Russian Borscht Soup – Karen’s Way
Mar 20, 2015, Updated Dec 01, 2020
A wonderful, rich tasting vegetarian soup. Roasting the beets is essential to it’s flavor. At the end, puree a little soup for texture, then add a dollop of sour cream and a generous sprinkle of fresh dill. Enjoy a rainbow of color and essential healthy nutrients in every bowl.
Ingredients
- 3 medium red beets, scrubbed and trimmed
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- ½ cup red onion, or sweet onion, 1/3"dice
- 1 cup leeks, whites and light greens, cleaned- 1/3" dice
- 6 large cremini mushroom, cleaned, 1/3" dice
- 1 cup potatoes, peeled, 1/3" dice
- 3 cloves fresh garlic, peeled, minced
- 1 cup turnips, peeled, 1/3" dice
- 1 cup parsnip, peeled, 1/3" dice
- ¾ cup celery, peeled, 1/3" dice
- 2 teaspoons tomato paste
- ¼ teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon smoked paprika
- ¼ teaspoon himalayan pink salt
- 7 cups home made vegetable broth, or chicken broth for non-vegetarian
- 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
- 1 teaspoon cane sugar
- 3 tablespoons sour cream, or light sour cream
- ¼ cup fresh dill, cleaned, dried and chopped
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place the beets in a large sheet of heavy foil. Add a drizzle of oil and wrap tightly. Place on a baking pan and roast for an hour until the beets are just tender. Cool, peel and dice 1/3". Set aside.
- Meanwhile make the soup base: In a heavy large soup pot, add the butter over medium heat. Add the onion, leeks, mushrooms, potatoes and garlic. Stir for 3 minutes until crisp tender. Add the turnips, parsnips and celery, stir 1 minute. Add the tomato paste, pepper, paprika and salt. Stir well to release the flavors.
- Add the stock, vinegar and sugar. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Add the reserved diced, roasted beets. Stir and cover. Cook the soup for 20 minutes, then remove from the heat. Taste for seasonings.
- Remove 1 cup of the soup and blend with a emulsion blender stick (or place in a blender) until smooth. Add to the pot, and stir well. Place soup in bowls, dollop with a swirl of sour cream if desired, and a generous sprinkle of fresh dill.