Green borscht is a traditional Ukrainian spinach soup made with potatoes, carrots, scallions, and hard-boiled eggs in a light vegetable broth. It's quick to make, naturally gluten-free, and deeply satisfying, the kind of soup that disappears fast. This version is vegetarian and uses spinach in place of sorrel, making it easy to make year-round.
When I was growing up, my mom had a short list of soups she rotated through weekly, and this was always on it. Traditionally, green borsch gets its bright color and tangy flavor from sorrel - a sour, lemony herb that's hard to find in most supermarkets. Spinach is a great substitute and keeps this soup accessible no matter where you live. Some Eastern European families make it with meat; this recipe is fully plant-based.
Sorrel vs. Spinach: What's the difference?
Sorrel is a leafy green herb that looks similar to spinach but has a distinctive tangy, slightly sour flavor. It is widely used in Eastern European cooking and is the traditional leafy green in green borscht. The natural tanginess of sorrel gives the soup its characteristic brightness. The problem is that fresh sorrel is hard to come by in most markets and grocery stores. Spinach is the go-to substitute; it's widely available, has a mild flavor, and works beautifully in the broth. If you're using sorrel, skip the lemon juice; sorrel brings plenty of acidity on its own.
Ingredients
- Potatoes: smaller yellow potatoes are my preference for their buttery flavor and thin skin that doesn't need peeling. Cut them into equally sized cubes so they cook evenly.
- Carrots: any variety work. I used a combo of red and regular carrots here because that's what I found at the store, and they were beautiful, but standard orange carrots are perfect.
- Spinach: Use a large bunch of loose spinach or a big clamshell. Don't worry if it looks like a lot, it wilts down quickly.
- Scallions: slice them thin. They add a mild oniony flavor without overpowering the broth.
- Hard-boiled eggs: add at the very end as a finishing touch. For a foolproof way to cook them, check out how to make perfect hard-boiled eggs - I cover more than one method.
- Lemon: brightens the broth. Skip it if you're using sorrel.
- Optional aromatics: parsnips, celeriac root, carrot tops, and fresh parsley. These aren't required, but they add real depth to the broth. Include one or all of them when you can.
How to make green borscht
This soup is mostly made of liquid broth, loads of spinach, and hard-boiled eggs. To get the most flavorful results, it's important to infuse the broth with aromatics. Carrots and celery are the basics and work just fine, but adding parsnips, celeriac root, carrot tops, and fresh parsley takes it to another level. The soup comes together in a few simple steps and is served with a dollop of sour cream and fresh dill.
- Prep the vegetables: No need to peel the potatoes or carrots, just wash and scrub them well. Cut everything into equally sized pieces so they cook evenly.
- Sauté the vegetables: In a large pot or Dutch oven
To begin wash, and scrub your vegetables. Cube the potatoes, slice the carrots and parsnips and don't forget to keep the carrot tops. When cutting up vegetables, keep them equal in size so they will cook evenly. For potatoes, I prefer yellow potatoes for their sweet taste and thin skin, that does not need to be peeled.
Feel free to use any carrots you like. I had these beautiful red carrots I included.
Soup can be prepared in a regular soup pot however I prefer to make soup in my decade-old oval 4.5 quart Le Creuset dutch oven (which appears that this specific size is no longer produced). Here is a more affordable version from Lodge.
In a soup pot or dutch oven, over medium heat, heat olive oil, enough to just coat the bottom of the pot. Add potatoes and carrots, and saute for about 7 minutes, mixing them periodically. Season with about ½ tablespoon of salt. Add parsnips and mix.
In the meantime, boil water to make hard-boiled eggs or simply use an egg maker.
Add celeriac root, celery, carrot tops, fresh parsley and 8 cups of water.
Once the liquid comes to a gentle simmer, season with 1 tablespoon of salt and 1 teaspoon of pepper. Close the lid, partially, and lower the heat to low. Cook for about 30 minutes or until the potatoes are fork-tender.
Remove and discard carrot tops, celery, and parsley. Add roughly chopped spinach and thinly sliced scallions. Alternatively, you can use a 5 oz clamshell of baby spinach. It will seem like a lot of spinach but it shrinks in size quickly. Season with the remaining ½ tablespoon of salt and cook for an additional 3 minutes.
Turn off the heat, squeeze juice from half of a large lemon. Lastly, add sliced or diced hard-boiled eggs. This egg slicer is great for this. Gently mix and ready to serve.
Serve with a spoonful of sour cream and some fresh dill.
Traditionally green borscht gets its name from its main ingredient- sorrel, which is a green tangy, sour herb. Since sorrel was a hard find even in the ethnic markets, my mom used spinach, which serves as a great substitute. Other ingredients include potatoes, carrots, scallions, and hard-boiled eggs. It doesn't come as a surprise that some Eastern European families might have their own spin on the Borscht! In fact, some make it with meat. My mom's recipe, however, is vegetarian. This soup comes together very quickly and is often served with a spoonful of sour cream, and fresh dill. The peak season for sorrel is around spring/summer. Substituting it with spinach allows us to enjoy this wonderful tasty soup year-round.
The peak season for sorrel is around spring/summer. Substituting it with spinach allows us to enjoy this wonderful, tasty soup year-round.
Bon appetit!
xo,
Alla
Vegetarian Green Borscht (Spinach Soup)
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 3 - 4 small to medium yellow potatoes, cubed
- 3 - 4 carrots , scrubbed and sliced
- 3 - 4 stalks carrot tops (optional), cleaned
- 1 parsnips (optional), sliced
- 2 celery stalks, cut in half
- ¼ cup celeriac root (optional), peeled and cubed
- 3-5 whole parsley, stems and leaves
- 8 cups water
- 2 teaspoon salt
- 1 bunch or clamshell spinach , chopped
- 1 bunch scallions, sliced into thin circles
- 3 eggs, hard-boiled and diced
- ½ lemon, juiced
- ¼ cup dill, chopped
- sour cream , for serving
Instructions
- In a large pot or a 4.5-quart Dutch oven, over medium heat, heat olive oil, enough to coat the bottom of the pot.
- Add potatoes, carrots, and parsnips, stir periodically. Cook for about 7 minutes or until vegetables are slightly softened. Season with ½ teaspoon of salt.
- Add celeriac root, celery, carrot tops, parsley and 8 cups of water.
- Allow the liquid to come to a gentle simmer. Season with 1 teaspoon of salt. Close the lid, partially. Lower the heat to low. Cook until the potatoes are fork-tender about 30 minutes. Remove and discard parsley, carrot tops and celery.
- In the meantime, make hard-boiled eggs. Add eggs to a small pot, cover eggs with cool water and place on the stovetop over medium/ high heat. Cover the pot and let the water come to a rolling boil. Once the water reached this point, cook eggs for about 6 minutes. Turn off the heat, drain the water. Run the pot under cold water to stop the cooking process. Once the eggs have cooled down, dry and peel the shells.
- Add spinach and scallions to the soup pot, and season with the remaining ½ teaspoon of salt. Squeeze juice from half a large lemon. Continue cooking for about 3 min. Turn off the heat and add sliced or diced eggs.
- When serving, ladle soup into a bowl, add a spoonful of sour cream and a sprinkle of fresh dill.
Inna Rosenfeld says
Amazing taste! This soup is definitely one of my favorites! Thank you!!!
Alla says
Thanks! So happy to hear. It's one of my faves too!