Vegan Ukrainian Borscht Soup
An Unusual Tasty and Beautiful Soup
This Vegan Ukrainian Borscht Soup is a must try if you like beets. Not only does this soup taste great, but its loaded with vegetables and tons of nutrients. One veggie dish that you want your children to grow accustomed to having as a main staple. Having the children grow up with the comfort of the smell of this soup coming from the kitchen will be one to have as fond memories. Not only does it taste great it has a handful of toppers to make it pop. Just pile it on.
How To Make Vegan Ukrainian Borscht Soup
Making the Vegan Ukrainian Borscht Soup can be made in many different verities of ways. As history goes most everyone in a household in the Ukraine make this soup different. It can also be eaten hot or cold. It is all a matter of your own personal taste. Some have more beets, some have less or more cabbage or beet tops or caraway seeds or fresh tomatoes. You will need a variety of vegetables but it is all on how you want it to taste. Maybe, it is made on what ever you have in the refrigerator and in storage. I grew up on a farm and we made food on what we had to use up first. So sprout your creativity.
Borscht is like making most any soup. You start off with heating the oil and cooking down the onions. Then if you love caraway seeds as much as I do then you throw them in. Heat up your caraway for about a minute in the oil with the onions almost before the onions are done. This helps refreshen and open up the caraway and take on its robust delicious flavor. Next add your vegetable broth and all your vegetables and spices and cook for 30 minutes.
This all sounds easy but the challenge are the beets. I ware gloves to peel my beets. They stain your skin and anything they touch so beware of them touching anything. It will even stain your wooden spoons and cutting boards so be mindful of those beautiful juices. I put all of my beets, cabbage and carrots in the food processor to shred into small pieces. It works so quick and makes a very nice textured soup. If you don’t have a food processor then you can cut the carrots, cabbage and beets into thin strips like julienned style.
What To Eat With Vegan Ukrainian Borscht Soup
The toppings are an option but I think they are delicious with this soup. Fresh dill is already in this soup recipe but it is wonderful fresh on top. Most people add sour cream, but I discovered a wonderful vegan plant based sour cream called Forager it is also organic and has probiotics. It is made with cashews, coconut and vinegar. I think you can find it in any cold health food area at your grocer.
Let’s not forget the Ukrainian Garlic Pampushky Buns. These beautiful plump buns are served hot out of the oven and is a traditional homemade bread to serve with borscht soup. Even though there’s fresh garlic on the pampushky buns I like to serve my Vegan Ukrainian Borscht Soup with fresh garlic on top and of course a little hot sauce. That is each to their own with the hot sauce, but you know me, I love my hot sauce. I hope you like this wonderful Ukrainian soup as much as we do. Enjoy!
Vegan Ukrainian Borscht Soup
Equipment
- 1 Cutting board
- 1 Sharp knife
- 2 Large bowls
- 1 Food Processor optional
- 1 Large soup pot with a lid
- 1 Large stirring spoon
- 1 Set of measuring spoons
- 1 Set of measuring cups
- 1 Pair of rubber gloves, optional for peeling beets
Ingredients
Ukrainian Borscht
- 3 med Beets with Tops, Tops chopped, beets shredded
- 2 med Carrots, shredded
- 3 med Red Potatoes, cubed small
- 1 med Onion, chopped
- 3 stalks Celery, chopped
- 2 cups Cabbage, shredded
- 2 Tbsp Olive Oil
- 8 cups Vegetable Stock
- 3 to 4 Tbsp Tomato Paste
- 1½ tsp Caraway Seeds
- 3 to 4 Large Bay Leaves
- 2 Tbsp Fresh Dill, chopped
- 4 Tbsp White Vinegar
- 1 Tbsp Maple Syrup
- 1 to 2 tsp Sea Salt, to taste
- Black Pepper, to taste
Borscht Soup Toppings
- Plant Based Sour Cream, or regular sour cream
- Fresh Dill, Chopped
- Fresh Garlic, minced
- Hot sauce, optional
Instructions
Making The Borscht
- Clean all of the vegetables. You will need to peel the beets, you may want to use rubber gloves.
- Chop the celery, beet tops, potatoes, onions and fresh dill. Put in a large bowl. (chop extra fresh dill and garlic for topping for serving the soup) Then in a food processor shred the cabbage, beets and carrots.
- In a large soup pot heat up the olive oil on medium heat. Cook the onions for five minutes in the olive oil. Do not burn. After four minutes add the caraway seeds and toss them around with the onions to heat up in the oil.
- Add the 8 cups of vegetable stock.
- Add all the vegetables (celery, potatoes, beet tops, carrots, cabbage, beets) Then add the bay leaves, chopped fresh dill, white vinegar, maple syrup, tomato paste, sea salt and black pepper. Stir it all together. Put the lid on and cook for 30 minutes on medium to medium low heat. Stir about every ten minutes.
- When soup is ready serve it with toppings of fresh dill, garlic, plant based sour cream or regular sour cream and hot sauce. Enjoy!