Beet vegetable soup

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If you love beets, then this beet vegetable soup is for you. This soup is richly flavored with the earthy, sweet flavor of beets and beet greens.

Creamy potatoes and an array of vegetables are simmered with the beets to make soup that is similar to borscht.

Beet vegetable soup is a simple, nourishing meal. This soup is a healthy and very satisfying main course for dinner. It's also easy to make, although it does take time to simmer on the stove. That's how the flavor builds.

If you love vegetable soup, then you'll also want to try Slow Cooker White Bean and Tomato Soup with Orzo and Instant Pot Quinoa Soup with Corn and Potatoes.

Ingredients & Substitutions

This recipe includes a specific list of vegetables that will make a very flavorful broth. However, you don't have to stick exactly to the recipe. Feel free to add extra vegetables.

This soup is a great way to use up vegetables you already have in your kitchen. Green beans, corn, cabbage or zucchini can all be added (see the full recipe at the bottom of the post for details. )

Beets: Red beets work best for this soup. The recipe calls for 3 to 4 cups of chopped beets, which works out to be 2 or 3 medium or large sized beets.

Beet greens: Looks for beets at the grocery store or farmers' market that have greens attached. If you don't have beet greens, then kale or Swiss chard can be used.

Potatoes: Yellow potatoes have a creamy texture that works well in this soup. You can also use other root vegetables instead of potatoes, such as rutabaga or turnip. The potatoes will turn red while simmering with the beets, and almost disappear into the soup.

Canned tomato: Petite diced tomatoes are best if you can find them. The smaller-sized chunks of tomato blend really well into the soup. If you can't find petite diced, then regular diced canned tomatoes are fine.

Onion/Carrot/Celery/Garlic: This combination of veggies is sauteed to build flavor for the broth.

Parsley: Just a few sprigs are added for flavor. Fresh dill is also a good option. You can also sprinkle chopped herbs over the finished soup.

Water: This recipe works really well with just water, no store-bought vegetable broth is needed.

Apple cider vinegar: Just a teaspoon or two adds a little bit of acidity to the flavor.

How to Add Beet Greens

Buy beets that have greens attached.
Cut the beets off of the stem. Wash the leaves and stems really well, as beet greens tend to hold a lot of dirt.
Stack the leaves up then roll them like a cigar. Use a chef's knife to thinly sliced the leaves.
Finely chop the stems. They can also be added to the soup.
Add the beet greens in the last 10 minutes of simmering the soup.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Step 1: Saute onion, carrots and celery.

canned tomatoes in a pot with onion, celery and carrot

Step 2: Add canned diced tomato. Simmer 10 minutes.

chopped beet and potato added to a pot of soup

Step 3: Add beets, potatoes, garlic and water. Simmer 45 minutes.

chopped beet greens added to a pot of soup

Step 4: Add beet greens. Simmer 10 minutes more.

For detailed instructions and measurements, see the recipe card at the bottom of the post.

Taste the soup and add a teaspoon or two of apple cider vinegar, plus salt and pepper as needed. Serve as is, or add sour cream and fresh dill.

a close-up shot of a ladle scooping beet soup out of a pot

FAQ

Is this beet soup the same as borscht?

Borscht is a type of beet soup from Central and Eastern Europe. It can be vegetarian or made with meat and it can be served hot or cold. This recipe for beet vegetable soup is very similar to borscht.

Should I use water or stock?

One of the things I love about this vegetable soup recipe is that it can be made with water instead of vegetable stock. While the vegetables simmer, they will flavor the water and create a flavorful broth.

Keep in mind that store-bought stock/broth has salt added, so when you make a soup with water you'll have to add a generous amount of salt to flavor it.

Is this soup vegan?

Yes, this soup is vegan.

Are beet greens healthy?

Both beets and beet greens are healthy vegetables. Beet greens are a good source of vitamins and minerals such as iron, calcium and magnesium.

What is the best way to store beets and beet greens?

Chop off the stem and greens, leaving about 1-inch of stem attached to whole, unwashed beets. Store the beets in the crisper drawer of your refrigerator. They usually stay fresh for several weeks, but will start to shrivel and soften over time. Firmness is a good indicator of how fresh the beets are.

