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This Hearty Winter Borscht recipe caught my eye as I was scanning one of my favorite cookbooks of the moment, Simply in Season (affiliate link) Recipes that celebrate fresh, local foods in the spirit of More-with-Less.
Having never made or even tasted borscht before, I had no preconceived ideas about what ingredients it should contain.
Usually, this leads me to an exhaustive comparison of borscht soup recipes from various cookbooks and the internet as I attempt to deduce which one would be best (and lose several valuable hours in the process).
But as I continue to simplify my life, I decided to skip all that time and effort, trust that the recipe before me would be delicious and it was!
How Many Calories and WW Points in this Hearty Winter Borscht Recipe?
INot to say there are not lots of other delicious recipes for borscht out there or that I won’t try a different variation next time, but for today this was perfect with only 220 calories.
To see your WW Points for this recipe, track it in the WW App!
(You must be logged into WW on a smartphone or tablet.)
4 SmartPoints (Green plan)
4 SmartPoints (Blue plan)
2 SmartPoints (Purple plan)
5 PointsPlus (Old plan)
It makes 8 servings of winter borscht that is simple and satisfying on a cold day. Enjoy!
If you enjoy this recipe, be sure to check out my other Weight Watchers friendly soup recipes including Shredded Cabbage Soup, Crock Pot Sweet & Sour Cabbage Soup, WW 0 Point Vegetable Soup, Crock Pot Cabbage Soup with Sausage and WW Friendly Cabbage Soup Recipes
If you’ve made this Hearty Winter Borscht, please give the recipe a star rating below and leave a comment letting me know how you liked it. And stay in touch on Pinterest, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter for the latest updates.
Winter Borscht Soup Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 3/4 pound boneless beef or chicken cut into bite size pieces
- 1 cup chopped onion
- 4 cups water
- 4 cups beef broth
- 2 cups peeled and chopped potatoes
- 1/2 head cabbage, shredded
- 1 cup peeled chopped beets, beet stems or beet greens
- 1/2 cup diced carrots
- 1/2 cup pearl barley
- 2 bay leaves
- 1/2 cup chopped fresh dill or 2 tablespoons dried
- 1 teaspoon salt or to taste
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper or to taste
- 1/2 cup fresh chopped chives (optional)
- 1/2 cup fresh chopped parsley
- Optional toppings: dollop of sour cream or non-fat Greek yogurt
Instructions
- In a large soup pot or Dutch oven, heat the oil over medium heat until it begins to simmer. Add the beef and onion and cook until the meat has browned, about 10 minutes.
- Add the water, broth, potatoes, cabbage, beets, carrots, barley, bay leaves, dried dill (if using), salt and pepper.
- Bring to a boil then cover and let simmer for about 30 minutes.
- Add the beet greens and fresh dill, if using, and parsley. Simmer until greens have softened, another 10 minutes.
Notes
(Must be logged into WW on a smartphone or tablet.) WW Points: 2 4 SmartPoints (Green plan) 4 SmartPoints (Blue plan) 2 SmartPoints (Purple plan) 5 PointsPlus (Old plan)
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Source: Simply in Season (affiliate link)
I omitted the potatoes and barley, and my soup turned out fantastic… and I am not a beet fan.