Get ready to have your mind (and taste buds) blown by these seriously nutrient-dense and delightfully delicious classic comfort food of eastern European origin.

I know I know, the word “borscht” doesn’t usually conjure feelings culinary excitement, but if you only knew how good it was for you, and how tasty it can be, you would be all up in the borscht-buzz!

Let me enlighten you…

Beets: With impressive percentages of your daily dose of vitamin C and folate, beets are fantastic immune boosters and great for cognitive function. Mostly though, beets help improve bile flow and overall digestive function, aiding in the break-down and absorption of other key nutrients in the foods we eat, as well as overall liver function necessary for optimal detoxification. Beets have also been shown to potentially balance blood pressure, enhance athletic performance, reduce inflammation, and may even have some anti-cancer properties (read more here)

Celery: Similarly to beets, celery has been shown to aid in digestion and reduce inflammation. Celery is also rich in vitamins and minerals that can potentially help with blood sugar management. Now, raw celery is noted as more potent in these nutritional properties, but when boiled in a soup for example, there’s a good chance you’ll retain many of those benefits even in cooked form. Good news for all of you about to make this recipe for dinner! (read more here)

Carrots: Orange carrots get their bright colour from beta carotene, an antioxidant that your body converts into vitamin A when coupled with special cofactors. This nutrient promotes good vision and is important for growth, development, and immune function (read more here)

Bone broth: High in collagen and essential amino acids, bone broth is a wonder-food when it comes to tissue repair and maintenance. Bone broth has also been shown to improve immune function, aid in digestive support, reduce inflammation, and help with body composition balance. Basically there’s little bone broth can’t do, which is one reason I include it in almost every soup I make (read more here)

Sauerkraut: Not only is cabbage bursting with vitamin C, but when consumed in this traditionally fermented form, you’re also getting the added probiotic benefit – a winning combo for gut health and immune function (read more here)

Garlic: We’ve already covered the immune boosting benefits of beets, carrots, bone broth, and sauerkraut, but it would be a travesty if I didn’t mention this cold-fighting queen! Antibacterial, anti-fungal, anti-inflammatory, and of course fantastically flavourful, garlic is always a good choice when whipping up a hearty winter warmer like borscht (read more here)

Dillweed: At the risk of sounding incredibly redundant, dillweed is ALSO great for immune function due to its antibacterial properties. Plus it’s a delightful carminative, meaning it helps reduce gas and bloating

Whether a classic ingredient, or additional something-something in my Whole Happy version, you can now see why the following recipe will provide you with a beautifully abundant bowl of goodness and have you saying “booyah” for borscht!

Don’t quite believe me yet? Give this easy and arguably foolproof dish a-go and see what I mean…

Immune Boosting + Digestively Beneficial Borscht

Prep time: 10 mins

Cook time: 30-40 mins

Makes about 6 servings

Ingredients

2 large celery sticks, thinly sliced
1 onion, peeled and thinly sliced (I usually use sweet but classic yellow is great too!)
2 medium carrots, peeled and thinly sliced
3 medium to large sized beets, peeled and sliced (sometimes I do matchstick shapes, sometimes more flat slices, you can also grate if you’d prefer, or do a combination…it doesn’t really matter)
2 small to medium sized red-skinned or Yukon gold potatoes, sliced (once again just regular or matchstick shapes)
1 cup traditional raw sauerkraut (if you’re going for store-bought I like Karthein’s) *note: you can either drain and rinse, or throw everything in, brine-and-all! I personally love the added flavour of the brine (plus the nutritional benefit of the probiotics), but it’s not for everyone
2 cloves of garlic, peeled and minced
8 cups bone broth (or half bone broth, half water)
1 14oz can diced tomatoes (no salt added, or low salt)
1/2 cup of fresh dill weed
1 tbsp paprika
Sea salt and fresh cracked black pepper to taste
Extra virgin olive oil or grass-fed butter
*Optional: cooked and sliced sausage of choice (I like one with apple in it for borscht, but you can do whatever you please), grass-fed sour cream or yogurt for garnish, extra dillweed for garnish

Directions

In a large pot on medium heat sauté the onions with ample amounts of olive oil or butter until translucent.
Add the celery, sauerkraut, diced tomatoes and the garlic, as well as all of the broth.
Bring to a slow boil over medium/high heat, then reduce to medium heat and let simmer.
Add the beets, carrots and potato.
Allow soup to simmer on low to medium until beets, carrots, potatoes are soft (test them with a fork or by biting into them!), about 30 minutes. Remove soup from heat.
Stir in chopped fresh dill weed, paprika, and salt and black pepper.
At this point you may add in the sausage and any additional seasoning you wish.
Serve hot with a dollop of sour cream or yogurt, and additional garnish of dillweed if desired.