A Vibrant Beet Soup You’ll Crave All Winter –– Sweet Potato Soul

Boost your immune system with my soul-warming Beet Soup with Sweet Potato! It’s overflowing with nutrient-dense vegetables like red beets, sweet potatoes, carrots, and fresh ginger and garlic. This simple, 100% vegan recipe packs a punch – you’ll be reaching for it all winter.

This blog post was originally published on February 12, 2018. It was updated with new information and photos on October 27, 2025.

Consider this my love letter to vegan beet soup. It’s a hearty, warming, and nutritious dish that hits all the right spots in fall and winter. Filled with an all-star cast of nutrient-dense ingredients, it nips any impending sickness right in the bud. We got fiber from the beets (greens and stalks included), anti-inflammatory magic from ginger, and digestive health support from celery. And of course, antioxidant-rich sweet potatoes have us covered in the nutrition category, too.

Aside from the health benefits, this recipe is easy and effortless to make. I’m talking slicing, dicing, and peeling on your part – the soup pot does the rest. But let’s be real, the #1 reason I keep turning to beet soup recipes is because they taste too good. So if you’ve been wanting to learn how to make beet soup, you’re in the right place.

For more soul-warming soup recipes, check out my Curried Parsnip Soup, Spiced Chickpea Soup, and Butternut Squash Soup with Coconut Milk. And check out my roundup of 15+ Vegan Soup recipes.

Ingredients

Extra Virgin Olive Oil: Extra virgin olive oil is my go-to oil for sautéing and soup making. You could also use a neutral oil like avocado oil. Either is great for our vegetable-dense soup.

Onion: Yellow or red onion gives us a savory flavor base. Red onion is slightly sweeter, and white onion will do in a pinch.

Garlic: Minced garlic cloves, to be exact – for a pungent and savory flavor boost. Plus, garlic is full of anti-inflammatory properties.

Jalapeño Pepper: For a kick of spice.

Ginger: Another powerhouse ingredient in the lineup. You’ll want a ginger knob about 1 ½ inches.

Celery: With a milder taste, celery is a humble but key player in the foundation of red beet soup. In terms of health benefits, celery boasts high fiber, antioxidant properties, and vitamins and minerals for a healthy gut.

Beet Stalks and Greens: The leafy greens and the red, fibrous stalk of beets are not only tasty inclusions, but they’re crazy nutritious, full of vitamins and minerals, including iron. Two cups of beet greens have more calcium than a cup of cow’s milk! If your beets didn’t come with the greens attached, you can replace them with swiss chard, spinach, or kale.

Carrots: These fiber-rich, orange veggies bring balance with their natural, ever-so-slightly bitter sweetness. When softened, they’re a delight to bite into.

Beets: This bright, earthy vegetable is the leading lady in vegan beet soup, making it hearty and nourishing with tons of fiber, B vitamins, iron, and vitamin C. When cooked, they get more vibrant and velvety soft.

Vegetable Broth (or Stock): This savory liquid transforms the cooked veggies into a flavorful soup. You can also use 2 tablespoons of vegan Better than Bouillon or 2 vegetable bouillon cubes, combined with water.

Sweet Potato: Rich in complex carbs, this root vegetable makes beet soup recipes substantial and filling.

Red Wine Vinegar: A splash of red wine vinegar for tang and flavor balance.

Fresh Parsley: Chopped, for garnish.

Salt and Black Pepper to taste.

How to Make Beet Soup

Grab your cutting board, knife, and soup pot, and heat up the burner. Dinner’s going to be good!

Sauté aromatics. Warm the oil in a large Dutch oven or soup pot over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic, jalapeño, ginger, and celery, and beet green stalks, and sauté for about 5 minutes until the onions are translucent.

Incorporate beets and carrots. Add the beets and carrots, and sauté for another 3 minutes.

Add broth and simmer. Add the vegetable broth (or water and bouillon) and black pepper. Increase the heat to medium-high and bring the soup to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer the soup with the lid ajar for 10 minutes, adding more vegetable broth to thin the soup if preferred.

Mix in sweet potatoes then beet greens. Add the sweet potatoes and cook with the lid ajar for another 20 minutes or until the beets and sweet potatoes are tender. Stir in the beet greens, and cook for another 5 minutes until they are tender.

Season, garnish, and serve. Remove the beet soup from the heat and stir in the red wine vinegar. Season with salt to taste and serve hot, garnished with chopped parsley.

Jenné’s Recipe Tips

Chop vegetables small and uniformly. Larger, uneven chunks take longer to cook through. Cut them on the smaller side for consistent texture.
Use all parts of the beet, including the green leaves and red stems. By leaving them out, you’ll lose serious flavor, texture, and nutritional value. Plus, it prevents food waste!
Don’t overcook. Bring the vegetables and broth to a simmer over medium to medium-high heat. Too high a heat will cause the beets to lose their signature vibrant color, turning them brown.
Keep beet stains off your cutting board by coating or spritzing the board with a bit of oil. This stops the beet juice from seeping into the wood.

Recipe Variations

Give this beet soup recipe a twist with the following recipe adaptations and variations.

Beans: If this super-hearty soup is not bulky enough for you, and you’re shooting for an extra-hearty soup, add white potatoes and/or white beans, like garbanzo or Great Northern.
Beet Squash Soup: Butternut squash is officially in season. You can get the most out of it by replacing sweet potato with chopped squash.
Extra Creamy: Thicken up your vegan beet soup by mixing in coconut milk or coconut cream as a final step. It’s so decadent.

Serving Suggestions

Top your red beet soup off with fresh parsley, jalapeño pepper slices, or roasted crispy beans. You’ll need some pita or crusty bread chunks for dunking, of course. Turn it into a full meal alongside a crisp salad:

Storage Directions

Refrigerating: In the fridge, leftover beet soup keeps covered in an airtight container for up to 5 days. Before transferring, allow the soup to cool down completely.
Freezing: In the freezer, the beet soup will stay fresh for up to 3 months. Store in a freezer-safe, airtight container. Thaw the soup overnight in the fridge or on the stovetop over low heat.
Reheating: Reheat on the stovetop over medium heat or microwave in 1-minute bursts.

Frequently Asked Questions

What’s the difference between beet soup and borscht?

Borscht is an Eastern European beet soup that traditionally includes cabbage, potatoes, and meats in addition to beets. My beet soup recipe is completely vegan, and doesn’t include cabbage – though you’re welcome to include it.

What are common mistakes when making beetroot soup?

The most common error is using too high of heat to cook the beets. High heat causes the beets to lose their bright color. Instead, use medium to medium-high heat.

Is beet soup healthy?

Almost every ingredient has nutritional value, so making a soup that’s jam-packed with fiber, vitamins, minerals, iron, and a slew of antioxidant properties would be considered healthy by many.

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