Just by looking at this beetroot soup with Sauerkraut, you know it is going to be good for you! Bright, tangy, and deeply nourishing, this dairy-free beetroot soup adds a clever twist by pairing earthy, sweet beets with the natural acidity of Sauerkraut, giving delicious gut-friendly goodness. The addition of carrot adds a velvety thickness and a gentle sweetness to the soup. It is simple to make, wholesome and layered with flavour, and does not rely on dairy for creaminess.
Why You'll Love This Recipe
Beetroot is so earthy and sweet, with a vibrant colour; however, on its own, the flavour can be intense. Adding the carrot and Sauerkraut is all about creating a balanced taste. Carrot adds a lighter sweetness and also some texture to the soup. The acidity of the Sauerkraut adds a tang to the soup, lifting it. Adding vegan feta gives the soup a pleasing salty bite. What's more, this soup is easy to make and perfect for batch cooking so that you can enjoy it throughout the week. You can even freeze it. It is naturally creamy, comforting and packed with nutrients, and the vibrant colour is just enough to transform any seasonal blues.
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Key Ingredients and Notes
- Beetroot: Naturally sweet and earthy flavour. Nutrient-dense.
- Carrots: Softens the beetroot's earthiness and helps balance the flavour.
- White onion: Mellow onion that lets the other flavours stand out.
- Sauerkraut: Brightens the soup with a tang, lifting the flavour. It is a fermented food, so makes this a gut-friendly recipe. Buy in a jar from a health food store / supermarket.
- Garlic: Together with the white onion, adds a warm, savoury taste to the soup.
- Vegetable Stock: Adds a savoury flavour foundation.
- Vegan Feta: Gives a salty bite to each mouthful. Pairs very well with beets.
See the recipe card for quantities.
Step-by-Step Photos
Begin by preparing your vegetables:
- Evenly slice the white onion.
- Roughly chop the garlic.
- Top and tail the beetroot, cut it in half and slice evenly.
- Heat the olive oil in a pot.
- Add the sliced onions and gently caramelise them.
- Add the garlic and cook until it is translucent.
- Next, add the carrot and beetroot.
- Follow this with the vegetable stock and salt. Bring to a boil.
- Once boiling, reduce to a simmer and cook until the vegetables are tender.
- Add the Sauerkraut and stir.
- Take the pot off the heat and cool a little.
- Blend the soup into a puree.
- Finally, garnish with vegan feta.
Substitutions
- Beetroot - You can use vacuum-packed beetroot. Reduce the cooking time as vacuum-packed beetroot is pre-cooked. It is also wetter than fresh beetroot so reduce the amount of liquid too.
- Stock - I make my own stock, but of course, you can use stock cubes. If you have no stock cubes, you can introduce umami by using water with 1-2 teaspoons of soy sauce added. Or use water on its own.
- Vegetarian (not vegan) - Use dairy feta. For a classy look, swirl in some crรจme fraรฎche, Greek yoghurt, or natural yoghurt.
Variations
- Spicy: add chilli flakes for some bite.
- Extra creamy and rich - add in some coconut milk.
- Chunky texture - blend only half or three-quarters of the soup.
Equipment
This is a blended soup so that you will need a stick blender or a jug blender/food processor.
Storage
Store in the fridge for up to three days. You can also batch-cook and freeze.
Top Tip
For the vegetable stock, if you feel motivated, why not make your own? Head on over to my vegetable stock recipe.
Adding the Sauerkraut at the end preserves its flavour and gut-friendly health benefits.
When seasoning the soup, add a little salt and pepper at a time until the flavours are nicely highlighted. The seasoning helps bring out all of the flavours. Soups often need a final seasoning adjustment to lift them.
Add more vegetable stock to thin the soup. To thicken the soup, blend in more cooked vegetables. Alternatively, mix 1 tablespoon of cornflour with 2 tablespoons of water, then stir it into the simmering soup and cook for 2 to 3 minutes. Repeat if you want it thicker. You can also reduce it by simmering it further with the lid off to let the water evaporate. This strengthens flavours as well as thickens.
