Best Beet Soup Recipes

CREAMY ROASTED BEET SOUP

Steps:

• In a large saucepan set over moderate heat cook beets and onion in butter, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes. Add broth, thyme, bay leaf and salt and pepper to taste and simmer soup, covered, for 15 minutes. Discard bay leaf. Transfer to a food processor or blender and puree, in batches if necessary, until smooth. Return soup to saucepan, stir in cream and vinegar and bring soup to a simmer, stirring, until heated through. Garnish each serving with cream and dill, if desired.;

CHILLED BEET SOUP WITH BUTTERMILK, CUCUMBERS, AND DILL (CHLODNIK)

Steps:

• Using a large knife, separate greens and stems from beets. Thoroughly wash greens and stems; set aside. Scrub beets, transfer to a medium pot, and cover with 1" water. Cover pot and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium, uncover, and cook until beets are tender when pierced with a knife, about 10 minutes. Drain beets; discard cooking liquid. Let cool.
• Meanwhile, chop beet greens and stems. Transfer to a large pot and add 1/2 tsp. salt and 4 cups water. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium and simmer, without boiling, until greens are tender, about 5 minutes. Let cool to room temperature, about 30 minutes.
• Peel and coarsely grate beets, preferably wearing gloves. Add to pot with cooled greens. Gently stir in cucumbers, pickle, pickle brine, buttermilk, sour cream, and scallions. Season with salt and pepper.
• Cover pot and chill soup at least 30 minutes. Adjust seasonings, if desired. Divide soup among bowls; top with eggs and dill.
• Do Ahead
• Soup can be made 2 days ahead; cover and chill.

ROASTED BEET AND POTATO SOUP

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Place the potatoes and beets into a baking dish, and drizzle with 1 tablespoon olive oil; season with salt and black pepper.
• Roast in the preheated oven until tender, about 1 hour; allow to cool.
• Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large soup pot over medium heat, and stir in the celery, onion, and garlic. Cook, stirring often, until the onion is translucent, about 5 minutes. Mix in the cooked vegetables, chicken broth, thyme, and bay leaf, bring to a boil, and reduce heat. Simmer until the celery is very tender, about 45 minutes.
• Remove from heat, and discard the bay leaf. Puree the mixture in the pot with an immersion blender until very well blended; stir in the milk and lemon juice to serve.

A BETTER BORSCHT (BEET) SOUP

Steps:

• Place pork hocks in a stock pot and cover with 6 cups cold water (or enough to really cover them. Cover and place over fire until the hocks come to a boil.
• While this is coming to a boil, chop your onions, celery, carrots and beans.
• When the pot has boiled there will be a lot of foam at the top of the pot, Pour everything out and rinse the pot and meat well, then move to step 4. This is so that you don't have floaty things in the soup later (personally I often miss this step and don't mind the results at all). If you decide to miss cleaning everything just move straight to step 4 right away. Otherwise, you need to add 6 cups (or more, you need enough to cover them) clean cold water before step 4.
• Add the garlic, seasonings and the chopped vegetables.
• Bring the pot back to a boil, turn down and simmer 1 1/2 to 2 hours or until the pork hock is loosened and tender.
• Remove the pork hock from the pot and cool. Return the stock to the fire and continue simmering until you've moved to the next step. While the pork hock is cooling, chop the potato and prepare the first four beets.
• To prepare the beets, peel them, cut them lengthwise in half (through the stem and top), turn cut side down and slice into 1/8" thin slices across the width of the beet. Lay the slices down and cut these into 1'8" slices across the width of the beet. This method gives the prettiest presentation.
• Add the potato to the pot and return the soup to a slow boil, then add the beet slices. DO NOT LET THE SOUP BOIL ONCE THE BEETS ARE ADDED OR IT WILL LOSE IT'S COLOR.
• While this is coming up to heat, clean the pork hock and return them to the pot. Make sure to get all the ugly bits and fat, but leave the meat as whole as you can, better to shred it in you bowl! Trust me!
• Leave this to simmer very slowly until the potato is cooked and the beets are tender. Meanwhile, chop the beet stalks (if they are tender) and the leaves; and peel and grate the final 2 beets.
• Add the peas and tops/leaves to the pot. When the peas are cooked add the grated beets (this is more to thicken the soup and add back any color that may have been lost before; and also DH loves the addition of shredded beat to this cause that's the way his mom made borscht). Continue to cook VERY SLOWLY.
• Once everything is tender you can finally add the dill and 1/2 teaspoon of sour salt. Tasting is important here, I usually add about 1 1/2 teaspoons of sour salt myself, but I prefer it a bit sour.
• I taste all the way through because I love the way the flavor builds, but it is very important at the end. Adjust the dill, salt and sour salt carefully, with some practice you'll find a soup that everyone loves.
• Add more water if this soup begins looking dry, but it is a thick soup so doesn't require a lot of broth - cream will be added at the table.
• You can park the soup overnight in the fridge and remove all the fat that rises the next day. This soup is excellent on day 1 but even better day 2, and healthier when the fat is removed.
• The broth shouldn't be sweet (the sweetness will happen with every bite) and it should have a bit of a sour tang (I like mine quite sour)and a taste of dill (and quite dilly). The soup SHOULD NEVER be salty because the meat may call for some seasoning in the bowl.
• This soup is better the next day, and may be put in jars and canned (10 minutes in a water bath) or frozen (but I find the beans go off when it's frozen so would leave them out in this case).
• Add sour cream or whipped cream at the table as a garnish. More fresh dill is pretty and tasty as well.
• Ask my friend Katlin - he loves this soup!

