coming in for? You guessed it - a bowl of that famous vegan borscht. So, I had to ask myself, "are all these people wrong OR am I missing out on something truly amazing?" Stubborn as I was, I had to get to the bottom of this. I put aside my assumed dislike of beets and I gave that vegan borscht a try.
Oh. My. Goodness.
My mind about beets (a food I hadn't eaten in at least 15 years) was changed right then and there and I suddenly had a new favorite soup. It's incredible how wrong we can sometimes be.
Lesson learned: it is good to keep an open mind.
What is Borscht
Borscht is a sour soup that comes from Eastern Europe.
Borscht is traditionally made with beef, beets, and potatoes for the perfect cold-weather soup that uses up the late harvest vegetables and fills the body on chilly winter days. This vegan version omits the beef (obviously) and focuses on flavorful root vegetables and fresh herbs and spices for the ultimate winter meal.
HOW TO MAKE BORSCHT
One of the best parts about this vegan borscht is it’s made with just about 8 ingredients that you likely already have on hand. And for the ingredients you don’t have, they are easy to swap out!
THE INGREDIENTS FOR THIS VEGETABLE NOODLE SOUP
- onion
- caraway seeds
- carrots
- beets
- potatoes
- white cabbage
- vegetable broth
- apple cider vinegar
- salt and pepper, to taste
That’s it! A simple soup that celebrates fall vegetables in a hearty, wholesome, and delicious way!
However, this vegan borscht is a very flexible recipe. You can add in any vegetables you have: cauliflower, broccoli, bell peppers, etc. Top it with cashew sour cream or store-bought vegan sour cream for a creamy, sour, and hearty soup that is cheap and quick to make and will keep you satisfied and filled for hours
STEP ONE – GRAB YOUR BEST SOUP POT
I love my Dutch Oven from Le Creuset for soups. Made from cast iron, they are perfect for slow cooking and simmering soups and stews. My Dutch Oven is one of the most useful and versatile kitchen tools I have and although it’s a bit pricey, you will use this one over and over again (for soups, stews, sides, bread, and even desserts!) and it will last you a lifetime.
Plus they come in all different colors! Check them out here.
While any soup pot will do, when I have loved and trusted kitchen items, I like to share them with you. As a minimalist, I prefer few, high-quality, multi-functional products and I know many of you share that value. Besides, the holidays are upon us and I know some of you are thinking about gifts for your loved ones already.
STEP TWO: SAUTÉ VEGETABLES
As you would imagine, the onions and garlic are sautéed first until they are nice and translucent. Once the sweet fragrance of onion fills our kitchen, we can add the caraway seeds, carrots, beets, and potatoes, and cabbage, stirring to combine.
Sauté the vegetable for just about 3 minutes to get them tender and slightly caramelized on the outside.
STEP THREE: ADD THE REMAINING INGREDIENTS
Toss the vegetable broth into your soup pot and bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce heat to simmer, cover, and simmer until your potatoes and beets are cooked all the way through, about 20 minutes. Be careful not to overcook your potatoes or they will get mushy!
Add the apple cider vinegar and serve it up with cashew sour cream and fresh dill or parsley.
SERVING AND STORING VEGAN BORSCHT
- Let soup cool 10 minutes before serving it. Serve it with cashew sour cream and fresh dill or parsley.
- Soup should be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. To reheat, gently reheat in the microwave or over the stove.
MORE VEGAN SOUP RECIPES
Do you love soup as much as I do? Then make sure to check out these other wildly popular vegan soups.
That’s about all you need to know to make the perfect vegan Borscht. Let’s give it a go!
Vegan Borscht
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon coconut or olive oil
- 1 small yellow onion, thinly sliced
- 1 teaspoon caraway seeds
- 2 large carrots, thinly sliced
- 3 beet, diced
- 3 medium Russet potatoes, diced (about 6 cups)
- 4 cups white cabbage, shredded
- 6 cups vegetable broth
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- salt and pepper, to taste
- cashew sour cream optional
- fresh dill or parsley
Instructions
- In a large soup pot, heat oil over medium heat. Add onions and sauté until translucent, about 7 minutes. Stir in caraway seeds and cook for another 30 seconds.
