This borscht is a hearty soup made with beets, cabbage, onion and bone broth. It’s completely AIP compliant, paleo, whole30 and keto.
I absolutely loved when my mom would make this soup when I was younger. It was definitely one of my faves! There’s just something about the combination of beets and cabbage that is just SO darn delicious.
Borscht is originally a Ukrainian soup that highlights beets as its main ingredient. So it’s a bright purple soup that is packed with nutrients.
Ingredients in this Borscht
My mom typically would make it with broth, beets, onions, and cabbage. It is sometimes made with potatoes, but since nightshades are not AIP and typically are not my friend, I’ve made this version without them. Leaving the potatoes out also makes this soup Keto/Low-Carb. But if you’re not following AIP or Keto and tolerate potatoes, you can always add them.
Bone broth
Borscht is typically made with beef broth but really any broth would work! I used chicken bone broth, as that is the broth I usually have on hand.
Beets
The star ingredient! Beets are what make this soup. They are incredibly nutrient dense and are a great support to digestion as well as the liver.
Cabbage
Another main ingredient! I don’t think it would be Borscht without cabbage. Cabbage is a cruciferous vegetable that is also excellent for the liver!
Onion
As usual, onions add a lot of flavor. But I have made this soup without them and it still tastes great. So if you don’t tolerate onion, you could get away with omitting them!
Olive oil
You’re going to sauté the onion in the olive oil before adding in the rest of the ingredients.
Apple Cider Vinegar
The acv adds a little bit of sour to balance out the flavor!
Bay leaves
Such a small simple ingredient but adds such a depth of flavor. Make sure to remove them before serving.
Salt
Just a teaspoon of salt! I prefer to use real salt or Himalayan pink salt.
Coconut yogurt
Borscht is often served topped with sour cream. Since I’m dairy free, I serve mine topped with unsweetened coconut yogurt, and it is perfection!
How to make Borscht in the Instant Pot
The instant pot makes this a very hands-off soup! Once everything is in the instant pot, all you have to do is press start and wait for it to be ready. And that’s what I love about the instant pot, it just makes cooking so much easier!
You’re going to start by adding the olive oil to the instant pot and pressing the sauté function. Then once the oil is warm, you’ll add the onion and sauté for a few mins, until aromatic. Then add the remaining ingredients except the coconut yogurt. Close the lid, and set it to high pressure for 15 minutes. Easy Peasy!
Once the time is up, you can either manually release the pressure or allow it to naturally release. Make sure to remove the bay leaves. Add a dollop of coconut yogurt when serving and ENJOY!
Yield: 6-8 servings
Instant Pot Borscht (AIP/Paleo/Whole30/Keto)
10 minutes
15 minutes
15 minutes
40 minutes
This borscht is a hearty soup made with beets, cabbage, onion and bone broth. It's completely AIP compliant, paleo, whole30 and keto.
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1/2 onion, chopped
- 4 beets, peeled and cubed
- 4 cups cabbage, chopped
- 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 bay leaves
- 4 cups bone broth
Instructions
- Add the olive oil to the instant pot and press the sauté function. Then once the oil is warm, add the onion and sauté until aromatic (1-2 mins).
- Add the beets, cabbage, acv, salt, bay leaves, and bone broth.
- Close the lid, and set it to high pressure for 15 minutes.
- Once done, either manually release the pressure OR allow it naturally release.
- Remove the bay leaves.
- Serve with a dollop of coconut yogurt.
- Enjoy!
Notes
Store in refrigerator in a sealed container for up to three days OR store in freezer for up to 2 months.
Other soups you may enjoy:
- Creamy Cauliflower Leek Soup
- Smoky Dill Cauli Rice Soup with Chicken and Kale
- Instant Pot Butternut Squash Soup
Hi Rebecca,
I need a clarification. You listed “4 cabbage,” and I’m assuming that’s 4 cups of cabbage. Can you verify for me. Thanks.
Hi Dolores,
Yes that’s 4 cups, all fixed now! Thank you so much for pointing this out 🙂
Is the bone broth chicken or beef? This is probably obvious to others, but I’ve never made borscht before. However, I loooove beets, so it seems perfect!
You can use either! I think traditionally it is with beef, but I use chicken as it’s the broth I usually have on hand!
Awesome! That’s what I usually have as well. I am also going to try it with vegetable broth so the one vegetarian in the family can give it a try.
Enjoyed the borscht which was so easy to put together in the IP. Had celery and a few carrots that needed to be used up so added them. Planning to freeze a couple portions. Simple fare soups are perfect for lunch. Thanks for posting the recipe.
Oh so glad you enjoyed the borscht! Love soups this time of year 🙂
When you say four beets, do you have a cup or gram measurement for this? I have beats but they are varying sizes from the garden. Thank you for your help!
I would say 4 medium sized beets, probably around two cups – but honestly more or less of that amount will still create a great soup!