If you’ve been following my Insta Stories this year, you might’ve seen that one of my smaller goals for 2017 is to use reusable produce bags. It’s something I’ve tried in the past but never stuck with, so when I told Eric about the goal he wasn’t sure that I would actually do it. Especially since I’ve had a pretty bad case of new-mama brain lately. “This is going to last a week!” he chuckled. But here I am 6 weeks into 2017 and it’s going great…mainly because proving him wrong is one of my greatest joys in life.
These are the bags I purchased on Amazon. I love that there are various sizes, and so far they’re holding up well! Adriana has also claimed one and likes it when I add a few light groceries into her “grocery bag” while she sits in the cart. Just remind me not to put a clementine in there again; she thinks it’s pretty funny when she bites through the skin. 
You may suspect we’re living off of soup these days due to how many soup recipes I’ve shared over the past few months, and you might be right! Soup has been our go-to solution during the hectic postpartum season because I can make a big batch and the leftovers only get better as the days go by.
My aunt recently had us over for lunch, and she made this incredible borscht-inspired soup that I immediately knew I had to try to make at home. I couldn’t believe how few ingredients she used for a soup that blew us all away. Her secret? A jar of marinara sauce forms the soup’s base. My jaw dropped! I recreated the soup at home the very next day, and my jaw dropped again when Adriana ate 3 bowls of it in a row. She was covered in beet stains by the end, but it was worth it because I never thought she’d eat this kind of soup. Heck, I never thought I would enjoy beets in soup either, but it’s our new obsession. So if you’re worried about a beet and cabbage soup being a bit too earthy-tasting, I encourage you to give this one a try. It’s surprisingly sweet, and really satisfying. I’m also convinced the healthy ingredients helped me fight off a cold that was going through our household, too. It’s bursting with Vitamin C, iron, and B vitamins, making it a great immune-booster this time of the year!
Featuring all new, protein-packed salads, hearty toppers, flavour boosters, and dressings you'll want to drink, my new cookbook will transform the way you think about salads. Oh, and be sure to flip to the back for a surprise dessert chapter!
Hunky Heartbeet Cabbage Soup
Yield
9 cups (2.1 litres)
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
You won’t believe the gorgeous colours in this incredibly healthy, borscht-inspired soup, from the prep stage (gorgeous shades of plum and violet) to the final end result (a bold crimson red). It's the perfect soup to celebrate Valentine's Day (or really, to brighten up any chilly winter day). This soup takes an hour and a half to cook thanks to the raw beets, so be sure to give yourself enough time; the bonus is that you can cover it and walk away as it simmers. To avoid a longer cook time, chopping the beets very small (think pea- or almond-size) is key. A big thank-you to my Aunt Elizabeth for inspiring this soup.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons (30 mL) coconut oil
- 2 cups (280 g) diced red onion (about 1 medium/large)
- 5 cups (540 g) diced red cabbage (about 1/2 medium)
- 4 cups (500 g) peeled and diced raw beets (about 2 large/3 medium)*
- 5 cups (1.25 L) marinara sauce**
- 3 cups (750 mL) water
- Fine sea salt or Herbamare, to taste
- Cashew Sour Cream, for serving (optional)
- Fresh dill, for garnish (optional)
Directions
- Add the coconut oil into a large pot. Over medium heat, sauté the onion for about 3 to 5 minutes, stirring once or twice.
- Add the diced cabbage and beets. Stir again. Continue sautéeing for another few minutes.
- Add all of the marinara sauce and the water. Stir to combine. Simmer the soup, covered, over low to medium heat for 1 hour and 30 minutes to 1 hour and 45 minutes, or until the beets are fork-tender. Your cook time may vary depending on how fresh your beets are and how small you chopped them. (If it’s your first time cooking the soup, you may want to check on it a few times and stir to to make sure it’s not sticking to the bottom of the pot.)
- Taste and season with salt to taste. Ladle into a bowl and serve with a spoonful or swirl of Cashew Sour Cream and chopped dill if desired, but it's great all on its own, too.
- This soup will keep in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 1 week. It freezes beautifully, too: Simply cool the soup and place it into a freezer-safe container, leaving an inch of space at the top for expansion. Freeze for up to 2 months.
Tip:
* To prevent staining your hands, wear disposable gloves while peeling and dicing the beets.
** If you can find it, I highly recommend using White Linen Collection Marinara Sauce from Costco in this recipe. I use 1 full bottle, which works out perfectly to about 5 cups. It’s my favourite store-bought marinara sauce (I have no affiliation with them, by the way, just passing along my personal recommendation!). My Fail-Proof Marinara Sauce from Oh She Glows Every Day is also lovely in this soup!
Nutrition Information
(click to expand)
Blessings in a Backpack update:
If you remember, we committed to donating the January revenue from our paid Get Glowing app bundle (for both Android and iOS) to Blessings in a Backpack Canada. I’m thrilled to let you know that we raised enough money to feed 19 children, providing them with a backpack of food to take home every Friday, for an entire school year! A BIG thank-you to everyone who downloaded the bundle of recipes. We couldn’t have done this without you!
Beets are not usually my thing, but you’ve just convinced me to give this a chance. That color is stunning- and jarred marinara? That’s one of the best things about cooking- there’s always something new to learn and try.
This looks incredible!
Paige
http://thehappyflammily.com
I love cabbage soups, but shy away from beets just because she can be so messy. Gloves are a good tip.
