Soup with zucchini and red beet, soured with cabbage juice
I tried red beet in soup for the first time after seeing the idea from cooks in Moldova. I had never added 'ragged' eggs to soup before, but this time I followed the recipe to see how it turns out. The first reaction from my family was total curiosity, especially since there was no meat, but in the end, it was appreciated. In any case, it's a soup recipe with many vegetables, healthy and quite filling, especially when you add noodles.
Quick info
Total time: about 1 hour
Preparation time: 15-20 minutes
Cooking time: 35-45 minutes
Servings: 6-8
Difficulty: easy to medium
Recipe type: vegetable soup, seasonal, suitable for fasting (if you omit the eggs)
Ingredients
1 red onion
1 medium zucchini
2 carrots
1 medium red beet
3 stalks of celery
2 parsley roots
2-3 tablespoons olive oil
1 bell pepper (red or yellow)
2 potatoes
3 rolls of wide noodles (optional)
2 eggs
1 bunch of fresh parsley
500 ml cabbage juice (or to taste)
approximately 3 liters of water
salt to taste
Preparation method
1. Start by preparing the vegetables. Chop the onion finely. Slice the carrots into rounds (or in half rounds if they are thicker). Cut the bell pepper into julienne, and slice the celery and parsley root thinly.
2. Heat the olive oil in a large pot. Add the onion, carrots, bell pepper, celery, and parsley, and sauté them lightly for 2-3 minutes until they soften a bit. Do not fry them, just let them become a bit softer.
3. Pour approximately 3 liters of water over the vegetables. Meanwhile, peel the red beet and cut it into small cubes. Add the beet to the pot immediately after the water.
4. Let everything boil over medium heat until the vegetables are almost cooked. They should not be completely soft, just half-cooked.
5. Peel the potatoes and cut them into cubes. Add them to the pot when the vegetables are half-cooked. Let it boil further.
6. Prepare the zucchini: peel it, cut it lengthwise into quarters, remove the seeds (if it has many), and slice it. Add the zucchini to the soup. Boil everything until both the zucchini and potatoes are soft.
7. Pour in the cabbage juice, depending on how sour you want the soup to be. Adjust the salt.
8. If you are adding noodles, add them now and let them boil according to the package instructions (or until they are cooked to your taste). Wide noodles provide a thicker texture, but you can omit them if you don’t like them.
9. In a separate bowl, beat the eggs as for an omelet. When all the vegetables and noodles are cooked, turn off the heat. Gradually pour the beaten eggs into the pot, stirring continuously, so that thin strands of egg form.
10. Sprinkle with finely chopped fresh parsley, mix, and cover the pot for 2-3 minutes.
11. Serve the soup hot. Optionally, place a hot pepper and sour cream on the table.
Why I make this recipe often
This soup is good because it uses simple, inexpensive vegetables and tastes good even without meat. If you have cabbage juice on hand, it’s not much hassle, and the leftovers keep well for 2-3 days.
Tips and variations
Tips
You can adjust the amount of cabbage juice depending on how sour you want the soup.
Red beet gives color and a subtle sweet taste. Don’t cut it too large, otherwise, it will boil slowly.
If you want a thicker soup, add more noodles. If not, you can skip them without any problem.
Substitutions
Instead of zucchini, you can use young pumpkin if you don’t have any.
Noodles can be replaced with rice, but it won’t have the same consistency.
If you don’t have cabbage juice, you can use borscht, but the taste will be slightly different.
Variations
For a fasting version, do not add eggs.
You can also add other root vegetables: celery or parsnip, if you like them more aromatic.
If you want meat, you can add boiled chicken breast, but then it’s already a different type of soup.
Serving ideas
It goes best with fresh hot pepper and, for those who want, with a little sour cream.
It can be served with fresh bread for those who want something more filling.
Frequently asked questions
1. Does beet boil slowly?
No, if you cut it into small cubes and put it in to boil with the vegetables from the start. If it still seems hard at the end, leave it for another 5-10 minutes.
2. Can it be soured only with cabbage juice?
Yes, but you can adjust the quantity to your taste or combine it with a little borscht if you prefer it more sour.
3. Can I make fasting soup?
Yes, just don’t add eggs and possibly avoid sour cream when serving.
4. Should the soup be intensely red?
It depends on how much beet you put in and how colorful it is. If you want a stronger color, you can add more beet.
5. Are noodles mandatory?
No. They are optional. You can make the soup just with vegetables.
Nutritional values
Estimation for a medium serving (approx. 350 ml, without sour cream):
Calories: 120-150 kcal
Proteins: 4-6 g
Fats: 4-6 g
Carbohydrates: 18-22 g
The soup is quite low in fats and calories, thanks to the main ingredients (vegetables, water, a little olive oil). The eggs and noodles slightly increase the protein and carbohydrate intake.
Storage and reheating
The vegetable soup with beet and zucchini can be stored in the refrigerator, in a covered container, for up to 3 days. When reheating, the taste remains good, but the beaten eggs may harden a bit. If you added noodles, they may absorb liquid, so you might need to add a little water when reheating. I do not recommend freezing this soup, as the texture of the vegetables changes unpleasantly after thawing.