Beet greens only stay fresh for 3 to 5 days; it's best to use the greens as soon as possible. They can be stored in a dry produce bag in the refrigerator.

Can beets be eaten raw?

Yes, you can eat both raw and cooked beets. A delicious way to eat raw beets is grating beets into salads. When you cook beets, figuring out when they are "done" depends entirely on the texture you like. Simmering beets for a longer amount of time in this soup will make the texture very soft. If you like a harder, crunchier texture then simmer the beets for a shorter amount of time.

Storage and Leftovers

Beet vegetable soup will stay fresh in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

You can also freeze this soup in a large portion or in smaller individual portions (great for lunch!). Freeze for up to 3 months.

To defrost the soup, leave it in the refrigerator overnight. For faster defrosting, place a sealed bag of soup in a bowl of water until the soup starts to soften.

Defrosted beet soup can be reheated on the stove or in the microwave. You might have to add more water so that you have enough broth.

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📖 Recipe

Beet Vegetable Soup Recipe

a bowl of beet soup next to a raw beet with greens attached

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Beet vegetable soup is a simple, nourishing meal. This soup is made from beets and beet greens, plus creamy potatoes and an array of colorful vegetables that are simmered into a flavorful bowl of healthy vegetarian soup.

This recipe was originally published October 2019 and updated May 2023

Author: Jenny Meier | Kitchen Skip blog
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 90 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 50 minutes
Yield: 6 to 8 servings 1x
Category: Soup
Method: Simmer
Cuisine: Eastern Euruopean
Diet: Vegan

Ingredients

Units Scale

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
2 carrots, sliced into ½-inch rounds or half moons
2 celery stalks, sliced into ¼-inch half moons
One 14-ounce can petite diced tomatoes
8 cups (2 quarts) water
2 large garlic cloves, peeled and smashed with your hand
4 cups peeled and chopped beet (cut into ¾-inch cubes)
1 cup peeled and chopped yellow potato (cut into ¾-inch cubes)
½ teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
Several sprigs of herbs (parsley, thyme or dill)
2 large handfuls thinly sliced beet greens (or kale or Swiss chard)
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
Salt and pepper

Additional Vegetables: You can add additional vegetables to this soup if you want. Zucchini, green beans, corn and cabbage are good options. You can also use rutabaga or turnip instead of potatoes.

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Instructions

Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a large soup pot or Dutch oven.
Add the onion, carrots and celery. Saute, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are tender and lightly browned, about 10 minutes. If necessary, turn the heat down to medium-low to prevent the onion from burning. Season lightly with salt.
Add the can of tomatoes. Simmer over medium for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes are thick. If needed, lower the heat to make sure the tomato doesn't stick to the pot.
Add the water, garlic, beet, potato and salt.
If you're adding other long-cooking vegetables, add them now (like zucchini, rutabaga, turnip, etc)
Bring the soup to a boil, then turn the heat down to low or medium-low so that the broth stays at a gentle simmer. Simmer for 45 minutes.
After 45 minutes, try a chunk of beet and potato to make sure they are tender.
Add the beet greens.
If you're adding any additional quick-cooking vegetables add them now (like green beans, cabbage or corn).
Serve the soup as is, or add sour cream and fresh dill.
Simmer for another 10 minutes, this time with a lid so that more broth doesn't evaporate.
Add the apple cider vinegar and stir well. Try the soup, adding salt and pepper as needed. It's very likely that you'll need to add more salt. Don't be stingy with salt!

Notes

When chopping the vegetables, aim for a size that's around ½-inch. Smaller chunks will cook faster, if you like softer veggies in your soup. Just make sure to cut all the veggies about the same size, so they cook evenly.

Storage: Beet vegetable soup will stay fresh in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. You can also freeze this soup in a large portion or in smaller individual portions (great for lunch!). Freeze for up to 3 months. To defrost the soup, leave it in the refrigerator overnight. For faster defrosting, place a sealed bag of soup in a bowl of water until the soup starts to soften. Defrosted beet soup can be reheated on the stove or in the microwave. You might have to add more water so that you have enough broth.