Botwinka (Polish Young Beet Soup) is a classic Polish soup made with young beets, beet greens, potatoes, carrots, celery, leek, and parsnip. Simple and easy to prepare, it is especially enjoyed in spring and summer when young beets are in season.
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The key ingredient is young beets with their stems and leaves attached. They give the soup an earthy sweetness and vibrant colour, while lemon juice and fresh herbs keep it light and well balanced.
Botwinka is a classic seasonal soup in Poland, enjoyed in summer when young beets are in season. It is traditionally served with a boiled egg and a sprinkle of fresh dill for an authentic Polish touch.
Easy to make and perfect for a weeknight meal, this beet soup can be enjoyed warm or chilled. It remains one of my favourite summer dishes.
WHAT IS BOTWINKA?
Botwinka is a traditional soup hailing from Eastern Europe and very famous soup in Poland. It’s made from young beets and usually served during summer months when the young beets are in season. The stems and leaves are called ‘botwinka’ in the Polish language hence the name of the soup. It is made from the whole beet bulbs, the stems, and the leaves. It has other veggies included like: carrots, celery stalks, parsnips, leeks and potatoes. It’s finished with freshly chopped dill, hard boiled eggs and freshly ground pepper.
BEET GREENS SOUP (BOTWINKA) INGREDIENTS
This recipe comes together beautifully with simple ingredients. Here’s what you will need:
- Beets – Heart-healthy and rich in vitamins and nutrients.
- Bunch young beets – Look for medium beets, with firm deep-colored flesh and stems/greens still attached.
- Potatoes
- Carrots
- Parsnips
- Celery stalk
- Leek
- Sour cream
- Butter
- Fresh dill – this soup just won’t be the same without very fresh herbs.
- Lemon Juice – You’re definitely going to want to use fresh lemon in this recipe. It adds delicious freshness and cuts the bitter notes of the greens.
- Spices and Aromatic: Salt, pepper, allspice and a bay leaves are all you need.
HOW TO MAKE THIS BEET GREEN SOUP
This recipe comes together easily if all your ingredients are pilled, diced and ready to go. You want to use either a large pot or a Dutch oven that comfortably fits all of your ingredients. Please also see the full recipe card at the bottom of this page.
- Prepare beets: Clean beet greens: cut off the stems with leaves from the bulbs and place them into a pot of cold water. Soak them for a couple of minutes to release all the sand. Once the leaves are cleaned, pat them dry with paper towels. Wash the beet bulbs and peel using a vegetable peeler (use gloves). Cut the beets, stems, and leaves and set aside.
- Prepare and simmer soup: Peel and cut the potatoes into 1-inch cubes, cut the carrots, leeks, celery and parsnips into slices. In a deep skillet, melt the butter, add parsnips, leeks, celery, carrots and sautée for about 4-5 minutes. Add water (or vegetable/chicken broth) potatoes, bay leaves, whole allspice, pinch of salt and pepper and cook for 15 minutes. Then add beets, beets stems, beetroot leaves and lemon juice. Bring to a boil, reduce to simmer (without a lid) for about 30 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. After 30 minutes, try a few vegetables to make sure you like the texture, if the veggies are too firm for your liking, simmer the soup longer.
Temper the cream:
- Add the cream and sour cream to a cup together with a few tablespoons of the soups, stir and add back to the pot. Take the pot off the heat and remove the bay leaves.
- Serve with hard-boiled eggs (halved), chopped dill. Finish off with a sprinkle of freshly ground balck pepper. Enjoy!
PRO TIPS: Try to find medium beets, they’re more tender with a nicer flavor. If you can only find large beets, you may need to simmer a little longer for the beets to get tender. Beets take more time to cook than most other vegetables. Also, using fresh dill really makes a big difference in this recipe.
HOW TO SERVE BEET SOUP
To serve, pour the soup into a bowl and make it beautiful with some chopped fresh dill, hard-boiled eggs and cracked black pepper. Also, here are a few other serving suggestions:
- Toasted baguette – Great when slathered in a little butter or olive oil before toasting in the oven and then can be used for dipping.
- Chicken – You can’t go wrong serving this healthy soup alongside some lean protein.
TO PREPARE BEETS
The color of beets will stain your hands and/or white cutting board so I always wear gloves when preparing beets. While I never peel beets before cooking, in this soup they do need to be peeled.
