Israeli Beet and Dill Soup with Sour Cream

Name: Israeli Beet and Dill Soup with Sour Cream
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 55 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Middle Eastern
Ingredients: 2 tablespoons (30 ml) extra-virgin olive oil; 1 whole (150 g) medium yellow onion, diced into ¼-inch pieces; 2 cloves (10 g) garlic cloves, minced; 1¼ pounds (600 g) medium red beets, peeled, cut into ½-inch cubes; 4 cups (960 ml) vegetable broth (or water); 1½ tablespoons (22 ml) red wine vinegar; to taste kosher salt; to taste freshly ground black pepper; ½ cup (15 g) fresh dill fronds, roughly chopped; ½ cup (120 ml) full-fat sour cream, cold

From the MyKitchenBank Kitchen

A bright, earthy beet soup infused with fresh dill and finished with a dollop of sour cream. This Israeli-style soup is naturally sweet from roasted beets and balanced with vinegar and herbs. Serve hot or chilled for a refreshing seasonal dish.

Prep: 15 min
Cook: 40 min
Wait: 5 min
Total: 1 hr
Makes: 4 servings (about 5 cups soup)

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Steps

Before you start

Peel and cut beets into ½-inch cubes to speed cooking
Have fresh dill ready to chop
Taste and adjust seasoning at the end—beet intensity varies

1
Sauté aromatics
- Heat olive oil in a 6-quart Dutch oven over medium heat.
- Add diced onion and cook for 3–4 minutes, stirring often, until softened and beginning to turn translucent.
- Add minced garlic and stir constantly for 30 seconds until fragrant.
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Ready when: Onion is translucent and garlic is fragrant
Tip: Don't let garlic brown or it will taste bitter.
2
Add beets and broth
- Add the cubed beets and vegetable broth to the pot.
- Stir well to combine.
- Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce heat to medium-low and simmer uncovered.
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Ready when: Liquid comes to a rolling boil
3
Simmer until tender
- Maintain a gentle simmer for 30–35 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- The beets are done when they're completely tender and break easily with a spoon.
- The broth will take on a deep ruby color.
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Ready when: Beets break easily with a spoon and broth is deeply colored
Tip: Stir the pot every 10 minutes to ensure even cooking and prevent sticking.
4
Season with acid
- Remove the pot from heat.
- Stir in the red wine vinegar, then taste the soup.
- Season with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper—start with ½ teaspoon salt and adjust to your preference.
- The soup should taste bright and earthy, not overly vinegary.
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Ready when: Soup is well seasoned and balanced
Tip: Taste before adding all the salt—some broths are already salty.
5
Finish with dill
- Stir in the chopped fresh dill until evenly distributed.
- Let the soup rest for 2–3 minutes off heat so the dill flavors gently infuse without losing their brightness.
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Ready when: Dill is distributed and soup has a herbaceous aroma
Tip: If using dried dill, use only 1 tablespoon and stir it in during cooking instead.
6
Serve with sour cream
- Ladle the soup into serving bowls.
- Top each portion with a generous spoonful (about 2 tablespoons) of cold sour cream and a small sprig of fresh dill if desired.
- Serve immediately while the soup is hot.
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Ready when: Soup is in bowls and sour cream is visible
Tip: The contrast of hot soup and cold sour cream is essential to the dish—don't warm the cream.

Good to know

Tips

For a smoother soup, blend it partially or fully with an immersion blender after cooking, then stir in the dill. This works especially well for a creamier texture.
Wear gloves when handling raw beets to prevent staining your hands deep purple.
If your beets are very large, cut them into smaller pieces so they cook evenly in the 30–35 minute window.
This soup is naturally vegan if you top it with dairy-free sour cream or simply finish with a drizzle of good olive oil instead.

Make ahead

You can make this soup up to 3 days ahead. Prepare it through step 4 (before adding the dill), cool, and refrigerate in an airtight container. Reheat gently over medium heat, then add the fresh dill just before serving. You can also serve this soup chilled: chill for at least 4 hours and add a touch more vinegar before serving cold with sour cream.

Storage & reheating

Room temperature: up to 2 hours. Refrigerator: up to 3 days in an airtight container. Freezer: up to 3 months in a freezer-safe container (the dill will darken, but flavor remains good). To reheat, thaw overnight in the fridge, then warm gently over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Add fresh dill just before serving.

Substitutions

red wine vinegar → white wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar. Use the same amount. Apple cider vinegar will add a slightly sweeter note.
fresh dill fronds → 1 tablespoon dried dill. Add dried dill with the broth in step 2 rather than at the end, so it hydrates and releases flavor evenly.
full-fat sour cream → Greek yogurt or labneh. Greek yogurt is tangier; labneh adds a silky richness. Both work beautifully.
vegetable broth (or water) → water plus 1 teaspoon kosher salt, or chicken broth. Water with added salt works fine if you don't have vegetable broth. Chicken broth adds savory depth.