ROASTED GARLIC AND BEET SOUP

Steps:

• Heat oven to 400 degrees. Drizzle beets with olive oil and roast in parchment-lined foil until tender, about 1 hour. Meanwhile, drizzle garlic cloves with oil and roast in separate foil packet, about 30 minutes. Unwrap beets, let cool, peel, and quarter. Squeeze garlic from skin. Set aside.
• Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a pot over medium heat. Add leek and cook, stirring, until tender, 6 to 8 minutes. Add beets and garlic, thyme, bay leaf, and 3 cups water. Season with salt and pepper.
• Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer, 5 minutes. Discard bay leaf. Let cool slightly, then puree in a blender until smooth. Stir in lemon juice and adjust seasoning to taste.

LITHUANIAN SALTIBARSCIAI (COLD BEET SOUP)

Steps:

• Place the eggs into a saucepan in a single layer and cover the eggs with water by 1 inch. Cover the saucepan and bring the water to a boil. Remove from the heat and let the eggs stand in the hot water for 15 minutes; drain. Cool the eggs under cold running water in the sink. Peel and chop the eggs.
• Pour the buttermilk into a large bowl; add the eggs, beets, cucumber, chives, and dill. Stir gently to combine. Chill in refrigerator for 1 full day before serving.

BEET, GINGER, AND COCONUT MILK SOUP

Steps:

• In a large pot, heat oil over medium heat. Sauté onion, 5 minutes. Add garlic and ginger; cook, stirring often, 5 minutes. Add beets and 4 cups stock; bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer until beets are fork-tender, 20 minutes. With an immersion or regular blender, puree soup, adding remaining 1 cup stock as needed to reach desired consistency. Stir in milk, salt and pepper. Garnish with parsley and julienned beets and serve with bread, if desired.

CHILLED GOLDEN BEET AND BUTTERMILK SOUP

Steps:

• In a small bowl, combine chopped shallots and vinegar and let macerate for 20 minutes. Whisk in 2 tablespoons olive oil and season with a few grinds of black pepper. Set aside.
• Put beets in a large pot over medium heat and add 1 teaspoon salt and enough water to cover. Boil for 25 to 40 minutes, depending on size, until tender when poked with the tip of a knife. Drain beets and let cool, then peel off the skins with your fingers.
• Cut 1 beet into a small, even dice, then add to the shallot mixture, season with a pinch of salt (or to taste) and set aside. Cut the remaining beets into large chunks and purée in a blender with buttermilk and lemon juice until smooth. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Refrigerate for 1 hour, or until completely cool.
• Ladle the soup into bowls and drizzle with a teaspoon of olive oil. Serve with marinated beets, herbs and sour cream on the side, so people can garnish their own bowls as they like.

