Hearty and Delicious Borscht
Welcome back to The Diet Oracle! Today I am bringing you a recipe that is loaded with flavor and packs a nutritional wallop. With its roasted root vegetables and savory herbs, this Hearty and Delicious Borscht is the very definition of rustic comfort food!
If you’ve never had it before, borscht is truly a soup worth remembering. Made with fresh beets, the finished soup is a gorgeous berry-red color. Traditionally served either hot or cold and with or without meat, borscht is a recipe for all seasons and can be tweaked to your heart’s content. Both practical and delicious, it’s no surprise that such a hearty and filling soup would have its origins in Russia and Poland.
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Beets?
Now if the thought of beets makes you wrinkle your nose, don’t let that stop you from trying this recipe! Believe it or not, I have never really liked them myself. I’d only ever tried them solo or, even worse, pickled and I just couldn’t get past the taste or texture. It wasn’t until I tried them as an ingredient that I truly enjoyed them.
The first dish I ever had with beets that truly knocked my socks off was a beautiful garnet-red risotto made with pureed roasted beets and chevre goat cheese. I’m telling you now, I have never been so shocked in my life! Despite being convinced I would gag on the first bite, I had never tasted something so complex and so delicious. One of these days I’ll have to try and replicate that amazing recipe!
The second dish that ultimately won me over for beets was–you guessed it–borscht! We have a fantastic European restaurant in the next town over owned and operated by a wonderful woman from Ukraine. Though her menu offers quite the culinary tour of Europe, her Eastern European dishes are some of our favorites. Her recipe for borscht was the first I’d ever had and to this day, is my standard. I like to think that my rendition comes pretty close!
Waistline-Friendly!
Need another reason to dig in? Starting your meal with a hearty vegetable soup like borscht is a fantastic way to lose weight! Studies have shown that individuals who begin their meal with a veggie-packed broth-based soup end up eating 15% fewer calories over the course of their meal when compared with those who don’t.
Why? To begin with, a vegetable-based soup is a great way to physically fill up on lower calorie foods. Plus, in the time it takes you to enjoy that cup of soup, your brain is getting the all-important message that food is going down the hatch. Remember, it takes about 20 minutes for your brain to register satisfaction, so beginning with a low-calorie starter–like borscht–will ultimately help you to eat fewer calories without feeling like you’re eating less!
Vegetarian-Friendly!
Whether you live a veg lifestyle or simply prefer meatless options, this recipe has got you covered. Borscht is easily made vegetarian or vegan simply by swapping in vegetable-based options for the broth and sour cream. And, being meatless, this borscht would also make a lovely addition to any Lenten menu! Though many recipes suffer without the richness meat can provide, the roasted vegetables and fresh herbs bring such a depth of flavor that you won’t even notice it’s meatless. Just don’t forget that dollop of sour cream!
Nutrition Highlights
Though its humble list of ingredients is decidedly unsexy, the nutritional value of this soup is astounding! Thanks to all the root vegetables, borscht offers a smorgasbord of vitamins and minerals, namely vitamins A, B6, C, biotin, and folate, as well as magnesium, potassium, phosphorus, manganese, and iron.
Beets in particular have some intriguing nutritional properties and have been used in medicinal remedies for centuries. They are rich in the phytochemicals anthocyanins and saponins, two antioxidants which may offer protection against cellular damage and chronic disease. Beets are also rich in nitrates, which may offer ranging benefits from blood pressure reduction to training recovery. No matter how you slice them, beets are a smart addition to your diet!
I hope you love this recipe for Hearty and Delicious Borscht–I know we do! Whether you’re looking to add a new recipe to your soup repertoire, want to sample an Eastern European classic, or would like to take advantage of its nutritional benefits, you can’t go wrong with a cup of borscht!
Hearty & Delicious Borscht
Ingredients
- 5-6 medium-sized beets, peeled and diced small
- 2 large carrots, peeled and diced
- 2 large russet potatoes, peeled and diced
- 2 Tbsp olive oil, divided
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced
- 2 celery stalks, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 8 cups reduced-sodium beef broth (I use Better Than Bouillon mixed with water) Substitute vegetable broth for a vegan/vegetarian variation!
- 1 Tbsp fresh thyme leaves, minced
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 Tbsp tomato paste
- 2-2½ tsp kosher salt
- 1 tsp ground black pepper
- 2 cups cabbage, thinly sliced (I use a slaw mix)
- 3 Tbsp fresh or freeze-dried dill (I use Litehouse Freeze-Dried Dill)
- 3 Tbsp red wine vinegar
- ¾ cup reduced-fat sour cream (I like Tillamook)
Instructions
- Begin by roasting your root vegetables to bring out their flavor. Preheat your oven to 400°. While it's heating up, pile the beets, carrots, and potatoes onto a large baking sheet. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil and give them a good toss with your hands to evenly coat. Spread them out into a single layer and once the oven's reached temperature, pop them in. Roast for 20 minutes.
- Once your roasting veggies are about halfway done, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion and celery and saute until just softened, about 5-7minutes. Add the garlic and saute for another couple minutes.
- Slowly pour the broth into the pot and take a moment to scrape up any browned bits off the bottom with a wooden spoon. Then add in the fresh thyme, bay leaf, and tomato paste and give it all a good stir.
- By this point, your root veggies should be ready to pull out of the oven. Transfer them directly into your pot and give it all another good stir. Season with the salt and pepper.
- Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer the soup for 40 minutes up to an hour. Once the veggies are tender to your liking, add the sliced cabbage, dill, and red wine vinegar. Stir well and simmer for another 5 or so minutes until the cabbage has softened a bit and the flavors have melded.
- Serve with a dollop of sour cream and garnish with extra dill, if you wish. Enjoy!!
- (Note: This soup is definitely one that gets better the next day, making for fantastic leftovers!)
Notes
Did you try this recipe for Hearty and Delicious Borscht? Let me know how it went down in the comments!
3 thoughts on “Hearty and Delicious Borscht”
I’ve heard of Borscht, but have never had it. I’m definitely pinning this for later!
I hope you love it! ❤️