Easy Vegan Beet Soup Recipe

One soup that deserves more love is beet soup. If prepared well, it is delicious. For anybody that struggles to make good use of red beets, this is a recipe I can recommend. The earthy flavours of the beets harmonize with the sweetness of sautéed carrots, the creaminess from potatoes, and the fragrant notes of fresh dill. This red beet soup is not only delicious but uncomplicated to make, super healthy, and beautiful! 

This recipe draws inspiration from borscht, the traditional red beet soup from Ukraine. While it has little to do with traditional borsch, I am taking inspiration from its flavour profile. Still, this beet soup recipe is vegan and omits white cabbage. The result is a red beet soup that needs only a few ingredients but tastes absolutely delicious. 

Ingredients for making Beetroot Soup: 

• Red beets 
• Cannellini Beans
• Carrots 
• Potatoes
• Shallots 
• Vegan butter
• Vegetable stock
• White wine
• Vegan cream
• Nutmeg
• Laurel leaves
• Dill
• Cress
• Pickled beets
• Black pepper & salt

I would recommend using fresh beets, and not pre-cooked ones, they just taste much better. The pickled beets are a fantastic garnish, they add a tangy flavour dimension to the soup. I have a recipe on how to make pickled beets at home here, it’s super easy! Also, I’d recommend going for homemade vegetable stock. It is super simple to make, and adds so much extra flavour!

Beet Soup Recipe: 

Making the beet soup is super simple. Firstly, we want to prepare our veggies. Peel the potatoes, beets, and carrots, and chop them into equally-sized pieces. Also, finely dice the shallots. 

Next, we want to get some veggie stock prepared. I like to make my own vegetable stock. It just adds so much extra flavour! I customized the veggie stock to this recipe by adding cutting scraps and peels from the beets. If you want more info on how to make delicious veggie stock yourself, I linked the recipe here. 

Next, add your vegan butter to the pot, and let it melt. Add your shallots, and sauté until translucent. Next, add the other vegetables, and sauté them for another five minutes.

Continue stirring, as we don’t want roasty flavours to develop for this recipe. Deglaze the pot with white wine, and start adding your vegetable stock. Add the laurel leaves. 

Now, let the soup simmer until the beets and carrots are tender. Take out the laurel leaves and season with nutmeg. Next, use an immersion blender to blend the soup to a smooth consistency. You might need to add some more vegetable stock. Once the soup is blended, add the rinsed cannellini beans and finely chopped dill. You may want to reserve some dill for garnishing. Let the soup simmer for another 20 minutes. Once the soup is ready, check for seasoning. 

To plate the soup, I try to add equal amounts of beans to each serving. Add the soup, and drop the vegan cream on top. You can make beautiful patterns using a toothpick. Next, I garnished the soup with the reserved fresh dill, some cress, and thinly sliced, pickled raw beets. A final crack of black pepper and freshly grated nutmeg, and it’s time to indulge! 

What makes Beet Soup Healthy? 

Firstly, with beets being a main ingredient, this soup benefits from all the amazing characteristics of red beets! They contain vitamins A & C, iron, and calcium, so they are a source of vital micronutrients. Also, their betalains and nitrates can contribute to heart health and have anti-inflammatory properties. 

The carrots in this soup contain beta-carotene, which may have anti-ageing and cancer-preventing properties. Lastly, the soup is low on calories, contains healthy fibre, and has some quality plant proteins from the cannellini beans. 

Some more Inspirations: 

• Ever had a peppery parsnip soup? Its natural sweetness goes so well with black pepper, it’s delicious! 
• This roasted garlic soup is so fragrant and warming during winter.
• Check out this vegan twist on the classic Thai Tom Kha soup for fragrant flavours.
• A beet salad with grape and walnuts makes a fantastic summer salad.
• This creamy pumpkin soup is a classic for a reason. 
• Vegan beet cream cheese is a fantastic dip, spread or garnish for salads.
• These semolina dumplings make a tasty addition to all kinds of soups.