Why beet soup was never on my family’s table
I didn’t grow up eating beets like this. In my family, they showed up pickled, or roasted, or sitting quietly on the side of the plate.
Coming from Texas with a mom from Louisiana, blending them into a soup was just not something anybody did. So the first time I saw a bowl of it, honestly, the color is what got me.
That deep ruby is not a color food usually comes in. And what surprised me is that it tastes the way it looks, earthy and a little sweet, and so much more comforting than I expected.
What makes this Beet Soup work is simpler than it looks. Full-fat coconut milk is what makes it creamy, Yukon gold potatoes do all the thickening, and fresh ginger with a pinch of cardamom keeps the beets from tasting like the garden they came out of.
If beets have only ever been a side dish for you, the way Roasted Beets and Quick Pickled Beets usually are, this is the one that changes the whole idea of what they can be.
Honestly, I’d make it for the color alone. The fact that it tastes this good just feels like a bonus.
Excellent recipe. Great flavor. Beautiful color. Creamy texture. A perfect addition to your autumn/winter array of soups. I gave a taste to two of my nieces and they loved it asking to take some home.
– Phil A.
Ingredients and Substitutions
For the exact measurements and detailed instructions, please see the recipe card below.
- Beets: Large red beets are what give you that ruby color, but golden beets work too if that’s what you have. They’ll just turn the soup more of a sunset orange than a magenta.
- Yukon gold potatoes: These are what make the soup thick and creamy without any flour or cream at all. Parsnips, carrots, sweet potatoes, or butternut squash all work if you want to swap.
- Garlic and ginger: Fresh is worth it here since these two are what cut through the earthiness of the beets. Prepared ginger paste is fine, but skip the dried powders.
- Dried herbs and spices: Tarragon, thyme, rosemary, and either cardamom or nutmeg are what give this soup its warmth. If you’re missing one, lean harder on the others or add a little dried basil, parsley, or sage.
- Vegetable broth: This is what keeps the soup vegan. Chicken broth works too, but skip beef broth since it fights with the beets instead of helping them.
- Coconut milk: Canned, full-fat coconut milk is the whole reason this is creamy without a drop of cream. The refrigerated cartons and the lite cans will work, but neither one gets you that thick, velvety texture.
- Lemon juice: Freshly squeezed makes a real difference in this one. It goes in at the very end and brightens everything up.
How to Make Beet Soup
Please see the recipe card below for the full instructions, ingredient amounts, and a printable recipe.
Peel and chop everything first
Peel the beets and the potatoes with a vegetable peeler, then cut them into ¼ to ½ inch chunks. They don’t need to be pretty; they just need to be about the same size so everything cooks evenly.
Get the onion, garlic, and ginger going
Add the oil to a large pot or Dutch oven along with the chopped onion and sauté for 3 to 4 minutes, until it’s tender. Stir in the garlic and the ginger and keep it going another minute or two.
Simmer until the beets are fork-tender
Pour in the broth, then add the chopped beets, potatoes, and all of the seasonings and stir it together. Bring it to a boil, drop the heat to medium-low, cover the pot, and let it simmer 15 to 20 minutes.
Add the coconut milk and blend it smooth
Turn off the heat and stir in the coconut milk along with the lemon juice. Blend it until it’s completely smooth and creamy.
An immersion blender is by far the easiest way to do this. You blend right in the pot with nothing to transfer, which matters a lot when the liquid is this hot. A regular blender or a food processor works too, just fill it no more than halfway and hold the lid down with a folded towel.
The best immersion blender!
This stick blender is a lifesaver when it comes to blending up creamy soups or even salad dressings. It’s easy to clean, gets things silky smooth, and is pretty affordable!
Oops! What Did I Do Wrong?
- My soup came out too thick. Add more broth a splash at a time while you blend, until it’s where you want it. The potatoes keep drinking up liquid as the soup sits, so leftovers almost always need a little.
- My soup came out too thin. Let it simmer with the lid off for a few extra minutes before you blend so some of the liquid cooks off.
- It still tastes really earthy. Add another squeeze of lemon juice. Acid is what cuts that flavor, and it’s almost always the thing that’s missing.
- It never got completely smooth. The beets probably needed a few more minutes. Simmer until a fork slides in with no resistance at all, then blend longer than you think you need to.
FAQs
It can if it’s just beets and broth, but this one is seasoned specifically so it doesn’t. Fresh ginger, garlic, and a pinch of cardamom sit on top of that earthy flavor, and the lemon juice at the end brightens the whole bowl.
It’s a really nutritious bowl. A serving has 6 grams of fiber, a good dose of potassium, and a load of betalains, which are the pigments that give beets that deep ruby color.
Yes, for this recipe you do. The skins don’t break down in the blender the way the flesh does, so leaving them on gives you a gritty texture in a soup that’s supposed to be completely smooth.
You can, and it cuts the prep down a lot. Drain them well, add them along with the potatoes, and start checking for fork tender around 10 minutes instead of 15 to 20. The flavor comes out a little milder than it does with fresh.
Absolutely. Use a regular blender or a food processor and work in batches, never filling it more than halfway. Hot liquid expands fast and will push the lid right off.
Yes, and it’s lovely that way in warmer months. Chill it completely, then thin it with a little extra broth since it thickens up in the fridge. A swirl of coconut milk on top looks especially pretty against the cold soup.
Beet soup freezes really well for 4 to 6 months. The coconut milk can separate a little as it thaws, so give it a good stir or a quick blend while you reheat and it comes right back together.
