Beet Greens Soup
Beet greens soup is a light, sour summer soup made by simmering the leaves and stems of red beets with onion in water, then finishing off the heat with vinegar, vegan rice cream, and a generous handful of fresh parsley and lovage. It is served warm or refreshingly cold and works beautifully as a no-fuss light lunch.
Let the summer begin! It is too hot outside for a boiling plate of pasta or a hot ramen soup, am I right? I just love simple foods and recipes made with few, good-quality ingredients. I feel like this type of meal balances our spirit and nourishes both our bodies and our souls. I know, it may sound cheesy, but it is true.
This beetroot green soup is inspired by my good ol’ orache soup. I basically call it a “leaves” soup because I always keep the same base, regardless of what type of leafy greens I choose to use. This time I made it with beetroot leaves, but you can also use orache or salad leaves. The recipe below is the base recipe I use each and every time. If you feel like a refreshingly cold, leafy soup is the best idea for hot temperatures, then you will fall in love with this one.
This Recipe Works If You Need
- A light lunch on a hot day when a heavy, boiling meal feels like too much.
- A clever way to use the whole beet, leaves and stems included, instead of tossing the tops in the bin.
- A “back to basics” reset meal built on few, good-quality ingredients.
- A vegan, dairy-free soup that still tastes creamy and rounded.
- A flexible base recipe you can swap greens into all season long.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- It is zero-waste smart. The leafy tops you would normally discard become the star of the bowl, so one bunch of beets feeds you twice.
- It is truly simple. Two cooking moves — boil, then finish off the heat — and you are done. No roux, no blending required.
- It is refreshingly sour. The vinegar gives it that bright, summery tang that makes a leafy soup so easy to eat cold.
- It is creamy without dairy. A cup of vegan rice cream rounds out the broth and keeps the color light and pale.
- It is endlessly adaptable. Same base, different leaves, optional rice or potato cubes when you want it more filling.
Ingredient Notes
Beet greens (leaves and stems) — you need the leaves from 3 to 4 red beets, roughly chopped, with the stems cut into smaller pieces. When you buy beets, look for bunches sold with the tops still attached; the leaves should be perky and deep green, not slumped or yellowing, because limp greens mean the bunch has been sitting too long. The stems take a little longer to soften than the leaves, which is exactly why they go into the pot at the start with the onion rather than at the end.
Red onion — one big onion, thinly chopped. It boils alongside the leaves from the start so it has time to mellow and sweeten into the broth. Thin chopping matters here: smaller pieces release their flavor faster into the water in the short 15-minute simmer.
Vegan rice cream — one cup (250 ml). I love my leaves soup to have a light color, which is why I always use unsweetened rice milk or vegan rice cream in it; the one from Alpro is definitely my favorite. I sometimes even use both if I have them in my kitchen. Make sure you reach for the unsweetened version, as a sweetened cream will throw off the sour balance of the soup.
Vinegar — this is what makes the soup sour. For this sour beet leaves soup I prefer using the leftover vinegar from pickle jars for a few reasons: first, because it is already seasoned, and second, because its taste is not too strong, which means it is not that harsh on our stomach. Wine vinegar is not really working for my digestion, so I found out that rice vinegar is a very good alternative — yes, the same one we use for making sushi. If you use rice vinegar, add only 2 to 3 tablespoons first, then mix and taste before adding more.
Parsley and lovage — one big bunch of each, thinly sliced. Lovage is an essential element in each and every soup that I make. But there are times when I do not have fresh lovage and no frozen leaves in the freezer either; that is when I replace it with parsley, which works wonderfully as well. For this batch I used both. There are never too many fresh greens in my soup. They go in off the heat so their color and fresh aroma stay vivid.
Miso paste (optional) — 2 tablespoons. I use miso paste in soups to replace salt. It also adds a boost of probiotics compared to regular salt. Stir it in at the very end, off the heat, since boiling miso dulls both its flavor and its live cultures.
