Name: Vegetarian Borscht
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 65 min
Ingredients: 1 cup dry beans (brined overnight in 4 cups water and 3/4 teaspoons table salt, or 1 (14.5 oz.) can of beans); 12 cups water; 2 dry bay leaves; 3-5 black peppercorns; 3 potatoes (peeled and chopped); 1/2 cabbage (thinly sliced); 1 Tablespoon oil or butter; 1 onion (chopped); 1 carrot (peeled and grated); 1 celery stalk (sliced); 2 medium roasted beets (or canned beets, 2 (14.5 oz cans), peeled and grated or sliced into matchsticks); 2 tomatoes (seeded and chopped); 2-3 garlic cloves (minced); 1-2 teaspoons vinegar or lemon juice; 1 bunch beet greens (chopped); salt (pepper); fresh herbs - parsley (green onions, dill); sour cream (to garnish)

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This Vegetarian Borscht is a hearty, colorful soup full of beets, carrots, cabbage, potatoes, and fresh herbs. Packed with flavor and great for make-ahead meals, it reheats beautifully for several meals.

Borscht is one of those classic soups that’s always comforting, no matter the time of year. While I absolutely love the traditional version made with beef, I’m also a huge fan of this Vegetarian Borscht. It’s just as hearty and satisfying, thanks to the addition of beans, which give it that meaty texture without any actual meat. The best part? It’s loaded with colorful, wholesome veggies—beets, carrots, potatoes, cabbage, onions, and garlic, all simmered together and finished with fresh herbs to create a soup that’s as flavorful as it is vibrant.

One of the things I love most about Borscht is that it only gets better with time. The flavors deepen and meld the longer it sits, so it’s the perfect make-ahead meal. This soup reheats beautifully, which means you can enjoy it for several meals throughout the week—it's a time-saver that still feels special each time you enjoy a bowl. I'm all about meal prep that's delicious and satisfying.

Whether you're serving it as a cozy lunch or a satisfying dinner, this Vegetarian Borscht is the kind of dish that feels like a bowl of comfort and nutrition all in one. And with so many ways to make it, it's a recipe that never gets old.

Ingredients:

1 cup dry beans, brined overnight in 4 cups water and ¾ teaspoons table salt, or 1 (14.5 oz.) can of beans

12 cups water

2 dry bay leaves

3-5 black peppercorns

3 potatoes, peeled and chopped

½ cabbage, thinly sliced

1 Tablespoon oil or butter

1 onion, chopped

1 carrot, peeled and grated

1 celery stalk, sliced

2 medium roasted beets (or canned beets, 2 (14.5 oz) cans), peeled and grated or sliced into matchsticks

2 tomatoes, seeded and chopped

2-3 garlic cloves, minced

1-2 teaspoons vinegar or lemon juice

1 bunch beet greens, chopped

salt, pepper

fresh herbs - parsley, green onions, dill

sour cream, to garnish

How To Make Vegetarian Borscht

I like to brine the beans the night before I am planning to make the Borsch. You can also use canned beans, if you prefer. In that case, you would add the beans at the very end of cooking.

Brining the beans will help to soften the skin of the beans so that they cook faster without bursting. As they brine, they will expand a bit. The beans on the left are the ones that I brined overnight and on the right is the same amount of dry beans. Quite a difference, wouldn't you say?

Drain the beans from the brining liquid and put them into a large pot with the 12 cups of water. Bring it to a boil, reduce to a simmer and cook the beans for about 20 minutes. Meanwhile, prep the rest of your ingredients.

After the beans have cooked for 20 minutes, add the potatoes and the cabbage to the soup. Add the dry bay leaf, peppercorns and season with salt. In a skillet, melt the butter or oil, add the onions, season with salt and pepper and cook on medium heat for about 5 minutes, until the onions are translucent and softened. Add the carrots and celery, season with salt and pepper and cook for another 3-5 minutes, until they are tender as well.

Add the vegetables to the soup.

Using the same skillet, add the beets, tomatoes, garlic, vinegar (or lemon juice) and season with salt and pepper. Cook for about 5-7 minutes. Add the beets to the soup along with the beet greens. Beet greens are wonderful to add to Borsch, especially if you have your own garden. During the summers, my Mom would always add the beet greens to the soup and it added so much freshness and flavor. I would add a lot more if my grocery store beets had more that a measly amount that I could get.

Add the fresh herbs to the Borsch and serve with sour cream.