Beetroot soup is a rich, wholesome dish known for its deep red colour, earthy sweetness, and comforting warmth. Packed with essential vitamins and nutrients, it’s as nourishing as it is delicious. Whether you’re looking for a quick weekday meal or a hearty dish to impress guests, this soup is easy to prepare and full of bold, satisfying flavours.
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Why You Need to Make This Soup
There’s something incredibly comforting about a bowl of beetroot soup. It has a natural sweetness balanced by savoury depth, making every spoonful satisfying. The velvety beets blend perfectly with soft potatoes, carrots, and kidney beans, creating a well-rounded dish that’s both hearty and healthy. Unlike many soups that require long simmering times, this one comes together quickly, making it a great option for busy days. The cooking process is straightforward, requiring just a bit of chopping and sautéing before everything is combined into a rich, vibrant broth. Plus, the longer it sits, the better it tastes, making it a fantastic make-ahead meal for the week.
Beetroot soup is a hearty, vibrant dish with a rich flavour. This easy, broth-free recipe is nutritious, filling, and perfect for any meal. Red kidney beans add protein and a meaty texture, making them an inexpensive alternative to meat.
How This Soup Differs from Borscht
While beetroot soup and borscht share some similarities, they are not the same. Borscht traditionally includes cabbage, but this version skips it, resulting in a smoother and lighter texture. Instead of fresh tomatoes, this soup uses only tomato paste, which deepens the flavour without adding too much acidity. Another key difference is the base—borscht relies on a rich vegetable or bone stock, whereas this beetroot soup is designed to be quick and fuss-free, made simply with water. Despite not using broth, the combination of sautéed vegetables, kidney beans, and lemon juice ensures the soup remains full of depth and richness, making it a perfect, speedy alternative to traditional borscht.
Ingredients and Why They Work Together
This beetroot soup is proof that you don’t need expensive ingredients to create a delicious, wholesome meal. Every component is affordable, easy to find, and plays a smart role in building flavour, texture, and nutrition—perfect for anyone cooking on a budget.
Beetroot – Inexpensive and full of flavour, beetroot adds a natural sweetness, earthy depth, and bold red colour that makes the soup look and taste amazing.
Potatoes – Cheap, filling, and versatile, potatoes give the soup body and creaminess, making it feel heartier without any costly ingredients.
Carrots – Carrots are affordable and naturally sweet, helping to round out the flavours while adding colour and a touch of extra nutrition.
Onions – A pantry staple, onions bring that essential savoury base to the soup, boosting flavour with minimal cost.
Celery – Just a couple of stalks add freshness and a bit of herbal lift. Even on a budget, celery is worth including for balance.
Green sweet pepper – This adds a fresh, mild crunch and a bit of sweetness. One pepper goes a long way and lifts the whole dish.
Red kidney beans – A brilliant low-cost alternative to meat. They add plant-based protein and make the soup more filling, creamy, and satisfying.
Tomato paste – A small spoonful adds rich umami and acidity, giving the soup depth without needing expensive broth or tomatoes.
Neutral oil – Just a splash is enough to sauté the veg and bring out their flavour. Any basic cooking oil will do.
Fresh lemon juice – A squeeze of lemon at the end adds brightness. Even half a lemon or bottled juice makes a noticeable difference.
Salt and pepper – Simple seasonings that bring everything together. Don’t skip them—they’re budget-friendly flavour boosters.
Water or stock cube (optional) – This recipe works beautifully with just water, but if you’ve got a stock cube, it’s an easy way to add even more flavour without extra cost.
How to Make Beetroot Soup
Making this beetroot soup is simple, quick, and doesn’t require any fancy techniques. With a few everyday ingredients and less than an hour, you'll have a warm, nourishing meal ready to enjoy.
- Sauté the base vegetables
Start by gently sautéing the carrots and onions in a bit of neutral oil until soft and fragrant. Add the chopped celery and green pepper, season with salt and pepper, and continue cooking until everything starts to soften. Stir in the tomato paste and let it cook for a few minutes to bring out its full depth of flavour. - Prepare the potatoes separately
While the vegetables are cooking, dice the potatoes into small cubes and add them to a pot of salted water. Bring the pot to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for around 10 minutes. This step ensures the potatoes cook evenly, since tomato paste can sometimes slow down their softening if added too early. - Combine everything in the pot
Once the potatoes are nearly done, add in the sautéed vegetables. Grate or finely shred the cooked beetroot and stir it into the pot along with the red kidney beans. These beans add a lovely creaminess and turn this soup into a hearty, meat-free meal. - Finish and rest before serving
Squeeze in some fresh lemon juice to brighten the flavour and adjust the seasoning to taste. Turn off the heat, cover the pot, and let the soup rest for 10 minutes. This allows all the flavours to settle and deepen. For best results, enjoy it the next day—beetroot soup is even tastier once it’s had time to sit.
How to Serve Beetroot Soup
To elevate the flavours, garnish each bowl with freshly chopped parsley and a generous amount of minced garlic for a punchy, aromatic finish. A spoonful of sour cream swirled into the soup adds a wonderful creamy contrast, making it even more indulgent. Pairing it with warm bread rolls or traditional rye bread enhances the experience, as the bread soaks up the rich, savoury broth perfectly.
For an extra layer of flavour, you can also drizzle a touch of good-quality olive oil on top or sprinkle in a pinch of chilli flakes if you enjoy a bit of heat. Whether served as a starter or a main dish, this soup is a true comfort food classic.
How to Store
Beetroot soup keeps incredibly well, making it an excellent meal-prep option. Stored in an airtight container, it remains fresh for up to four days in the fridge. When reheated, the flavours become even more pronounced, making the leftovers arguably better than the first serving. You can reheat it gently on the stove or in the microwave, adding a splash of water if it thickens too much over time.
Because of its bright colour and naturally mild, slightly sweet taste, kids often enjoy this soup, making it a great option for family meals. If you’re making a big batch, consider freezing portions in airtight containers—just leave out the fresh parsley and sour cream until serving, as they’re best added fresh.
Beetroot Soup Recipe
A rich and comforting beetroot soup with a deep, earthy flavour and vibrant colour. Simple ingredients come together for a satisfying, broth-free dish.
Ingredients
- 4 cooked beetroots
- 2 potatoes
- 1 carrot
- 1 onion
- 2 celery stalks
- 1 green sweet pepper
- 3–4 tablespoon tomato paste
- Neutral oil for sautéing
- Fresh lemon juice
- Salt and black pepper
- Water (or optional stock cube)
- 1 can of red kidney beans
Instructions
- Peel and grate the carrot, slice the onion, and chop the celery and green pepper.
- Heat a pan with oil and sauté the carrots and onions until soft, then add celery and green pepper. Season with salt and pepper.
- Stir in the tomato paste and cook for a few minutes to enhance its depth of flavour.
- Meanwhile, dice the potatoes into cubes and add them to a pot of salted water. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer for 10 minutes.
- Add the sautéed vegetables to the pot with the potatoes. Let it cook for 5-7 minutes.
- Shred the cooked beetroot and add it to the soup along with the kidney beans. Cook the soup for couple of minutes for flavours to combine.
- Squeeze in fresh lemon juice, adjust seasoning, and turn off the heat. Cover and let the soup rest for 15 minutes before serving.
