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!
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.
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:
- 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).
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
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:
- Pork and Saurkraut
- Meatballs and Steamed Vegetables
- Yogurt Marinated Chicken Kebabs and New Potato Salad
- Roasted Salmon with Vegetables
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.
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
- Eggplant Soup
- Spicy Red Lentil Soup
- Cauliflower and Carrot Soup
- Quinoa Vegetable Soup
- Hearty Bulgur Soup
Easy Beetroot Soup Recipe (Vegan)
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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 quart (0.95 l) low-sodium vegetable stock
- 5 cups water
- 1 can (19 oz/540 ml) black beans (drained and rinsed)
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- sea salt and pepper to taste
- ¼ lemon
- 2 handfuls parsley (chopped)
Instructions
- In a large pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until it is translucent, for about 4 minutes.2 Tbsp olive oil, 1 medium onion
- 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.3 medium beets, 3 medium carrots, 1 yellow bell pepper, 4 medium tomatoes
- 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.1 quart low-sodium vegetable stock, 5 cups water, 1 can (19 oz/540 ml) black beans, 1 tsp garlic powder, sea salt and pepper to taste
- 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.¼ lemon, 2 handfuls parsley
- Serve with 1 to 2 tablespoons of Greek yogurt or sour cream or a vegan substitute for dairy-free and/or vegan options.
The nutrition facts are an estimate. Variations in ingredient brands, portion sizes, or substitutions can affect the final nutritional values. For the most accurate information, please use a nutrition calculator or consult with a healthcare provider. Always ensure that each of the ingredients is allowed in your diet.
Meet Maria
Maria Ushakova is a holistic nutritionist and food blogger. She focuses on developing easy recipes using real food ingredients. She believes that healthy food is delicious and anyone can learn how to cook it. Maria’s work has appeared on numerous popular websites as well as in print.
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.
This recipe is so fabulous. I’ve made it 5 times now and even made a pot for a pregnant neighbour who is anemic and not eating right. Thanks for the idea to increase beets in my diet.
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?
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.
This recipe is so fabulous. I’ve made it 5 times now and even made a pot for a pregnant neighbour who is anemic and not eating right. Thanks for the idea to increase beets in my diet.
Hi Shauna! I am so glad you like this recipe 🙂
Beetroot soup with beans is my favorite. It reminds me of my European childhood)
Yes, beets are much more popular in Europe than in North America.