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The simplest borscht with beetroot and cabbage is lean

Simple Meatless Borscht with Beets and Cabbage

The tastiest one, from everyday ingredients, for any day! This very simple borscht with beets and cabbage cooks in water, with no meat, and takes about 40 minutes. Serve it with fresh herbs and sour cream—it's incredibly good!

katushafin

Recipe author

The simplest borscht with beetroot and cabbage is lean

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Composition / ingredients

Servings:

Water

Cabbage

250

Potatoes

Onion

Carrot

Beet

Bell pepper

Tomato paste

Vegetable oil

Dill

Salt

Translation table of volumetric measures

Nutrients and energy value of the composition of the recipe

By weight of the composition:

Proteins 14 % 1 g

Fats 29 % 2 g

Carbohydrates 57 % 4 g

32 kcal

GI: 75 / 0 / 25

Cooking method

Step 1:

How do you make the simplest borscht with beets and cabbage? Gather your ingredients. Wash and dry the vegetables and herbs first, and remove the cabbage's outer leaves. Any vegetable oil works. You can swap the tomato paste for tomatoes in their own juice, puréed in a blender.
Step 2:

Finely shred the cabbage or cut it into squares, whichever you prefer. Peel the potatoes and cut them into cubes.
Step 3:

Peel the onion and dice it; peel and coarsely grate the carrot. Remove the stem and seeds from the pepper and cut it into thin strips. Use any color of bell pepper—mine is red.
Step 4:

Peel and coarsely grate the beet. You can cut the carrot and beet with a knife instead of grating—it's up to you. I prefer not to spend time slicing.
Step 5:

Heat the vegetable oil in a skillet and add the chopped onion, carrot, and bell pepper. Sauté over low heat, stirring, for about 5 minutes—go by your own stove.
Step 6:

Add the grated beet to the vegetables in the pan and stir. I always add a little sugar to the sauté, but that's up to you. Add the tomato paste and mix well. If your tomato paste is very thick, splash in a little water—a few tablespoons is enough.
Step 7:

Cover the pan and let it simmer over low heat for 10–15 minutes. Stir now and then so the vegetables don't scorch.
Step 8:

While the vegetables simmer, set a pot of water on the heat and bring it to a boil. Drop the cabbage into the boiling water, then a little later (about 5 minutes) the potatoes. Salt to taste. Let the vegetables cook for about 10 minutes.
Step 9:

When the sauté is ready, add it to the borscht and stir—it'll turn a beautiful red right away. Add the chopped herbs, bring to a boil, and immediately turn off the heat; boiling dulls the borscht's rich color. Cover the pot and let the soup rest—it'll taste even better. Enjoy!

The borscht came out rich in both color and flavor, even though it's made with water. Be sure to add a spoonful of sour cream and some chopped fresh herbs when serving. To keep the color that vivid red, don't boil it when reheating—just warm it through. Borscht's red color depends on the beet variety and on the amount of acid in the soup; the acid can come from tomato or tomato paste (as here), lemon juice, or vinegar. Right at the end you can add finely minced garlic to deepen the aroma. If you prefer a meat version, cook a broth first and then follow the same steps.
Root vegetables are best scrubbed with a brush or a stiff sponge under running water.
To keep your eyes from stinging when you cut onions, rinse the onion and your knife in cold water. Your cutting board won't pick up the onion smell if you rub it with a piece of lemon first.
For cooking, it's best to use filtered or bottled water with a neutral taste. Tap water can give the dish an off, characteristic flavor.