Roasted Golden Beet Borscht
Soup Saturday Swappers are back; this month’s theme is root vegetables. This recipe for Roasted Golden Beet Borscht is simple to prepare and simply delicious.
As a child, I would always dread the beets. They were red pickled beets, served hot, as a side dish and I thought they were nasty. I’d sit there, looking at my plate, while being told, “Eat your BEETS!” Ugh. I’ve never really gotten over my dislike of them.
Several years ago, however, I discovered organic golden beets in the produce section of my local market. The deep gold and peachy tones of the skin were intriguing to me, so I decided to buy some. Once roasted with a bit of olive oil, herbs, salt and pepper, they were absolutely dreamy! I’ve been hooked ever since.
When this month’s Soup Saturday Swapper theme was proposed by Wendy from A Day in the Life on the Farm, I knew just what I wanted to make. A golden beet version of the classic borscht.
Borscht is a very popular soup in Eastern European cuisines, including Russia and Poland. It’s distinctive in part because of its bright (beet) red color. So, my version will probably raise some eyebrows. That’s fine with me…
I roasted my beets, along with organic carrots (white, purple and orange) and some shallots. Tossed with olive oil, salt, pepper and fresh thyme leaves, they got a nice caramelized edge on them as they softened; this adds outstanding flavor that boiling the beets just won’t impart.
Once the root vegetables were roasted, I added them to a saucepan with chicken stock, some red wine vinegar (borscht is typically a sour soup), adjusted my seasonings and let the soup simmer for a bit. After simmering for about 20 minutes, I used my immersion blender to not quite puree the soup. I didn’t leave chunks of vegetables, but it still had texture to it.
Topped with the traditional sour cream and a sprig of dill, the soup was fabulous. I hope you’ll try it! Also be sure to check out the other root vegetable soups posted by other participants in the links below. Thanks to Wendy for hosting a great theme.
P~
- 1½ pounds golden beets, peeled and cut into 1 inch cubes (about 6 medium-sized)
- 1 cup diced carrot, peeled (I used a combination of white, purple and orange)
- 1 large shallot (about the size of a small onion)
- 4 sprigs of fresh thyme, leaves pulled
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- kosher salt and ground black pepper
- 4 cups chicken stock
- 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- garnish: dollop sour cream, dill sprig
- Preheat the oven to 400°F.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper (for easy clean up)
- In a bowl, add the beets, carrot, shallot, thyme leaves, olive oil, salt and pepper.
- Toss to combine.
- Pour out onto the prepared baking sheet and spread out into a single layer.
- Place the baking sheet into the preheated oven and bake for 35 minutes, or until the vegetables are fork tender.
- Remove from the oven.
- Place the roasted vegetables into a medium-sized sauce pan along with the stock and red wine vinegar.
- Over medium heat, simmer for about 20 minutes.
- Using an immersion blender (or in batches in a regular blender), pulse to obtain not quite a puree. You want there to still be some texture.
- Serve hot with sour cream and a sprig of dill.
I love that you used golden beets in this borscht. It looks wonderful.
Thanks, Wendy. It was really good. Also thanks for the wonderful theme for this month! P~
I grew up with canned beets, so you can imagine how long it took me to try them again! This soup looks and sounds wonderful.
Yes. I can imagine. They are horrible. 😀 Thank you, the soup is wonderful. I love, love roasted golden beets! P~
I keep forgetting about golden beets… such a beautiful ingredient!
less “aggressive” than the red cousins, which always leave stains on my clothes (apart from hands, forehead… 😉
Sally, I was so happy when I discovered golden beets! They really are beautiful, and tasty! Red beets are great for dying eggs. 😉
I love golden beats. I just don’t see them available very often. I love the mixture of the carrots with the beets…sounds like a delicious soup!!
I love them too, Kathy! My local market always has them; organic, so they are pricey, but so good. The carrots added a lot of flavor, and a bit of color, too. Thanks!
Personally I love pickled beets, but roasting a fresh beet brings out the natural sweetness as well. And the golden beets transform into little nuggets of deliciousness as well (and fewer stains on hands, clothing, tile floors…)
Great choice.
Sid, I might like pickled beets if I tried them cold, since I love all pickled things. I have just not been able to force myself to try them. Yes, roasting the beets was such a flavor benefit! Thanks! P~
This looks amazing! I love beets- but have never tried golden ones~
Thanks, Barrie. If you ever come across them, do try them! They are so good! P~
Oh my goodness…can I just shove my face into the bowl and slurp it all up? This soup sounds too good to pass up!
Thank you, Colleen! P~
I love this soup, its on my to do list.
I love that, Sneha! Hope you’ll like it! P~
Wow, this is the tastiest looking borscht I’ve ever seen! Love your creative use of golden beets! 🙂
It was so good! I love the golden beets so much. Thanks! P~