BEET, GINGER AND RED CABBAGE SOUP

Steps:

• Heat the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring, until tender, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the potato, ginger, thyme, rosemary, 1/2 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of pepper and cook, stirring, until the potatoes are well coated, 2 to 3 minutes. Pour in the broth and bring to a simmer.
• Add the beets and cabbage and simmer until the potatoes and vegetables are tender, about 20 minutes, adjusting the heat as needed to maintain a simmer. Remove from the heat, discard the herbs and let cool at least 5 minutes. Carefully puree until smooth with a handheld immersion blender or in 2 to 3 batches in a blender (do not fill the blender more than halfway full).
• Reheat the soup if necessary and adjust the consistency with water and seasoning with salt and pepper as needed
• Serve hot with a dollop of sour cream and toasted chopped walnuts sprinkled on top.

GOLDEN BEET SOUP

Steps:

• Melt margarine in large pot over medium heat. Add beets, onions, ginger, and lemon peel. Cover; cook 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add 6 cups broth and bring to boil. Cover; reduce heat and simmer until beets are very tender, 1 hour. Remove from heat; let stand 20 minutes.
• Puree soup in blender in batches until smooth. Return puree to pot. Add 2 tablespoons lemon juice to soup and thin with more broth, if desired. Season with salt, pepper, and more lemon juice.
• Slice enough beet greens to measure 3/4 cup. Microwave greens 1 minute to wilt; place in blender. Add 3/4 cup soup; puree greens until smooth. DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover soup and puree separately; chill. Rewarm both separately before using.
• Ladle soup into bowls. Drizzle some of greens puree over soup and serve.

BEET SOUP WITH GREENS, APPLE SALAD AND CILANTRO-WALNUT PESTO

Steps:

• To make the soup, place beets and broth in a large pot. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer until tender, about 1 hour. Drain, reserving broth. When cool enough to handle, slip skins off beets. Set aside 2 beets. Place half of the remaining beets in a food processor. Measure broth and add enough water, if necessary, to make 9 cups. Add half of broth to beets and puree until smooth. Repeat with remaining beets and broth. Combine batches and stir in salt and pepper. Reheat before serving and stir in lemon juice and more salt, if needed.
• To make the beet greens, heat 1 1/2 teaspoons of olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the beet greens and saute for 10 minutes. Add 1/3 cup of water, cover and cook until tender, about 10 minutes more. Coarsely grate the reserved beets and stir into the greens with 1 1/2 teaspoons of oil, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, pepper and 1 teaspoon of lemon juice. Set aside.
• Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a medium nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the onions and cook, stirring often, until caramelized, about 15 minutes. Stir in the apple, walnut oil, 1 tablespoon of lemon juice, parsley, 1/2 teaspoon of salt and pepper. Set aside.
• Place the cilantro, walnuts and 1/2 cup of olive oil in a food processor and process until smooth. Add3/4 teaspoon of salt and 1 1/2 teaspoons of lemon juice.
• Place the beet green mixture, the apple mixture, the pesto and the sour cream in separate bowls. Ladle the soup into bowls. Serve, passing the condiments separately.

CREAMY BEET WITH DILL SOUP

Steps:

• Heat oil over medium-high heat in a large, deep saute pan until shimmering.
• Add beets, then onion; saute, stirring very little at first, then more frequently, until squash start to turn golden brown, 7 to 8 minutes.
• Reduce heat to low and add butter, sugar and garlic; continue cooking until all vegetables are a rich spotty caramel color, about 10 minutes longer.
• Add caraway seeds and cayenne pepper; continue to saute until fragrant, 30 seconds to 1 minute longer.
• Add broth; bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to low and simmer, partially covered, until beets are tender, about 10 minutes.
• Using an immersion blender or traditional blender, puree (adding fresh dill) until very smooth, 30 seconds to 1 minute. (If using a traditional blender, vent it either by removing the lid's pop-out center or by lifting one edge of the lid. Drape the blender canister with a kitchen towel. To 'clean' the canister, pour in a little half-and-half, blend briefly, then add to the soup.)
• Return to pan (or a soup pot); add enough half-and-half so the mixture is souplike, yet thick enough to float garnish. Taste, and add salt and pepper if needed. Heat through, ladle into bowls, garnish and serve.