- Wash the beets and peel using a vegetable peeler (use gloves).
- Clean beet greens: cut off the stems with leaves from the bulbs and place them into a pot of cold water. Soak them for a couple of minutes to release all the sand. Once the leaves are cleaned, pat them dry with paper towels. Chop the leaves and cut the stems into thin slices and set aside.
- Cut the beets, stems, and leaves and set aside.
HOW TO REMOVE BEET STAINS?
If stained on your hands:
- Rub lemon juice in between your hands or dip your hands in a bowl of lemon juice.
- Add baking soda and a little bit of water, then rub your hands vigorously.
To prevent stains on your cutting board:
- Spray a little oil on your cutting board before cutting. This helps prevent the beet juice soaking into the wood.
If stained on your clothes:
- Mix 2 tablespoons of dishwashing liquid with 2 cups of water. Dip a towel in this mixture and blot the stain. Make sure to not rub it or it will make worse.
FAQs
How to store this soup?
- If you have any leftover, make sure to refrigerate them in an airtight container. You can keep the soup in the fridge for up to 3 days, it can be warmed up, but it should not boil intensively (cream can curdle).
Can I Freeze Beet Green Soup?
- Yes, this soup can be frozen only before adding the cream.
How to roast beets?
- Heat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Wrap beets in aluminum foil and place on a baking dish. Roast until tender, about 30 -40 minutes. When cool enough to handle, peel and cut into cubes.
MORE POLISH RECIPES TO TRY
- Mushroom Soup
- Rosół Polish Chicken Soup
- Polish Sour Soup Żurek
- Polish Cauliflower Soup
- Polish Borscht Soup Recipe
And, if you’re looking for more beet’s recipes, I’d suggest you checking this out: Beetroot Carpaccio with Feta Cheese.
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*Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so it should only be used as an approximation.
BOTWINKA POLISH YOUNG BEET SOUP
Ingredients
- 2 medium carrots chopped
- 2 parsnips chopped
- 1 celery stalks chopped
- 1 leek washed, trimmed of tough green ends and coarsely chopped
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 6 large young potatoes diced into small cubes
- 2 whole bay leaves
- 3 whole allspice
- 1 large bunch young beets with their stems and leaves attached about 4 medium raw beets with their stems and leaves attached (washed peeled and cut into small squares)
- 1 pre-cooked beet – Optional (shredded) for extra flavour
- 3-4 tablespoons fresh lemon juice to taste
- 1 tablespoon sour cream 14%
- 1/2 cup heavy cream 33%
- 4 cups water or vegetable broth, or chicken broth
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1/4 cup fresh chopped dill
Garnish:
- 4 hard-boiled eggs
- fresh chopped dill for toppings
Instructions
Prepare the beets:
- Clean the beets thoroughly, as they are often quite dirty. The best way is to cut off the stems with leaves from the bulbs and place them in a pot of cold water. Let them soak for a few minutes to release any sand or dirt. Once clean, remove and pat dry with paper towels.Wash the beet bulbs and peel them using a vegetable peeler (wear gloves to avoid staining). Cut the beets, stems, and leaves into pieces and set aside.
Prepare all the vegetables:
- Peel and cut the potatoes into 1-inch cubes. Peel the carrots and parsnips, then slice them along with the leeks and celery.
Cook the soup:
- In a deep skillet, melt 2 tablespoons of butter. Add the parsnips, leeks, celery, and carrots, and sauté for about 4–5 minutes. Pour in the water (or vegetable or chicken broth), then add the potatoes, 2 bay leaves, whole allspice, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Cook for 15 minutes.Next, add the beets, beet stems, beet leaves, and lemon juice. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer (without a lid) and cook for about 30 minutes. Adjust seasoning to taste.After 30 minutes, check the vegetables for tenderness. If they are still too firm for your liking, continue simmering the soup until they reach the desired texture.
Temper the cream:
- In a cup, combine the heavy cream and sour cream with a few tablespoons of the hot soup. Stir well, then slowly add the mixture back into the pot. Remove the pot from the heat, add the chopped dill and take out the bay leaves.
- Serve with halved hard-boiled eggs and chopped dill. Finish with a sprinkle of freshly ground black pepper. Enjoy!