Vegan Roasted Beet Soup

Late summer or early fall is a perfect time to make beet soup but it’s really delicious any time of year! Im part Polish and my wife Hungarian so we’ve been making beet soup for so many years as we love the earthy flavor and they’re so good for you. Having said that, I tried making it every which way starting with raw beets that I peeled and chopped (my hands looked like I committed a crime), boiling them and even steaming. The best and easiest method though? Roasting! How you ask? Read on!

How to roast beets

To roast beets all you need is some parchment paper, aluminum foil and a sheet pan. That’s it. You don’t even have to trim or wash the beets if you don’t want to as you’ll peel them afterwards. You wrap the beets first in parchment then wrap them in foil, place on a pan in a hot oven and roast! Simple. When done and cooled, the peels will literally come off just by rubbing with your fingers or by using a paring knife scraped across them. It’s like magic and is so easy.

How to make it

I used an Instant Pot to make the soup but you could use a pot on the stove it just will need to cook a little longer. Roasting the beets first does cut down on the cooking time overall and it concentrates the sweetness of them.

Why this works

• Roasting beets deepens sweetness and softens their earthiness.
• A splash of balsamic vinegar and a little agave syrup brings balance and brightness.
• Smoked paprika intensifies the earthiness and flavor.

Pro Tips & Variations

• For soup prep, roast the beets a day ahead to save time.
• To reduce waste, peel beets with gloves or remove stains wash with lemon & salt.
• Add some ginger or a pinch of cumin for warmth or spice.
• Try a swirl of dairy-free sour cream, yogurt or a drizzle of olive oil and fresh herbs as garnish.

Need more cozy vegan soups?

• Love pickles? Try my Vegan Polish Dill Pickle Soup!
• Try a twist for taco Tuesday with my Vegan Taco Twist Soup.
  
• Everyone loves my popular Vegan White “Chicken” Chili Soup!
• Have leftover roasted veggies? Try my Curried Roasted Vegetable Soup.

This vegan roasted beet soup is vivid, nutritious, and totally doable any time of year. It’s earned its place as a fall staple on the blog and trust me, the color alone is worth it. Make sure to rate and review if you try it!

Vegan Roasted Beet Soup

Recipe by Kreg

5.0 from 3 votes

Cuisine: Soup

Servings

4

servings

Prep time

45

minutes

Cooking time

15

minutes

A delicious soup made with roasted beets and perfect with a crusty baguette for lunch or dinner!

Cook Mode

Keep the screen of your device on

Ingredients

• 3-4 large red or golden beets

• 2 tablespoons olive oil

• 1 large onion, chopped

• 2 cloves garlic, minced

• 2 carrots, scrubbed and sliced

• 2 small potatoes, scrubbed and diced

• 2 teaspoons salt

• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

• 1 teaspoon dried dill

• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

• 1/2 teaspoon ground caraway

• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika

• 1 bay leaf

• 32 oz vegetable stock

• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

• 1 tablespoon agave syrup

Directions

• Place the beets in a piece of parchment paper large enough to cover completely and then wrap entirely and tightly in aluminum foil. Place on a cookie sheet. Bake at 400° for 30-45 minutes until done (this will depend on the size of your beets. Smaller beets will cook faster.)
• Cool beets until you can handle them and peel by either rubbing the skins off with your fingers or scraping a paring knife along the outside. Trim off the tough bottoms and tops. Chop into large chunks.
• In an Instant Pot (on the sauté function) or a stock pot, place the oil in and sauté the onions and garlic together for a few minutes to soften. Add the carrots and potatoes and cook for a few more minutes. Add all of the spices and cook for another two minutes stirring constantly.
• Add the beets to the pot and stir making sure to scrape up any of the browned bits (called the fond) that may have developed on the bottom of the pan. Add the broth and stir to combine. If using the Instant Pot, seal and turn to the soup function. If using a pot, cover and bring to a boil, then simmer for 25 minutes.
• When done, release pressure if using the Instant Pot and add the vinegar and agave and season to taste. You may need more salt depending on how salty your vegetable stock was that you used.
• Serve with vegan sour cream and more dill.

Notes

• This soup freezes well. Let it cool fully, then freeze for up to 3 months.
• You can use another sweetener other than agave if you prefer and another vinegar (like white or apple cider), but I like the sweetness and richness of a good balsamic and agave melds easily into the hot soup.
• Ground caraway seed is not a spice a lot of people have in their pantry, but you could grind whole caraway seeds if you have them in a mini food processor or buy it ground in the spice section of your grocery store. I’ve used whole seeds too and just crushed them with the edge of a knife. You can leave it out, but it adds an earthy richness to the soup.
• Can you make this beet soup without roasting the beets? Yes, but roasting deepens the flavor. Boiled or steamed beets will work in a pinch though.
• If I have fresh dill, I usually drop a few sprigs into the soup before cooking and cut the dried dill amount in half. I then fish it out along with the bay leaf before serving. Fresh is best but not always practical. I often add the beet leaves if I’ve bought organic and chop them into shreds and often some chopped celery as well which are nice additions.

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