Tips
- Add the cream and greens off the heat. The most common mistake is dumping everything in while the pot is still boiling. Turn off the heat first, then stir in the vinegar, fresh greens, and vegan cream so the cream does not split and the herbs keep their bright color.
- Build the sour slowly. Vinegar strengths vary wildly. Start with less, mix, taste, and only then add more. You can always make it more sour, but you cannot pull it back once it tips too far.
- Watch the leaves, not just the clock. You know the base is ready when the stems are tender to a fork and the leaves have wilted down and turned a deeper green, roughly after the 15-minute boil.
- Wash the greens really well. Beet leaves and stems hold onto garden grit, so rinse them thoroughly before chopping; nothing ruins a delicate soup like a gritty spoonful.
- Salt last, especially with miso. If you are using miso paste to season, taste before adding any extra salt, because the miso already brings plenty.
Substitutions and Variations
- Swap the greens. This is my base “leaves” soup, so use whatever leafy greens you have. I make it with beetroot leaves here, but orache or salad leaves work just as well.
- Make it more filling. When I want it more consistent, I add a handful of rice or some small potato cubes to the pot.
- Choose your vinegar. Leftover seasoned vinegar from a pickle jar is my favorite, but rice vinegar is a gentler, less sour alternative if strong vinegars bother your stomach.
- Not vegan? Add beaten eggs. When I want it richer I sometimes stir in some beaten eggs, but be aware this means the soup is no longer vegan.
Storage and Make Ahead
This soup keeps well in an airtight container in the fridge for 2 to 3 days, and I love it just as much cold straight from the fridge as I do warm. If you are making it ahead for a hot day, the chilled version is the whole point. Give it a gentle stir before serving, since the rice cream can settle. I will definitely make it again this weekend, I just can’t wait. If you decide to give it a try, do not forget to let me know how it went in the comments.
If you are after more soups along these lines, I think you will enjoy my vegan beetroot borscht, which leans into that same sour, summery profile, and my collection of clear soup recipes for more light, refreshing bowls. And if you want to put the beetroot bulbs to good use too, here is how I cook beetroot in all sorts of ways.
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Beet Greens Soup
Ingredients
- leaves from 3-4 red beets roughly chopped, including the stems cut into smaller pieces
- 1 red onion big, thinly chopped
- 4 L water
- 250 ml vegan rice cream such as Alpro
- vinegar to taste; if using rice vinegar, add only 2-3 Tbsp first, then mix, taste and add more to your preference
- 1 big bunch of parsley thinly sliced
- 1 big bunch of lovage thinly sliced
- miso paste optional, about 2 Tbsp; used in place of salt and adds a probiotic boost
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Add the water to a big pot.
- Add the chopped onion and beet leaves. Boil for 15 minutes.
- Turn off the heat, then stir in the vinegar, chopped fresh herbs, vegan rice cream, and miso paste (if using). Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Notes
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. The leaves and stems of red beets are completely edible and make a tender, mild, slightly earthy soup. Roughly chop the leaves and cut the stems into smaller pieces, then boil them with onion for about 15 minutes until the stems are fork-tender.
Use both. The stems are edible and add body to the soup, but they take longer to soften than the leaves. Cut them into smaller pieces and add them to the pot at the start with the onion so they have the full simmer time to turn tender.
Finish the soup with vegan rice cream instead of dairy. About one cup of unsweetened rice cream rounds out the broth and keeps the color light and pale. Stir it in off the heat, after boiling, so it does not split.
Vinegar added off the heat at the end. Leftover seasoned vinegar from a pickle jar works well because it is mild and already seasoned. Rice vinegar is a gentler, less sour alternative. Start with 2 to 3 tablespoons, mix, taste, then add more to your preference.
Yes, and it is excellent that way. This is a refreshing summer soup that tastes just as good chilled straight from the fridge as it does warm. Make it ahead, store it cold, and give it a stir before serving since the rice cream can settle.
It keeps well in an airtight container in the fridge for 2 to 3 days. Because it is delicious cold, it is an easy make-ahead lunch. Stir it before serving to recombine the rice cream and fresh greens.
my latest obsession, thank you for the inspiration!