Main Page
Soups
Borscht without meat without frying with beetroot

Meatless No-Sauté Beet Borscht

The tastiest, most satisfying soup you can make with just water! For this meatless beet borscht, all you need is vegetables from the garden. You can safely call this first course a diet dish, since it's made without the traditional sautéing of vegetables—yet it tastes excellent and incredibly delicious!

Pearl

Recipe author

Borscht without meat without frying with beetroot

Composition / ingredients

Servings:

Young cabbage

250

Potatoes

500

Beets

150

Carrots

100

Onion

Vegetable oil

Tomatoes

220

Water

1.5

Garlic (optional)

Bay leaf (small, or 1 large)

Lemons (optional)

0.5

Salt

Fresh herbs

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 14 % 1 g

Carbohydrates 71 % 5 g

29 kcal

GI: 80 / 0 / 20

Cooking method

Cooking time: 35 min

Step 1:

How do you make meatless, no-sauté beet borscht? Gather all the vegetables you'll need. If you can, use young cabbage—it's more tender and a bit sweeter, which gives the finished dish a special flavor.
Step 2:

Peel the potatoes and cut them into small cubes. You can cut them however you prefer—into sticks or larger pieces.
Step 3:

Cover the potatoes with cold water and set the pot over high heat. You can use chicken or vegetable broth instead of plain water. Once it boils, lower the heat to moderate, add a little salt, and cook until the potatoes are done (the time depends on the variety and the size of your pieces). It took me about 15–20 minutes.
Step 4:

Meanwhile, prep everything else. Peel the onion, beets, carrot, and garlic, and rinse them along with the bay leaf and herbs under running water.
Step 5:

Shred the cabbage into thin strips.
Step 6:

Grate the beets and carrot on the fine side of a grater. Sprinkle the beets with freshly squeezed lemon juice—it adds a touch of tartness to the finished dish and keeps the broth a bright red.
Step 7:

Cut the onion into the smallest dice you can.
Step 8:

Cut a cross in the bottom of each tomato and pour boiling water over them. Leave them like that for 2 or 3 minutes.
Step 9:

Drain the water and slip the skins off the tomatoes easily.
Step 10:

Dice the tomatoes small. I usually toss in a few cherry tomatoes too—they're sweet, which gives the finished dish extra brightness and special notes of flavor.
Step 11:

Once the potatoes are done, turn the heat to high. Add the beets, carrot, and onion to the pot and let it boil for about 3 minutes.
Step 12:

Next, add the tomatoes to the borscht, lower the heat slightly, and cook for another 5 minutes.
Step 13:

Add the cabbage and bay leaf to the vegetables and, if you like, 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil. Cook everything together until the cabbage is done (usually 3 to 5 minutes).
Step 14:

Now for the finishing touches: add finely chopped fresh herbs and garlic (minced however you like) to the borscht. You can also add your favorite spices at this point—I usually use ground paprika. Taste again for salt and adjust if needed. Turn up the heat, and at the first sign of boiling, take the pot off the heat, cover it, and let the borscht rest for at least 15 minutes.
Step 15:

The most fragrant and delicious light borscht is ready! When serving, you can sprinkle it with ground allspice or black pepper.

Borscht is considered one of the most balanced and nourishing first courses there is. It's usually made with meat broth, with favorite sauces and spices added while the vegetables sauté. Try making it with water and no sautéing—it's great for anyone on a diet or fasting. You can pre-roast the carrot and beets in the oven until done, then cut them into thin strips by hand and add them to the cooked potatoes to finish. If you're not using young cabbage, add it to cook along with the potatoes, since it takes longer than a young head. You can leave out the bay leaf and garlic entirely. If you use seasonal sweet vegetables, the finished borscht will taste simply excellent! As is traditional, you can offer a dollop of sour cream with each bowl. Enjoy!