With any leftover soup, you can use it as a pasta sauce!
FAQs - quick glance
Yes, this soup is naturally vegan. I use a dairy-free / gluten-free feta cheese alternative. If you use stock cubes, check the labels - some contain dairy products and gluten.
This is the key ingredient that balances and lifts the beetroot soup. It adds an acidic tang. It also adds some gut-friendly probiotics to confer the benefits of fermented foods.
Absolutely! The cooking time will be reduced, of course. Add the beetroot after the carrots have cooked for about 10 minutes. Using fresh beetroot is best though, in my humble opinion. I grow mine - give that a go. There is something special about growing the food you eat.
The quickest way is to add some cornflour (cornstarch in the U.S.). You can reduce the soup and thicken it further by simmering with the lid off. Or you can blend in more of the cooked vegetables. A chunky soup can be achieved by not blending it as thoroughly as recommended, or only blending half of it.
Stored in an airtight container, it will last for 4 days in the fridge. This soup freezes well and can be kept for 3 months. Perfect for batch cooking.
Related Recipes
Being a dedicated fan of beetroot for its colour, taste and health benefits, here are a few other beetroot recipes of mine. I've got you covered - be it a comforting beetroot soup, a warming and healing stew main meal, a fresh beetroot salad, or a party piece mini burger!
Pairing Suggestions
These are my favourite recipes to serve with this vegan beetroot soup:
๐ Recipe
Dairy Free Beetroot Soup with Sauerkraut and Carrot
Equipment
- Blender or Food processor
Ingredients
- 650 g Beetroot
- 250 g Carrots
- 150 g Onion
- 25 g Garlic
- 1.5 ltr Vegetable Stock
- 250 g Sauerkraut
- 2 teaspoon Salt
- 1 teaspoon Pepper
- 2 tablespoon Olive oil
- 100 g Feta Vegan
Instructions
- Thoroughly scrub, wash and pat-dry beetroot and carrot.
- Peel and evenly slice the onions.
- Peel and roughly chop the garlic.
- Top and tail the beetroot and cut it in half. Slice the beetroot evenly, not too thick or thin. Do the same with the carrot.
- In a pot, heat the olive oil. Add the onions and gently caramelise them. If they start burning, you can add stock to reduce the heat.
- Once the onions are golden brown, add the garlic and cook until the garlic is translucent.
- Now add the carrots, beetroot, salt and vegetable stock. Cover and bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce to a gentle simmer and cook until the beetroot is tender.
- Cook the vegetables until they are soft (you can easily pierce them with a knife). Then add the sauerkraut juice and cabbage. Stir it, take off the heat, and set aside to cool.
- Once the soup has cooled a little, blend it into a silky smooth puree. At this point, check and adjust the seasoning. Add salt and pepper if required.
- Heat the soup again. Serve hot, garnished with vegan feta and herbs.
Nutrition
NOTES
Kitchen Safety
- Wash your hands regularly while preparing, handling and cooking food.
- Wipe down countertops and high-contact points regularly.
- If you cook meat and fish, do not use the same utensils on cooked food that previously touched raw meat. Use separate chopping boards for meat and fish. Wash your chopping boards immediately after use.
- Thoroughly cook food to a minimum temperature of 165 ยฐF (74 ยฐC).
- Don't leave food at room temperature for extended periods (more than 2 hours).
- Store food correctly.
A Laurent says
This tastes so similar to mom's borscht recipe! The only difference is she doesn't blend the soup - she leaves it chunky and serves it with lots of sour cream. She also substitutes pickle juice for the sauerkraut occasionally! Great way to use up a jar of old pickles!
Chef Tripti says
Sour cream is such a good idea. I wanted to keep the soup dairy free, so I used vegan feta.