Instant Pot Borscht

overhead photo of borscht topped with sour cream and dill

Instant Pot Borscht is a delicious vegan soup recipe ready in just 8 minutes at high pressure. Loaded with beets, cabbage, and fresh dill, this vegetarian borscht recipe is simple and nourishing.

Course Soups

Cuisine Ukrainian

Keyword Instant Pot Borscht

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 8

Pressure / Venting 30

Total Time 53

Servings

Calories 188kcal

Author Katie Trant

Equipment

Instant Pot

Ingredients

2 Tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion diced
2 bay leaves
1 teaspoon salt
2 large carrots diced into small pieces
4 medium beets peeled and diced - approx ½ inch dice
2 cups shredded red cabbage Finely sliced
4 medium tomatoes diced
6 cups vegetable broth
2 Tablespoons red wine vinegar
juice of 1 lemon
2 Tablespoons chopped fresh dill
2 Tablespoons chopped parsley
1 14 ounce can green peas including the liquid!

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Instant Pot Instructions

Turn your Instant Pot to "saute" and add 2 tablespoons of olive oil to heat.
2 Tablespoons olive oil
Add the onion, bay leaves, and salt, and sauté until the onion is translucent.
1 large onion, 2 bay leaves, 1 teaspoon salt
Add the diced carrots, shredded cabbage, and beets, and sauté for about 5 minutes, stirring often.
2 large carrots, 2 cups shredded red cabbage, 4 medium beets
Press "cancel" to stop the sauté function.
Add the diced tomatoes and the vegetable broth.
6 cups vegetable broth, 4 medium tomatoes
Place the lid on your Instant Pot, ensuring the valve is set to "sealing". Use the "pressure cook" function and set the timer for 8 minutes.
When the pressure cooking cycle is complete, let the pressure release naturally for 15 minutes. Then, flip the vent to "venting" and release the remaining pressure.
Add the lemon juice, red wine vinegar, dill, parsley, and the canned peas along with all of their liquid. Let the soup sit for 5 minutes to allow the flavours to combine.
2 Tablespoons red wine vinegar, juice of 1 lemon, 2 Tablespoons chopped fresh dill, 2 Tablespoons chopped parsley, 1 14 ounce can green peas
Serve with lots of fresh dill, freshly ground black pepper, and creme fraiche or sour cream if desired.

Stovetop Instructions

Set a large soup pot over medium heat. Add the olive oil, onion, 1 teaspoon salt, and bay leaves. Sauté until the onion is translucent.
2 Tablespoons olive oil, 1 large onion, 1 teaspoon salt, 2 bay leaves
Add the diced carrots and beets and sauté for about 5 minutes, until the carrots have softened slightly.
2 large carrots, 4 medium beets
Add the shredded cabbage, tomatoes, and vegetable broth. Stir to combine.
2 cups shredded red cabbage, 4 medium tomatoes, 6 cups vegetable broth
Cover, and cook until the vegetables are tender, about 20 minutes.
Add red wine vinegar, lemon juice, fresh dill, and fresh parsley. Add the canned peas, along with all of their liquid.
2 Tablespoons red wine vinegar, juice of 1 lemon, 2 Tablespoons chopped fresh dill, 2 Tablespoons chopped parsley, 1 14 ounce can green peas
Serve with lots of fresh dill, freshly ground black pepper, and a dollop of creme fraiche or sour cream if you wish.

Notes

Nutrition values are an estimate only.
The magic ingredient in this recipe isn't beets or dill, it's the canned peas! But the most important thing is to add the entire can of peas, including the liquid. The brine that the peas are canned in adds a really special salty umami flavour to this Instant Pot Borscht recipe and it isn't the same without it.
Be sure to cut the beets into small cubes - I aim for a half-inch dice - or you may have to extend the cooking time.
To save time on chopping, feel free to replace the red cabbage with grocery store coleslaw mix - it's already shredded, and usually contains just cabbage and carrots.
This is a *chunky* borscht recipe, but if you prefer smooth borscht you are more than welcome to purée the soup as well.

Nutrition