I tried red beet in soup for the first time after seeing the idea from cooks in Moldova. I had never added 'ragged' eggs to soup before, but this time I followed the recipe to see how it turns out. The first reaction from my family was total curiosity, especially since there was no meat, but in the end, it was appreciated. In any case, it's a soup recipe with many vegetables, healthy and quite filling, especially when you add noodles.
Quick info
Total time: about 1 hour
Preparation time: 15-20 minutes
Cooking time: 35-45 minutes
Servings: 6-8
Difficulty: easy to medium
Recipe type: vegetable soup, seasonal, suitable for fasting (if you omit the eggs)
Ingredients
1 red onion
1 medium zucchini
2 carrots
1 medium red beet
3 stalks of celery
2 parsley roots
2-3 tablespoons olive oil
1 bell pepper (red or yellow)
2 potatoes
3 rolls of wide noodles (optional)
2 eggs
1 bunch of fresh parsley
500 ml cabbage juice (or to taste)
approximately 3 liters of water
salt to taste
Preparation method
1. Start by preparing the vegetables. Chop the onion finely. Slice the carrots into rounds (or in half rounds if they are thicker). Cut the bell pepper into julienne, and slice the celery and parsley root thinly.
2. Heat the olive oil in a large pot. Add the onion, carrots, bell pepper, celery, and parsley, and sauté them lightly for 2-3 minutes until they soften a bit. Do not fry them, just let them become a bit softer.
3. Pour approximately 3 liters of water over the vegetables. Meanwhile, peel the red beet and cut it into small cubes. Add the beet to the pot immediately after the water.
4. Let everything boil over medium heat until the vegetables are almost cooked. They should not be completely soft, just half-cooked.
5. Peel the potatoes and cut them into cubes. Add them to the pot when the vegetables are half-cooked. Let it boil further.
6. Prepare the zucchini: peel it, cut it lengthwise into quarters, remove the seeds (if it has many), and slice it. Add the zucchini to the soup. Boil everything until both the zucchini and potatoes are soft.
7. Pour in the cabbage juice, depending on how sour you want the soup to be. Adjust the salt.
8. If you are adding noodles, add them now and let them boil according to the package instructions (or until they are cooked to your taste). Wide noodles provide a thicker texture, but you can omit them if you don’t like them.
9. In a separate bowl, beat the eggs as for an omelet. When all the vegetables and noodles are cooked, turn off the heat. Gradually pour the beaten eggs into the pot, stirring continuously, so that thin strands of egg form.
10. Sprinkle with finely chopped fresh parsley, mix, and cover the pot for 2-3 minutes.
11. Serve the soup hot. Optionally, place a hot pepper and sour cream on the table.
Why I make this recipe often
This soup is good because it uses simple, inexpensive vegetables and tastes good even without meat. If you have cabbage juice on hand, it’s not much hassle, and the leftovers keep well for 2-3 days.
Tips and variations
Tips
You can adjust the amount of cabbage juice depending on how sour you want the soup.
Red beet gives color and a subtle sweet taste. Don’t cut it too large, otherwise, it will boil slowly.
If you want a thicker soup, add more noodles. If not, you can skip them without any problem.
Substitutions
Instead of zucchini, you can use young pumpkin if you don’t have any.
Noodles can be replaced with rice, but it won’t have the same consistency.
If you don’t have cabbage juice, you can use borscht, but the taste will be slightly different.
Variations
For a fasting version, do not add eggs.
You can also add other root vegetables: celery or parsnip, if you like them more aromatic.
If you want meat, you can add boiled chicken breast, but then it’s already a different type of soup.
Serving ideas
It goes best with fresh hot pepper and, for those who want, with a little sour cream.
It can be served with fresh bread for those who want something more filling.
Frequently asked questions
1. Does beet boil slowly?
No, if you cut it into small cubes and put it in to boil with the vegetables from the start. If it still seems hard at the end, leave it for another 5-10 minutes.
2. Can it be soured only with cabbage juice?
Yes, but you can adjust the quantity to your taste or combine it with a little borscht if you prefer it more sour.
3. Can I make fasting soup?
Yes, just don’t add eggs and possibly avoid sour cream when serving.
4. Should the soup be intensely red?
It depends on how much beet you put in and how colorful it is. If you want a stronger color, you can add more beet.
5. Are noodles mandatory?
No. They are optional. You can make the soup just with vegetables.
Nutritional values
Estimation for a medium serving (approx. 350 ml, without sour cream):
Calories: 120-150 kcal
Proteins: 4-6 g
Fats: 4-6 g
Carbohydrates: 18-22 g
The soup is quite low in fats and calories, thanks to the main ingredients (vegetables, water, a little olive oil). The eggs and noodles slightly increase the protein and carbohydrate intake.
Storage and reheating
The vegetable soup with beet and zucchini can be stored in the refrigerator, in a covered container, for up to 3 days. When reheating, the taste remains good, but the beaten eggs may harden a bit. If you added noodles, they may absorb liquid, so you might need to add a little water when reheating. I do not recommend freezing this soup, as the texture of the vegetables changes unpleasantly after thawing.