Vegetarian Borscht With Chickpeas

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This vegetarian borscht is packed with nutrients and is the perfect comforting soup for colder days. Don’t wait any longer to add it to your Meal Plan or Batch Cooking

It’s naturally gluten-free with a beautiful purple-red color coming from the beetroots and vegan if served without sour cream.

Vegetarian borscht with chickpeas in a white bowl

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Borscht is a traditional soup in many Eastern European countries and the original Ukrainian version is made with beef.

However, this vegetarian version is equally rich in taste and also very nutritious

It’s a great option to reduce our meat intake and it’s a good, meatless balanced meal. You might want to add it to your meal plan, as it’s also great for batch cooking.

By the way, in case you were wondering, you don’t pronounce the “t” at the end, so it’s called “borsch”.

What do you need to make this version of vegetarian borscht

As for the ingredients needed to make the recipe, here is the list:

Onion
Raw beetroots 
Potatoes
Cabbage – can be green or red
Carrot
Tomato chunks – can be from a can or fresh
Cooked chickpeas 
Vegetable broth
Water
Salt & pepper

As for the tools needed:

A Cutting Board
A Good Quality Knife
Gloves to handle the beetroots and avoid having your fingers stained for a few days
A Peeler
A Big Stainless Steel Pot
A Wooden Spoon

How to make this version of borscht

You can either prepare all of the ingredients first or if you are more of an expert in the kitchen, you can prepare them while cooking.

STEP BY STEP PICTURES ON HOW TO MAKE THIS VEGETARIAN BORSCHT

A pot with onion to make borscht

Heat a large pot over medium heat and add 1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil. Add the onion and cook until golden brown

A pot with beets to make borscht

Using gloves, peel and dice the beets, add them to the pot, stir and let them cook while you prepare the next ingredient.

A pot with borscht cooking

Add the carrot, the broth, the diced potatoes, tomatoes, and the thin-sliced cabbage. Stir.

A pot with borscht with chickpeas cooking

Add the chickpeas, stir again, cover the pot and let it simmer for about 45 minutes or until veggies reach your desired consistency.

Borscht served in a bowl with sour cream and fresh dill

Serve hot with a tablespoon of sour cream on top and decorate with fresh dill.

WATCH HOW TO MAKE THIS VEGETARIAN BORSCHT (84 sec)

Some tips to make it perfectly

This dish will be perfect if it has flavors, shapes, and textures that you enjoy the most. 

Some of the ingredients can be swapped; for example, you can use beans or lentils instead of chickpeas

Or some other ingredient can be omitted; such as onion, carrot or cabbage.

This version of vegetarian borscht is the recipe I enjoy. You can try it as is to see if you like it, too. However, you are the only one who knows what you actually like. 

As I always say, don’t force yourself to eat healthy ingredients that you don’t like, but instead, find the healthy ingredients that you enjoy and work with them in the right way. 

Why do I consider this vegetarian borscht to be healthy

The main reason that this dish is healthy is that it’s made with whole natural ingredients. However, let’s have a look at the main ingredients used:

BEETROOTS or BEETS
They are rich in folate (20% of the RDA), manganese (16% of the RDA), fiber (7% of the RDA) and magnesium (6% of the RDA). (1)

According to a few studies (2) (3), the nitrates contained in beets help to lower blood pressure in healthy adult men. However, the effect lasts for about 6 hours. (4)

The same nitrate helps to improve running performances. (5)  

To best explore the potential of nitrate supplementation, it is recommended to consume it 3 hours prior to competition and its effects last for 6-9 hours. (6)

Finally, in case you were wondering, beetroots are low in calories.

CABBAGE
As we have already seen in the Cabbage Salad Recipe, this cruciferous is rich in vitamin C and K, folate and fiber, and according to this study, it has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory potential. 

CHICKPEAS
As already discussed for the recipe Caper Hummus, chickpeas are nutrient dense, provide different health benefits, and improve the nutrient profile of meals. (7)

Vegetarian borscht with chickpeas in a white bowl

How to store it and how long it lasts

This borscht can be stored in the fridge for up to 5 days. I recommend using airtight containers, making sure to fill them up to avoid leaving too much air in the containers that can provoke oxidation. 

I usually use these glass food containers, but jars like these are also very practical. 

Got some beets left? Try this

Beetroot Hummus

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Your turn: Have you ever tried borscht? If not, do you think you will give this recipe a try?  

Let me know if you have any questions by leaving a comment below.

As always, I appreciate you stopping by my blog, and if you think this post might help someone you know to make even a small step to a healthier lifestyle, please don’t hesitate to share it away!

Happy Healthy Eating!

A big hug,

Vegetarian borscht with chickpeas in a white bowl

Vegetarian Borscht With Chickpeas

Vegetarian borscht with chickpeas in a white bowl

This vegetarian borscht is vegan friendly, is naturally gluten-free, and is packed with nutrients. It’s the perfect comforting meal for colder days and to add to your Meal Plan or Batch Cooking

  • Author: Claudia Canu
  • Prep Time: 20
  • Cook Time: 50
  • Total Time: 1 hour 10 min
  • Yield: 8 1x
  • Category: Dinner
  • Method: Stove
  • Cuisine: Middle East
Scale

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon of EVOO
  • 1 medium onion
  • 2 big raw beetroots (beets)
  • 1 medium carrot
  • 4 cups of vegetable broth
  • 3 small potatoes
  • 1 can tomato chunks
  • ¼ red cabbage*
  • 4 cups of water
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon pepper
  • 1 cup cooked chickpeas 
  • Dill (optional)
  • Sour cream (optional)

Instructions

  1. Heat a large pot over medium heat and add 1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil.
  2. Peel the onion, dice it, add it to the pot and cook it until golden brown.
  3. Using gloves to avoid beetroot stains, peel the beetroots and dice them. The smaller they are, the faster they will cook. If you prefer, you can also grate them.
  4. Add them to the pot and stir them with the onion.
  5. Peel the carrot, dice it and add it to the pot. 
  6. After about 5 minutes, add the vegetable broth. 
  7. Peel the potatoes, dice them more or less to the same size as the beetroots and add them to the pot.
  8. Add the tomatoes.
  9. Cut the cabbage in half and one half in half again. Cut thin slices horizontally and vertically and add it to the pot. 
  10. Add four cups of water, salt and pepper.
  11. Add the chickpeas. If you are using canned, discard the liquid.
  12. Let it simmer for about 45 minutes, or until the veggies are soft.
  13. If you enjoy the taste of dill, add one or two tablespoons of freshly chopped dill.
  14. Serve hot with a tablespoon of sour cream on top and decorate with fresh dill.

Notes

*Cabbage could also be green

MAKE IT VEGAN:

This recipe is vegan if served without sour cream.

HOW TO STORE IT:

Store it in the fridge in an airtight glass food container for up to 5 days.

Keywords: borscht, beets soup, chickpea soup, beetroot soup

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10 responses to “Vegetarian Borscht With Chickpeas”

  1. Alison says:

    Yum! I just love fresh beets but I had never made borscht soup before. This is a nutritious and satisfying vegetarian and vegan soup. Will make it again for sure!

  2. Kelsey says:

    I love that you have a vegetarian recipe for the Holidays! Seems to be the hardest recipes to find! My Aunt will be in love!

  3. Veena Azmanov says:

    All health in my hands. Love the combination of veggies in this dish. My vegetarian friends will surely enjoy this meal.

  4. Marsha Maxwell says:

    Love this recipe! It’s the perfect way to get my veggies. Super tasty!

  5. Michelle says:

    Love that this dish is both healthy and beautiful. The way all food should be!

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