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Bowl of peppery beet borscht
dinner · lunch · eastern european

Peppery Beet Borscht

A hearty Eastern European beet soup loaded with root vegetables, cabbage, beet greens, and a generous amount of black pepper for warmth and extra nutrient absorption.

gluten-freevegetarian beetborschtsoupstewwinter

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 cups cubed potatoes
  • 2 cups cubed beets
  • 6 cups chicken or vegetable broth
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 1 1/2 cups chopped onions
  • 4 garlic cloves minced
  • 1 cup chopped beet greens
  • 1 tablespoon caraway seeds
  • 2 teaspoons salt (or to taste)
  • 1 celery stalk, chopped
  • 1 large carrot, sliced
  • 3 cups coarsely chopped purple cabbage
  • 2-3 tablespoons freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 bay leaves
  • a couple handfuls of shitake mushrooms
  • 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon honey
  • 1 cup tomato puree
  • sour cream (optional) (optional)
  • green onions for garnish

Instructions

  1. Heat the butter in a large pot. Sauté the onions until translucent.
  2. Add the garlic, caraway seeds, salt, pepper, and bay leaves. Sauté for 1 minute.
  3. Add the celery, carrots, cabbage, beets, potatoes, mushrooms, and stock. Simmer until all the vegetables are tender, about 30 minutes.
  4. Stir in the balsamic vinegar, beet greens, honey, and tomato puree. Cover and simmer for 5 more minutes.
  5. Serve with a dollop of sour cream (optional) and green onions for garnish.

Notes

  • Use vegetable broth to keep it vegetarian.
  • The beet greens are added late to preserve their colour and nutrients — if you can't find them, use a handful of spinach or kale instead.
  • The generous amount of black pepper is intentional: it increases the bioavailability of nutrients from the other ingredients.

Source: https://www.learningherbs.com/blog/beet-borscht-recipe/
Rosalee de la Forêt, LearningHerbs.com