Vegan Ukrainian Borscht is a leisurely recipe made with vibrant beets, hearty pointed cabbage, and refreshing lemon juice and dill. Borscht is a traditional vegetable soup that has been cooked in Eastern Europe for centuries. Especially popular in Ukraine, Russia and Poland. It originated in what is now Ukraine. There are different versions, for example a “White Borscht” with potatoes and cabbage or a “Green Borscht” with sorrel and spinach. However, the best known is the red version with beets. However, in many recipes chefs add cooked beef, lamb or pork, but here we forgo the meat and our vegan Red Borscht tastes just as good, if not better.
We’ve been making this meatless version of borscht for many years, and this easy stew tastes just as good as its big brother. Borscht makes an ideal lunch or dinner with a slice of freshly baked wholemeal bread . If you want to take it to work or give it to your child to school, I suggest a thermos for soup ..
Borscht is low in calories if you skip the sour cream and packed with vitamins and minerals. So don’t feel bad if you eat one more plate. Why not take advantage of the fantastic health benefits of beets?
Borscht is usually served with freshly chopped dill, sour cream or mayonnaise. This wonderful stew also tastes great with fresh parsley and vegan alternatives to sour cream. If you don’t eat dairy like me either, reach for a soy yoghurt for freshness in your borscht!
if you like our vegan Ukrainian borscht recipe, you might also be interested in these recipes:
- Ayurvedic chickpea and cabbage curry
- Spicy beetroot and carrot curry
- Beetroot chickpea salad with oriental zaatar spice
- vegan pickle curry
- more soup recipes
Vegan Ukrainian borscht
Ingredients
- 3 tbsp. native olive oil*
- 1 Onion big
- 1 clove of garlic
- 800 G Beetroot fresh
- 150 G carrots
- 1 cabbage small
- 1 parsley root
- 3 tbsp. dark balsamic vinegar*
- 1½ L vegetable broth
- juice of half a lemon
- 1-2 tbsp. agave syrup*
- kosher salt*
- Pepper* from the mill
for the topping:
- 200 G soy yoghurt
- 1 small bunch of dill
Instructions
- Peel the beetroot with a sharp knife or vegetable peeler and dice into bite-sized pieces.
- Wash the carrots and parsley root thoroughly and also cut into bite-sized pieces.
- Peel and finely dice the onion and garlic.
- Remove the outer leaves from the cabbage and cut the cabbage into small pieces.
- Heat the oil in a saucepan and sauté the onion with the garlic.
- Add the carrots, cabbage and parsley root and sauté for about 4 minutes. Season generously with salt and pepper.
- Add beets. Mix everything and let it caramelize with the agave syrup for about 3 minutes. Deglaze with balsamic vinegar and pour in the vegetable stock.
- Bring to a boil and then simmer gently over low heat for about 35-45 minutes.
- Season to taste with the lemon juice, salt, pepper and chopped dill.
- Arrange the stew on preheated plates and enjoy with a dollop of soy yoghurt and fresh dill.