And I second the recommendation for White Linen marinara sauce from Costco. SO GREAT!
Love borscht and all soup!!! My recipe is very similar to yours….I add carrots and celery as well. Haven’t made it in some time. You have inspired me to make some this week:)
This looks AMAZING! X
Izzy -https://pinchofdelight.wordpress.com
Angela -this looks amazing….just wish my kids could still be talked into trying new things – teenagers!
Try the polite bite, Suzanne. Every meal, snack or dessert you make, they have to try one bite. This is the first rule to apply when dealing with picky eaters, small or big. If new tastes and textures never touch their taste buds, they will never learn to love eating new, unfamiliar foods.
Thanks- I appreciate your input …I actually did that for a long time…but it never really got easier and I did not feel a fight was worth it…. 2 of my guys are much better as they get older…one digs his heels in more and I do not want to create more food issues for him ….it is such a balance.
Suzanne, I definitely can relate. It’s so hard to convince picky eaters to try new foods. My kids are the best eaters ever (and part of what I do is to help picky eaters become great eaters), but I am a recovering extreme picky eater. I am still encouraging myself to try different foods (I am looking at you, cucumbers!) and it’s so hard to smell/taste/chew the ones I don’t like.
Good luck and don’t stop trying :)!
this looks simply amazing, can’t wait to try it! unfortuntely i have to stick to my gluten free diet but this is great, because i can enjoy it without having to rework the recipe. thanks so much for sharing it! if you ever need more inspiration, i’d love you to stop by eatwholegreens.com for some vegan awesomeness! see you there :)
cheers, stäf | www.eatwholegreens.com
Hi Stefanie, so lovely to hear from you. :) I’ll definitely have to check that link out sometime. I hope you love the soup when you give it a try!
I am wondering if you could use pre-cooked beats. TJ’s has them already cooked and vacuumed sealed. I think you could just chop them up and go. I am going to have to try this as I LOVE beets!
It won’t be quite the same, but it will work well enough. I have a Russian/Ukrainian background, and on a few occasions, I’ve subbed precooked beets in traditional recipes. You’ll have to play a bit with the cooking time on the soup.
Yes, I think it could work, although I don’t think the soup would have to cook for 90 minutes if using pre-cooked. Maybe 45 minutes? I think it would be fine, but you’d have to keep an eye on it. You could add the beets a bit later too. :)
I made this using precooked beets and simply heated the ingredients after sauteeing onions and cabbage. It was outstanding!
Could you do this in a slow cooker?
Hi Hillary, I haven’t tried it yet, unfortunately! If you try anything please let us know. The biggest question mark would be how long it takes to cook and at what temperature setting. I haven’t slow cooked beets before so I’m not sure how long they take. I would try Googling a slow cooker recipe with beets to see what they suggest.
Just wondering how you think it would be with green cabbage instead of the purple?
Hi Heather, I think this would turn out just fine with green cabbage!
Saw this recipe this morning, went and bought some beets and just tried a bowl. SOOO GOOD I love this soup.
That’s great, Christina! I’m so pleased you enjoyed it.
Ah! My son-in-law loves beets and I’m visiting them next weekend. So, since this weekend is going to be a rainy one sounds like the perfect time to give this recipe a whirl. I have an awesome (non-vegan) borscht that I do, but always looking for new vegan recipes for myself and my cooking club. Will follow-up with my results…d
Hope it’s a hit, Deb! I’d love to hear how you like it. :)
If you’re moving away from using disposable produce bags, please consider not using disposable gloves as well!
Made this and it’s fabulous! Fear not the cabbage soup! I’ve been following you since you began your blog. You are an incredible inspiration for other vegan bloggers. ox
Just tried this in the slow cooker and it was UNBELIEVABLE!! I added all the ingredients minus the coconut oil, set the cooker to low and cooked for 6 hours. Thank you for this awesome recipe!!!
xo
Thanks so much for sharing, Viviane! That’s great to know, and I’m so happy it turned out so well using that method.
Ahh, thank you for putting this! I’m going to try it today, I was hoping for some extra directions!! <3
This will be next on my list.
All your soup recipes are divine. Have you considered releasing a cookbook of soup recipes and entrees only? Thank you.
Just tried my first bowl. So very good! I danced around my kitchen it was that good! Of course I like beets so I may be a bit biased. I am glad to hear about the slow cooker without the coconut oil method. I made it too thick, but I am thinning it out.
Hey Angela! This recipe looked very intriguing and colorful, so I gave it a try right away! It was a delicious soup.. I loved the flavors as well as the simple ingredient list. To be honest, I am going to make this my new marinara sauce by pureeing everything together once the soup is cooled, and then stick it in the freezer. What a great way to sneak extra veggies into a pasta sauce and to give the dish such a vibrant color!
Also wanted to say how much I have enjoyed your blog over the years. I don’t write on here very often, but please know your hard work and beautiful food is appreciated and loved by us all! Best to you and your family in 2017.
Forgot to give this recipe a star! *****
I’m so pleased you enjoyed the soup, Karen, and thank you so much for the kind words. All the best to you and yours in 2017, too! :)
Love this flavor & color, excellent making :) great to watch your blogs!
WOW!! This is so beautifully red. Love the produce bag idea. We always end up throwing the ones out that we get at the store and it’s such a waste. Thanks for sharing!!