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Easy Beetroot Soup Recipe (Vegan)

This Beetroot Soup is quick, easy, and loaded with nutrient-dense fresh vegetables and lots of flavors. It’s the perfect vegan and vegetarian soup to make once and enjoy all week long.

If you love beets, you’ll love this beet soup!

Beetroot soup with beans in a bowl with a spoon to the left. Another bowl of soup and chopped herbs in the background.

If you’re new to cooking beets, this easy beetroot soup is a delicious and nutritious way to enjoy them.

It’s light, fragrant, and loaded with wholesome, simple ingredients, including juicy beets, onion, carrots, bell pepper, tomatoes, and black beans.

If this beetroot soup looks familiar, that may be because it’s similar to Borscht, a famous Eastern European soup that is beetroot-based and served with sour cream. Traditionally, it’s made with beets, cabbage, other veggies, and sometimes beef.

This easy recipe is my vegan take on Borscht. It’s sweet, sour, and the best way to eat beets!

For more information about how to cook beets, check out this simple sauteed beets recipe.

Three red beets with green tops laying on a white back ground.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

Here are four reasons why this recipe is a keeper:

  • The main ingredient in the soup is beets, which are very inexpensive and store well.
  • This delicious beetroot soup is rich, earthy, tangy, and sweet.
  • It’s vegetarian or vegan.
  • This soup is excellent for meal prep because you can cook it once on the weekend and enjoy it during the week. You can also freeze it in portions for later.

Ingredient Notes

Here is a brief overview of the ingredients you’ll need:

  • Extra Virgin Olive oil – To coat the bottom of the pot to saute the vegetables. You can also use avocado oil.
  • Onion – Onion is the first element of flavor. You can use red, white, or yellow onion here.
  • Beets – Red beets are full of minerals, vitamins, and phytochemicals. They have a detoxifying effect and are also beneficial for people with anemia because they help build red blood cells. They’re also a great source of fiber. Be sure to protect your hands and clothes while you prep the beets. The juices stain easily.
  • Carrots – For the best flavor, look for small carrots. They tend to be sweeter and more flavorful.
  • Yellow bell pepper – Bell peppers are sweet and juicy. I like using yellow bell pepper, but feel free to use red or orange. You can also use green, but it won’t be as sweet and tangy. Make sure to core the peppers and remove all the seeds because they taste bitter.
  • Tomatoes – Use ripe, meaty tomatoes like Roma, plum, or beefsteak.
  • Low Sodium Vegetable stock + water – The liquid element of the soup. Use a quality, great-tasting veggie stock or broth.
  • Black beans – Black beans build on the thick and creamy density of the soup. If you don’t have black beans, kidney beans or chickpeas will work.
  • Garlic powder – Adds delicious flavor without overpowering the soup.
  • Sea salt and pepper – Improves the dynamic blend of savory, earthy, sweet, tangy, and citrusy flavors.
  • Lemon & parsley – To finish the soup with a pop of vibrant flavor. Parsley’s best, but fresh herbs like mint, tarragon, and dill are also lovely in this beet soup.

How To Make Beetroot Soup

Here are the step-by-step instructions:

  1. Saute the vegetables: Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a large pot or Dutch oven. Add the chopped onion and cook until soft and translucent (about 4 minutes). Add the shredded beets, carrots, bell pepper, and tomatoes to the pot. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until the veggies soften (5-7 minutes).
  2. Simmer the soup: Next, add the vegetable broth, water, black beans, and garlic powder to the pot, then season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, cover, and cook for about 20 minutes or until all vegetables are cooked through.
  3. Add fresh lemon and herbs: Squeeze fresh lemon juice into the soup, then drop the rind into the soup as well. Next, add the parsley and cook the soup for 2 to 3 more minutes before turning off the heat.
  4. Serve: Top individual bowls of beetroot soup with Greek yogurt, sour cream, or your favorite dairy-free substitution, and enjoy!

Recipe Tips

Beet juice will stain your hands, so you might consider wearing gloves while prepping them. If you have a food processor with a shredding disk, this will make your job much easier.

Since the vegetables are grated, they’ll cook quickly. Be careful not to overcook them.

To make a creamy beet soup, add the cooled soup to a high-speed blender or food processor and blend until smooth. You can also use an immersion blender.

Beetroot soup with beans in a bowl with a spoon to the left.

Variations

You can easily mix and match the vegetables you add to this beetroot soup. Check out the list below for more veggies you can shred or chop and add to this soup:

  • potatoes (Yukon or red)
  • sweet potato
  • celeriac
  • parsnips
  • rutabaga
  • turnips

If you have fresh beets with tops still attached to them, you can chop the beet greens and add them to the soup as well.

