Nordic beetroot soup with dill
October 3, 2026 · 3 min read
Beetroot is a cornerstone of the Nordic root-vegetable larder, and a pot of it turns into soup with almost no effort. Simmer the beets soft, blend them smooth, and the color alone earns its place at the table — a deep, clean magenta. A spoon of skyr and a scatter of dill are all the finish it needs, with rye crispbread for crunch on the side.
It's the kind of bowl that costs little, keeps for days, and tastes better on the second one.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 lb beets, peeled and diced
- 1 tablespoon rapeseed (canola) oil
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 4 cups vegetable broth
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- Salt, to taste
- Black pepper, to taste
- 1/2 cup skyr, to serve
- Fresh dill, to serve
- Rye crispbread, to serve
Steps
- Heat the oil in a large pot over medium. Soften the onion for about 5 minutes, then add the garlic for 30 seconds.
- Add the diced beets and the broth, bring to a boil, then cover and simmer until the beets are completely tender, 25 to 30 minutes.
- Blend the soup smooth — a stick blender in the pot is easiest. Stir in the vinegar and season well with salt and pepper.
- Ladle into bowls, swirl a spoon of skyr into each, and finish with dill and a grind of black pepper. Serve with rye crispbread.
How it comes together
Makes 4 servings — read left to right; each column combines what's behind it.
PrepPeel and dice the beets small so they cook through fast — and wear an apron, because beet juice stains everything it touches.
| 1 tbsp · 14 g rapeseed (canola) oil | Soften the aromatics | |||
| 1 onionmedium, diced | ||||
| 2 cloveses · 6 g garlicminced | ||||
| 1½ lb · 680 g beetspeeled and diced | Simmer the beets | |||
| 4 cups · 960 g vegetable broth | ||||
| 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar | Blend and season | |||
| saltto taste | ||||
| black pepperto taste | ||||
| ½ cup · 120 g skyrto serve | Garnish and serve | |||
| fresh dillto serve | ||||
| rye crispbreadto serve |
Scaling adjusts quantities only — cooking times and pan sizes may need judgment. Grams are rounded for the kitchen.
Notes and swaps
Roast the beets first if you have the time — 40 minutes in a hot oven concentrates their sweetness before they ever hit the pot. A peeled apple or a cooked potato blended in rounds out the earthiness, and a thumb of grated horseradish stirred at the end gives it a Nordic bite. Sour cream or crème fraîche stand in for the skyr. For a heartier version, hold back a handful of the diced beets, simmer them separately, and stir them in whole after blending.
Serve it hot in winter or well-chilled in summer; beet soup works both ways, which is part of why it stays in rotation.
Tell Nordic Diet Companion "beetroot soup with skyr and rye" and it logs the root vegetables, fermented dairy, and whole grain the bowl covers against your week's pattern.
FAQ
Is this the same as borscht? It's a cousin. Eastern European borscht is often a chunky beef-and-cabbage soup; this is a smooth, meat-free Nordic version built on beets, finished with dill and skyr rather than a long-simmered stock.
Can I make it ahead? Yes, and it's better for it. The soup keeps 4 to 5 days in the fridge and the flavor deepens overnight. It also freezes well for up to three months — add the skyr and dill fresh when you serve.
Do I have to roast the beets first? No. Simmering diced beets straight in the broth is faster and gives a clean, bright flavor. Roasting is an optional step that trades time for extra sweetness.
What makes it taste Nordic? The finishing trio — skyr, fresh dill, and seeded rye crispbread — plus rapeseed oil as the cooking fat. Those are the notes that place it in the Nordic kitchen rather than the Eastern European one.
What goes well alongside? Rye crispbread or dark rye bread is the classic pairing. For a light meal around it, a beet and apple salad doubles down on the root, and homemade rye crispbread is worth the effort if you bake.