SWEET RED PEPPER-BEET SOUP

Steps:

• Heat oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add shallots, and cook, stirring occasionally, until shallots are translucent and tender, about 4 minutes. Add bell peppers and beets, and stir to coat. Add water and chicken stock, and bring to a boil. Cover partially, and reduce heat. Simmer until beets are tender when pierced with a knife, about 1 hour.
• Remove saucepan from heat, and let cool slightly. Stir in lemon juice, and season with salt and pepper. Working in batches, puree mixture in a blender until smooth. Transfer to a large bowl, and refrigerate until chilled, up to overnight.
• Divide soup evenly among 6 to 8 bowls. Sprinkle each with goat cheese. Season with pepper, and serve with lemon wedges.

CHILLED BEET SOUP

Steps:

• Place sour cream, lemon juice, onion and beets into a food processor or blender and puree until mixture is smooth.
• Add ice or cold water, chill and serve with a dollop of sour cream on top.

SUMMER BEET BORSCHT (COLD SOUP)

Steps:

• 1. Preheat oven to 375. Line sheet pan with aluminum foil. Leave skin on beets lightly coat with olive oil. Roast for 30 minutes or longer until tender. After roasting, pull foil around beets to enclose, sit out to cool completely.
• 2. In large bowl whisk sour creams, yogurt, sugar, lemon juice, vinegar, salt and pepper. Peel cooled beets by rubbing the skins off or using paring knife(hint, use gloves for rubbing skins off to prevent staining of your hands.) Dice beets to 1/2 to 1 inch cubes. Add beets, cucumber, scallion and dill to soup mixture.
• 3. Cover with plastic wrap and chill at least 4 hours, overnight is better. Season with salt again if needed and serve cold with a dollop of sour cream and dill sprig.

ROASTED BEET, CRAB AND VEGETABLE SOUP

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
• Place beets into a 9x13 inch baking dish. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons olive oil and lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
• Cook beets in preheated oven, turning occasionally, until fork tender, about 45 minutes. Remove from oven, cool, peel, and cut into 1/2 inch pieces.
• Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Stir in the onion, garlic, celery, and mushrooms; cook and stir until the onion becomes transparent, about 5 minutes. Pour in the chicken broth, and heat 5 minutes. Add the lima beans and mixed vegetables; bring soup to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low, and stir in the tomatoes, peas, beets, and crab meat. Season with thyme, hot sauce, salt, and pepper, to taste. Simmer 10 minutes more, and turn off the heat. Just before serving, stir in 2 teaspoons lemon juice.

GINGERY BEET SOUP

Steps:

• In a medium saucepan, heat oil over medium-high. Add onion, chopped ginger, garlic, and a pinch of salt; cook until softened, 4 to 5 minutes. Add beets, potato, and 4 cups water. Season with salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer, cover, and cook until vegetables are tender, 25 to 30 minutes. Let cool slightly; transfer to a blender. Blend until smooth, adding 1/4 to 1/2 cup water for desired consistency.
• Stir together yogurt and grated ginger. Ladle soup into bowls; swirl in yogurt. Top with thyme (if desired), a drizzle of olive oil, and more pepper.

GRANDMA'S BORSCHT (POLISH BEET SOUP)

Steps:

• caramelize the onion in some olive oil.
• Add the potatoes and fry for about 2 minutes, careful not to let the onions and potatoes stick to the bottom of the pan. Use a bit more oil if necessary.
• Add the vegetable stock and carrots. If you use fresh green beans, add them at this point. Bring to a boil. Cook for 5 to 10 minutes until potatoes and carrots are tender.
• Add the beets, green beans, bay leaf, and dill. Simmer for a couple of hours. Serve with sour cream if desired.