Serving

When serving your beet soup, don’t skip the fresh herbs such as dill, parsley, or chives. They add great flavor. You can also add a dollop of sour cream or yogurt. I like having crusty bread on the side for dipping.

It also goes great with:

Storing & Freezing

Storing: Let the beet soup cool, then store it in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 to 4 days. Reheat in the microwave or a pot, or enjoy cold.

Freezing: Store the cooled soup in a freezer-safe airtight container, leaving room for expansion, and freeze for up to 3 months—Thaw in the fridge before reheating or enjoying chilled.

Six red beets with tops chopped off laying in a row on a white background.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between this beet soup and Borscht?

This beetroot soup recipe was inspired by traditional Borscht, which is usually made with cabbage, potatoes, meat, and a few other ingredients.

Is beetroot soup healthy?

Absolutely! It’s made with lots of fresh veggies and fiber-rich black beans.

Do I need to peel beets for this beet soup recipe?

Beet skin is edible. However, it doesn’t have a pleasant mouthfeel. For this reason, I recommend peeling beets before using them.

More Healthy Vegan Soup Recipes You’ll Love

beetroot soup with beans

Easy Beetroot Soup Recipe (Vegan)

Yield: 5 to 6 portions
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 50 minutes

This healthy and easy-to-make soup is full of wonderful nutrients and fiber. Perfect for meal prep. Make a big pot and enjoy it all week long.

Ingredients

  • 2 Tbsp olive oil
  • 1 medium onion, thinly sliced
  • 3 medium beets, grated
  • 3 medium carrots, grated
  • 1 yellow bell pepper, cored and chopped
  • 4 medium tomatoes, chopped
  • 1 L / 4 cups vegetable stock
  • 5 cups water
  • 1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • sea salt and pepper to taste
  • 1/4 lemon
  • 2 handfuls chopped parsley

Instructions

  1. In a large pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is translucent, for about 4 minutes. Add the beets, carrots, bell pepper, and tomatoes. Cover and cook stirring occasionally, until the vegetables start to soften, for about 5 to 7 minutes.
  2. Add the vegetable stock, water, black beans, and garlic powder. Season with salt and pepper and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat. Cover and cook for about 20 minutes or until all the vegetables are cooked through.
  3. Squeeze the lemon juice into the soup and drop the squeezed lemon piece into the soup too. Add the parsley. Cook the soup for another 2 to 3 minutes and turn off the heat.
  4. Serve with 1 to 2 tablespoons of Greek yogurt or sour cream or a vegan substitute for dairy-free and/or vegan options.
Nutrition Information
Yield 6 Serving Size 1/6 of recipe
Amount Per Serving Calories 168Total Fat 5.2gSaturated Fat 0.8gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 4.4gCholesterol 0mgSodium 183.6mgCarbohydrates 26.1gFiber 8.5gSugar 8.5gProtein 6.7g

Nutrition facts provided on this website are an estimate and not guaranteed to be accurate. Please see a qualified health care provider for personalized diet advice and make sure that each of the ingredients is allowed in your diet.

Did you make this recipe?

If you tried this recipe, please give it a 5-star rating! To do this, click on the stars above. You can also leave a review or comment below. And don't forget to tag me @mariaushakova.blog if you share a picture on Instagram!

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Barb

Sunday 2nd of August 2020

This was a lovely summer soup, thank you. I tweaked it a little by adding the beet leaves and some fresh dill. A definite keeper recipe.

Shauna

Saturday 16th of February 2019

When you indicate "vegetable stock" in your recipes do you use a commercially available premade stock or do you make it yourself? What are your recommendations health wise? Do you have a recipe/recommandation for homemade stock?

Maria Ushakova

Saturday 16th of February 2019

Either or is fine. Sometimes I make my own from food scraps, sometimes I buy it. I don't have a recipe, I just collect food scraps and then cook them. Carrots, sweet potatoes, onions, leeks, zucchini are all good vegetables to use. When I buy it, I check the ingredients to make sure only vegetables and spices are listed and there are no weird ingredients in there. Also, I buy low sodium whenever possible. If organic is on sale I buy it if not I just buy the regular kind.

Ilona K.

Thursday 19th of March 2015

Beetroot soup with beans is my favorite. It reminds me of my European childhood)

Maria Ushakova

Monday 23rd of March 2015

Yes, beets are much more popular in Europe than in North America.

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