I’m crazy for beets, a potent immune-building, anti-cancer food. With its rich red color and satisfying Old World flavor, my European friends said they’d never tasted a better Borscht. I guess my old-world roots are coming out today! This is not just a root veggie soup with beets and carrots. It’s got surprise additions of sweet potato and rutabaga to give this soup a novel flavor twist. Beets are loaded with healthy Nitric Oxide, which lowers blood pressure, strengthens the immune system and is said to even makes you a better lover!
This is an extremely flexible recipe, as no two Polish Bubbas ever make the same Borscht. So, feel free to make your own changes. After all, if you’ve only got root vegetables in your storage bin, and winter in Poland lasts 8 months, your options are limited, so you eat a LOT of Borscht. Like any soup, the delicious flavor all depends on your broth. I had a rich chicken broth using my Paleo Bone Broth recipe, or use your favorite broth. Garnish with Coconut Sour Cream and chopped dill or parsley for a traditional meal that’s also dairy-free. Freeze leftovers up to three months in serving-size containers, something to look forward to on a cold winter day! Yield: 8 servings (2 quarts).
“Having a good wife and a rich borscht, seek nothing else.” – Russian proverb
Ingredients
- Coconut Sour Cream (You'll need 1 can thick coconut milk, refrigerated)
- 4 cups Bone Broth, or your favorite broth
- 2 beets, cut in 1/2-inch cubes
- 1 sweet potato, cut in 1/2-inch cubes
- 1 rutabaga, cut in bite sized pieces
- 2 carrots, in bite-size pieces
- 1 onion, diced
- 1/2 teaspoon unprocessed salt
- 2 tablespoons grass-fed butter or coconut oil
- 1/3 cup diced parsley
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice or apple cider vinegar to taste
- 2 tablespoons arrowroot flour
- 3 tablespoons diced dill or parsley
Instructions
- Blend the Coconut Sour Cream and chill for 1 hour.
- In a large saucepan, bring to a boil the broth, beets, sweet potato, rutabaga, carrots, onion, and salt. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 20 -30 minutes.
- Remove 1/2 cup of the liquid from the soup and set it aside to cool. To the soup, add butter or oil, parsley, and simmer 15 -20 minutes more.
- Whisk arrowroot flour into the cooled broth until it dissolves. Stir it into the hot soup to thicken. Just before serving add lemon juice or vinegar.
- Garnish with Coconut Sour Cream and chopped dill or parsley.
4 Replies to "Authentic Borscht, Paleo-Style"
Helen April 24, 2023 (7:44 pm)
Hey Jane. There’s a new pot of your Borscht soup recipe on my stove just now. It’s one of my favourite soups despite the chopping prep. This time Ive chopped as a moment appeared and popped the choppings into a bag to await the remainder. Also I mostly keep vegetable cooking water for stock and either pour into a bag into the freezer or try to keep track of small amounts otherwise. Somehow this piecemeal prep tricks me into thinking I don’t need to spend ages in one go to prepare the whole contents at once, yet can still indulge myself in these wild fulsome flavours and health rewards. Loving any soup with your soda bread, thankings for that recipe too. Keep on, well.
Jane Barthelemy May 2, 2023 (12:54 am)
Hello Helen, thank you for your kind message. Can you please pop some of that soup in the mail for me. I’m hungry. And don’t forget the soda bread! Yes, piecemeal prep is good. Or if you’re really short on time, you can even let your food processor do most of the prep: Spin all the ingredients in the processor, and then heat your blended soup. Ha Ha! You’ve very resourceful, and that’s a great quality to have! Thanks again, Jane
Linda Ellis November 28, 2021 (5:43 pm)
I am making this tonight for dinner. The flavor is good!
We are not sure that the coconut is good for heart issues; therefore, I am substituting olive oil for the butter in the the soup. I am also using tofu based faux sour cream. If you can add the nutritional information for your recipes, it would be appreciated
Jane Barthelemy November 29, 2021 (5:47 pm)
Hi Linda, Thanks for your comment. I hope you enjoy the recipe! My friends love it too, but I ask them to be careful not to spill it on the couch or carpet, because it will NEVER come out! Ha Ha! Coconut butter is probably the best thing you can do for your health. The myth that it is not OK because of saturated fat doesn’t hold water for me, However I also suggest grass-fed butter (also saturated fat) when it’s free of pesticide toxins. Tofu based faux sour cream might be an “interesting” mélange of GMO soy and other chemicals – we could look at the ingredients, but they never reveal the whole truth. This “faux sour cream” is something I’d be very frightened of, and would never eat personally. I prefer plain ingredients that have not been touched by industrial wizardry! Ha Ha! Anyway you are totally free to experiment and consume what you like. Enjoy the soup and be careful out there! Jane