COLD BEET AND CUCUMBER SOUP

Steps:

• Cook beets in large pot of boiling water until very tender and knife pierces through to the center easily, about 50 minutes. Drain beets; cool slightly. Peel and coarsely chop.
• Transfer beets, scallions, cucumbers, horseradish, and wine vinegar to food processor. Add some of the liquids to blend. Puree, but not too fine. Thin to desired consistency with beet juice and broth. Transfer to bowl, season, and chill several hours. Check seasoning before serving. Pour into individual bowls and garnish with spoonful of sour cream and sprinkling of dill. Can be made up to 3 days in advance, covered, chilled.

YUKON GOLD POTATO SOUP WITH CHIVE OIL, BEET REDUCTION AND SWEET GARLIC CONFIT CROUTONS

Steps:

• Put the potatoes in a large stock pot of salted cold water. Cover and bring to boil over medium heat. Lower the heat to a simmer and cook until tender. Once the potatoes are cooked, pour them into a strainer, removing all of the water. Put them back into the original pot. If there is still a lot of excess water in the potatoes, put the pot over low heat, shaking the pot so the potatoes dry off but not burn. Turn off the heat, cover and keep warm.
• In a large stock pot, over medium-high heat, add 2 tablespoons of butter and 1 tablespoon canola oil. When the butter has melted, add the onions, shallots and carrots. Turn the heat down to medium-low, and cook the vegetables until they soften, without burning or caramelizing. Saute for approximately 5 minutes, then add 2 quarts of vegetable stock. Keep the stock at a low simmer for about 30 minutes. Taste the stock and season with kosher salt and black pepper, to taste.
• While stock is cooking, make Garlic Confit for croutons:
• In a small saucepan over medium-low heat, add canola oil and whole peeled garlic. Allow to cook until very tender to the touch, about 30 to 45 minutes. It should be like roasted garlic where you can smash and spread it. Allow the garlic to cool a bit then remove garlic cloves from oil and smash the garlic making it look like a puree. Set aside.
• Pour half of the stock into the pot of cooked potatoes. Using a hand mixer or immersion blender, puree the potatoes. Continue to add stock accordingly until the puree is thick but still pourable. Make sure the whole mixture is smooth. If the soup is still too thick, add more stock. Strain the soup in a fine mesh sieve; this is going to help remove the starchy, grainy feel from the potatoes. Strain the soup at least twice to get a nice smooth texture.
• Add the strained soup to a fresh clean pot and put it over medium-low heat. Whisk in the 1 cup of the half-and-half, 1/2 a cup of heavy cream and 3 tablespoons of butter. (This is where your palette is going to come into play, you can make this as smooth and buttery as you want.) Season with kosher salt and white pepper. Keep whisking and stirring, so as not to let the soup burn. Lower the heat and keep the soup warm.
• To make the garlic croutons:
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
• Brush the garlic oil on both sides of the bread slices. Arrange them on a sheet pan and put in the oven to toast on both sides. Remove from oven and spread prepared garlic confit on top.
• Assembly: Using a 4-ounce ladle, pour a ladle of soup into each bowl and squeeze a nice large circle of chive oil around the soup. Squeeze another large circle of beet reduction directly on top of the chive oil. Put 1 garlic crouton in the middle of each bowl. Garnish the croutons with a sprinkle of finely chopped chives.
• Fill a bowl with ice and water. Bring a medium saucepan of water to a boil over medium heat. Once the water is at a boil, hold the bunch of chives with a pair of tongs. Put the chives into the water for 3 seconds and immediately remove to the ice water. Drain and dry the chives with a paper towel.
• In a blender add chives and oil and puree until smooth and thoroughly blended. Allow the mixture to sit overnight, then strain to remove any chive particles. Strain again through 4 layers of cheesecloth. Pour into a squeeze bottle and when ready to use, put the bottle into hot water to bring to room temperature.
• Puree the beets with a little bit of water in blender. Strain through a mesh strainer into a saucepan. Heat beet juice slowly over low heat and add the lemon juice. Pour the mixture through a fine mesh sieve and put it into a squeeze bottle.