Beetroot Soup Russian Style

Name: Beetroot Soup Russian Style
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 60 min
Total time: 65 min
Ingredients: 2 pounds beets (washed and peeled); 8 cups water for boiling; 1 tablespoon neutral oil; 1 onion diced; 2 garlic cloves minced; 1/2 cup celery finely diced; 3 cups stock; 1/4 teaspoon salt and pepper ((more or less to taste)); 1 bay leaf; 1 tablespoon chopped parsley; Croutons for serving (( you can find my recipe in this post: ))

April 14, 2017 by Mahy, Updated October 11, 2019 32 Comments

Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

Got fresh beets? Make this easy Russian Beetroot Soup! A light, yet hearty veggie soup that requires minimal prep time and can be served warm or cold.

This vibrant colorful soup is made with basically one major ingredient that’s cooked Russian style into a delicious Beetroot Soup recipe! If you’re not a beet person, please please keep reading—I think I can convince you to give it a try 😉

I absolutely LOVE soup any season, and we’re kicking off spring with a deep pink, healthy and light beetroot soup! And while I’m invited this year for Easter dinner, I would totally have this soup on my Easter table!

Why you have to try this Russian Beetroot Soup:

When it comes to this beetroot soup, beets are absolutely the main ingredient here. It’s really one of those soups you can make and serve really hot on a cold rainy day.

Yet, you can serve it cold or warm on Spring and Summer days and it’ll fit perfectly too.

The beetroot soup here is as classic as can be, so I’ve shredded the beets. I know some people dice the beets, but I can tell you that these shreds of beets add an extra touch of interesting texture to the soup!

I’ve made this beetroot soup the classic old-fashion Russian way here, but you can definitely jazz it up with a few more toppings. This classic taste brought back so so many memories for me so I had to share 🙂

This traditional Russian Beetroot Soup brings back memories of Moscow!

A few of you might not know that I lived in Moscow for nearly four years. I was in high school, yet I remember it vividly. It was one of the posts my Dad served at, and one of the places we enjoyed living at.

The first thing I got asked was, is it really that cold? The truth is, it wasn’t! It’s colder than most of Europe, but definitely not colder than Canada.

In the summer, Moscow was so very green. Daylight could go on till nearly midnight and we stayed out enjoying it all summer long ( probably two months in total, but totally worth it!). We had to learn some Russian words just to get by day to day communication, funny enough I still remember so many words!

I remember the local Russian ice cream sold on the streets—the creamiest thing I ever tasted! l I remember many gorgeous cities, parks, rivers around Moscow and most of all I remember eating much new delicious food!

Back to the beetroot soup, a memory of my few years in Moscow which dragged with me till now. If you’ve followed the beet movement, then you know it’s one of the healthiest foods.

It’s super rich in Vitamin C, Fiber and minerals like Potassium and much more! Luckily for me, I find beets super delicious, so I make plenty of salads using it as a main ingredient.

I also love adding it to any salad even if it’s not the main ingredient like this Italian Balsamic Chicken Salad recipe.

How to make Russian Beetroot Soup (aka. borscht or svekoljnik):

You’ll need to boil the beets until they’re soft enough to be easily shredded. After that, you’ll quickly sauté the onion, garlic, and celery with a neutral tasting oil.

At that point, you’ll add the stock, the shredded beets, a bay leaf, some of the beet water and cook for maximum 30 minutes.

Finished off with a tablespoon of vinegar, some parsley, and croutons. A perfect bowl of beetroot soup!

For the record, some people add cabbage, potatoes, carrots and more veggie goodness. I love the old-fashioned classic beet only beetroot soup and if you make it, you’ll be totally surprised by how simple, easy and delicious it is! So Make it and enjoy 🙂

Tips for success:

Some people like to add turnips, cabbage, potatoes, carrots, and more veggie goodness to their beetroot soup and you can go ahead and do just that.
You can use any stock you like, beef, vegetable or chicken.
This recipe requires fresh beets, so don’t use pickled!
Along with the croutons, you can also serve some sour cream in a separate bowl or added into the plate with borsch right before serving it.

overhead shot of two bowls of Russian Beetroot Soup with croutons

4.85 from 13 votes