Is Borscht Vegetarian? (Beet Soup, Explained)

Borscht is a beet soup with a bright red color and a question mark in the stock. It can be meat-based or fully vegetable, and the sour cream on top adds one more layer. Here is how to tell.

Key Takeaways

• Borscht varies: it can be made with beef or meat stock, or be fully vegetarian.
• The beets, cabbage and root vegetables are plant-based; the stock decides the rest.
• It is often served with sour cream, so a vegan version means skipping the cream.
• Ask if it is made with vegetable stock, and request no sour cream.

TL;DR: Borscht varies. It can be made with beef or meat stock (not vegetarian) or be fully vegetarian. It’s often served with a dollop of sour cream, so vegan borscht means skipping the cream too.

What’s in borscht

• Beets, cabbage, carrot, potato, onion: the vegetable base.
• Stock: sometimes beef or meat stock, sometimes vegetable stock.
• Sour cream: the classic topping (dairy).

The bright red beet base is vegetarian; the stock and the sour cream are what decide it.

How to order vegetarian or vegan

• Vegetarian: ask for a version made with vegetable stock.
• Vegan: vegetable stock and no sour cream (or a plant-based cream).

The bottom line

• Vegetarian? Only if made with vegetable stock.
• Vegan? Vegetable stock + no sour cream.

See our Borscht dish guide for the full breakdown.

Check before you eat. The Verify Veg app scans a barcode or reads an ingredient list from a photo and flags ingredients against your diet (vegan, vegetarian, halal, kosher, Jain and more). Download on the App Store - Android is coming soon.

Written by Samir Narain, founder of Verify Veg. Verify Veg helps people check packaged food against their diet by scanning barcodes and reading ingredient lists from photos.

Note: Verify Veg provides ingredient-based compatibility checks, not certification. Recipes and preparations vary by restaurant, region and cook, so always confirm with the restaurant, brand or vendor.