Not quite, though I understand why the question comes up. Borscht is the Eastern European version, usually a brothy soup with cabbage and carrots alongside the beets, often with beef, and finished with a spoonful of sour cream. This one goes a completely different direction. Everything gets blended smooth with coconut milk, so it turns out creamy instead of brothy, and there’s no cabbage, no meat, and no dairy in it anywhere.
That earthy thing people complain about is real, and it comes from a compound called geosmin. It’s the same one you smell in the air right after it rains. The fix is in the seasoning, not in the beets. Fresh ginger, garlic, and a pinch of cardamom sit right on top of that earthiness, and the squeeze of lemon juice at the end pulls the whole bowl bright.
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Creamy Beet Soup Recipe
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Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons oil olive or avocado
- 1 small sweet onion finely chopped
- 3 cloves garlic crushed
- 1 teaspoon ginger minced or paste
- 1.5 pounds beets about 3-4 large beets
- 1 pound Yukon gold potatoes
- 4-5 cups vegetable broth
- ½ teaspoon tarragon dried
- ¼ teaspoon thyme dried
- ¼ teaspoon rosemary dried
- ⅛ teaspoon cardamom or nutmeg
- ¾ – 1 teaspoon salt to taste
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 15 ounces coconut milk canned, full-fat
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice freshly squeezed
- Fresh parsley optional
- Roasted pumpkin seeds optional
Instructions
- Prep the veggies: Peel beets and potatoes using a vegetable peeler. Cut into ¼-½ inch chunks.1.5 pounds beets, 1 pound Yukon gold potatoes
- Saute the onion and garlic: Add oil to a large pot or Dutch oven along with the chopped onion. Sauté for 3-4 minutes, or until tender. Mix in garlic and ginger. Continue sautéing for 1-2 minutes.2 tablespoons oil, 1 small sweet onion, 3 cloves garlic, 1 teaspoon ginger
- Simmer the soup: Pour in vegetable broth and add chopped beets, potatoes, and seasonings. Stir to combine. Bring contents to a boil and reduce heat to medium low. Cover pot with a lid and let simmer for 15-20 minutes, or until beets are fork tender.4-5 cups vegetable broth, ½ teaspoon tarragon, ¼ teaspoon thyme, ¼ teaspoon rosemary, ⅛ teaspoon cardamom, ¼ teaspoon black pepper, ¾ – 1 teaspoon salt
- Add coconut milk: Turn off heat and add coconut milk and lemon juice. Using an immersion blender or a high-speed blender, purée the soup until smooth and creamy.15 ounces coconut milk, 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- Serve beet soup with a swirl of additional coconut milk, fresh parsley, and roasted pumpkin seeds. Enjoy!Roasted pumpkin seeds, Fresh parsley
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Notes
- Coconut milk: Use canned, full-fat coconut milk. Lite coconut milk and the refrigerated cartons both work, but neither gets you that thick, creamy texture.
- Tools: An immersion blender is the easiest option since you blend right in the pot with no hot liquid to transfer. A regular blender works too, just fill it no more than halfway.
- Pre-cooked beets: Vacuum-packed or canned beets cut the prep way down. Drain them well, add them with the potatoes, and start checking for fork tender around 10 minutes.
- Too thick or too thin: Thin it with broth a splash at a time while blending. To thicken, simmer with the lid off for a few extra minutes before you blend.
- Prep ahead: Make the whole soup a day early, or just peel and chop the beets and potatoes and keep them in the fridge until you are ready to cook.
- Storage: Let it cool to room temperature, then keep it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3 to 5 days.
- Freezing: Freezes well for 4 to 6 months in a freezer-safe container. The coconut milk can separate a little as it thaws, so stir or re-blend while reheating and it comes right back together.
- Reheating: Thaw in the refrigerator for 1 to 2 days, then warm on the stovetop or in the microwave. Add a splash of broth if it thickened up.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
What to Serve with Beet Soup
This one is light enough that it wants something with a little heft sitting next to it. A thick slice of crusty bread slathered in butter and toasted does the job, or a handful of Homemade Croutons scattered right over the top for crunch.
A big green salad turns it into a full dinner instead of a first course. My Massaged Kale Salad has enough texture to hold its own next to something this smooth.
And if you end up with more beets than you know what to do with, Roasted Beet Hummus and Roasted Beets with Goat Cheese are where the rest of mine usually go. How to Boil Beets covers the basics if you want them prepped and waiting in the fridge.
More Creamy Soup Recipes
Soup season is the one time of year I don’t mind standing over the stove. These are the blended, creamy ones we make on repeat.
Excellent recipe. Great flavor. Beautiful color. Creamy texture. A perfect addition to your autumn/winter array of soups. I gave a taste to two of my nieces and they loved it asking to take some home. I added a carrot and used almond milk instead of coconut milk–not because I don’t like leche de coco, but because I didn’t have any in the cupboard. I’m sure it would be just as good with it, with an added tropical flare.
Yay! So happy to hear you enjoyed the recipe, Phil! This is a great review-thank you for the details. And thanks so much for taking the time to leave a comment!
Delicious – i followed this recipe with a few exceptions – I substituted apple for the potato, and i used fresh herbs – rosemary and thyme, didn’t have any dill on hand! Everyone loved it!
Yay! So happy to hear you enjoyed the recipe! I’m glad you could make it all work out with what you had. Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a comment and rating!