- Add carrots, beets, potatoes, and cabbage, stirring to combine.
- Add vegetable broth and bring to boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and simmer for 20 minutes until vegetables are tender.
- Season with apple cider vinegar, salt, and pepper.
- To serve, top with cashew sour cream and fresh dill or parsley.
- Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 5 days or freezer for 1 month.
Hi, I’m Sarah. I’m a 14-year (and counting) vegan, professionally trained photographer, former pastry chef, founder of My Darling Vegan, and author of the
Gail says
All age groups enjoyed it ! Made exactly as written. Didn’t taste quite the same as my Polish mother-in-law’s borscht, but this recipe was healthier and more popular within my family, while still being an acceptable borscht to dear mil.
Miss says
I made the borscht and sour cream. I took a lot of liberties, basically leaving out anything I didn’t have or don’t like . Broth, precooked beets, bouillon, shredded hashbrown potatoes, and raw coconut vinegar. So it was even more basic than this already basic recipe. Borscht was delicious but missing something. It felt incomplete. I needed the tang!! I needed a dollop of daisy! ? For the sour cream, I only have a tiny ninja and used about two handfuls of cashews soaked in a little coconut milk. But when I went to blend, there wasn’t enough friction, so it thinly chopped. I didn’t want to wait for more cashews to soak so.. (I’d perused the comment section earlier) I used half a can of great northern beans. I used a bit of lemon juice, and that’s it. Omitted the apple cider cause the flavor is not to my liking. Wow, I had no idea this would resemble sour cream so much. I left it thick. I completely understand the sentiments of “this doesn't last in our home.” I think the half cashew, half great northerns knocks the cost down too.
Came for the borscht, left with this epic sour cream.
Thank you very much for sharing these recipes. They are perfect and flexible. Love it!! Greatly appreciate you.
Vivian says
Wow! It tastes good! I wasn’t expecting such a good taste from such a simple recipe. My only concern is the high sodium level of this dish.
Chandravimalaa says
I still am not able to see the cashew sour cream recipe
Sarah says
You can find it here. You can also use store-bought vegan sour cream if you prefer.
gilkiesan says
Can't wait to make this borscht! All your links to your cashew sour cream seem to be misdirected. Both are landing me at two different (delicious looking,) taco recipes...but no sour cream mentioned in either...?
Rebecca S says
The recipe for the sour cream is within the recipe for the tacos. We love cashew sour cream!
Olya says
Hi Sarah
Russian cabbage soup has nathing to do with borcsht. It's called Shchi and it doesn't have any beetroot in it. Borcsht is traditional Ukrainian dish, please don't upset ukrainians by calling it russian. Otherwise great recipe 😉 Thank you!
Sarah says
Thanks for the note! I have always been told it's a Russian soup but I did a quick search to find out I've been mistaken all this time. Will edit the post now.
Chessie says
Hi -- thanks for this recipe! I've got a big pot of this cooking on the stove right now.I'm tempted to add cooked beans to it for protein, and hoping that that isn't too far out a thing to do with borscht in terms of authenticity.
By the way, your links on this page to "cashew sour cream" just reload this page. I tried your site search and didn't find a cashew sour cream recipe that way either. I'm sure I'll find something by Googling, so I'm fine; this is just an FYI.
Thanks again for the recipe!
Sarah says
Thanks for letting me know. I'll look into that.
Meaghan Bartolini says
Hi You can definitely add beans... My family did not add them but every region has there own take on it. Also your adding protein..... an added plus. LOVE ME SOME BORSHT UKI SOUL FOOD
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bryanna penalver says
what happens if you don't refrigerate it for 5 days or such?
Kim Quinn says
I think she means you can keep it in the fridge for up to 5 days before it starts to get old. Otherwise, if you want to keep some longer, freeze it.